Chapter Text

Sinnoh, the land of the gods, famous for its myths, culture and  frigid climate. Times may change, but the people shall never forget their origin, their creators and protectors above. Our story is a tale of strife and pain, but also happiness and adventure. There are centuries long mysteries waiting to be resolved and it befalls a select few individuals and all their allies to make it happen. To change Sinnoh- no, the planet, Regiearth, forever. To seize your answer, you must take action and uncover the secrets that blind the truth. In this epic, we will be following the life of Topaz Heart and his allies as they live through an ever evolving Sinnoh region to solve its mysteries and to defeat the evil that dwells within it. Before that we must address his origin, how Topaz and his friends came to be. Welcome to Arc 1: New World Order .

Sunyshore City, May

The storm was intense tonight. Lightning struck the sky and the waves roared with a furious passion. Most pokemon and humans were nestled away in their dens and homes in an attempt to escape the intense downpour. Wingull huddled within small coves to shelter themselves. The aquatic pokemon sunk deep within the ocean to avoid the worst of the rolling sea. The famous solar panel walkways of Sunyshore still shone, a subtle luminosity highlighting the paths for those misfortunate enough to be stuck outside seeking shelter. It was past midnight, so most of the city’s denizens were fast asleep, allowing the pitter patter of the rain to lull them into a deep slumber. 

If only I were so lucky.

I clung onto Mother’s hand as if I were holding on to dear life, which very well have been the case. It was frigid, soaking wet, thunderous and terrifying. Daddy always said it’s dangerous to run around during thunderstorms without protective gear since electric types come out and they aren’t always careful when they eat the lightning strikes. The city has countermeasures for this, but he said to still be careful or I’ll get shocked. I also felt really dizzy for some reason.

“Mother, Daddy said it isn’t safe to be out in the rain like this!” I yelled over the sound of roaring thunder and constant splashes of our feet in the puddles.

She didn’t answer, simply choosing to tug on me to move faster. In the distance I saw a Munchlax and two Aipom running in the distance looking for shelter. The Munchlax tripped, but his Aipom friends turned back to help him up before they all continued running.

I hope they find somewhere safe to hide.

I was pulled from my thoughts once again when my mother began running through a park dodging past several of the playground structures. I could barely keep up compared to her longer legs, having to jump up all over while she continued to drag me. We then began to climb a long concrete staircase in which I slipped and nearly fell on my face, catching myself before I fell. I scraped one of my hands and I think my knees, but I knew complaining too much would probably upset her even more so I stifled my tears. Mother has been gone for awhile, so I don’t want to upset her by crying. 

Climbing all the stairs made my dizziness intensify. My head felt like it was spinning too fast for me to handle, causing me to lag behind even more.

“Mother, can we go slower? I don’t feel good,” I lightly pleaded.

“If you make us wait in the rain you certainly won’t get any better. This is for your own good, trust me. We are almost there, just hold on,” She retorted.

If you say so…

She allowed me to properly stand up before we made off once again into the night. It was dark, but I was beginning to recognize landmarks of which part of the city we were in. The beach house district close to the ocean where I could see the water crash against the beach rocks with a ferocious intensity. Most of the houses were perched on cliffs far from anything short of a tsunami, so I think they should be okay.

A sizzling bolt of lightning shone through the sky. In the distance I could see crowds of Electabuzz, Magnemite and Pikachu awaiting the next bolt of lightning to strike one of them. Another bolt descended upon the horde of Electabuzz stirring them into a bright, whirling frenzy. A stray bolt made one of the street lamps shudder and pop, glass splintering everywhere. I closed my eyes and clung onto Mother’s arm hoping she’d protect me.

“Let go of my arm, I can’t move properly if you accost me in a vice grip,” She chastised me wrenching her arm from me and grabbing my hands. “If a threat is imminent the smart course of action would be to flee, hide or dispose of it, not hang on my arm and impede our progress increasing the chances of both of us acquiring injury.”

She muttered to herself a bit more dragging me along. The blinding flashes didn’t help with my disorientation, but I coped in fear of another tongue lashing. We continued our way onward and my vision only blurred more and more. The cold rain soaked through my clothes. Mixed with the exhaustion from running around the city made me feel uncomfortably wet. My will to go on was diminishing with my every step, but my desire to not disappoint Mother kept me standing. 

I don’t wanna be yelled at again… but I miss my bed. Where are we going? Why did it have to be now?

My thoughts must’ve been running faster than my legs because my brain couldn’t handle the disorientation and tripped, sprawling on the solar panel tiles. It felt as though I stepped off a cliff with how it felt like I was plummeting to the ground in a sprawl. I could vaguely hear Mother curse before hoisting me up. She looked me straight in the eyes and snapped her fingers, but I barely noticed. With a huff she took my hand and we kept on going, with me too dazed at this point to protest anything.

“There it is, we are finally here,” I heard Mother exclaim. My vision had gotten a lot woozier the more we progressed and even more so after I fell, but even I could tell where we were. A modest beach home perched atop a cliff, surrounded by various palm trees. There was ample space and it was obvious how much training had been done in the backyard.

“Uncle’s house?” I softly asked. She practically dragged me to the front steps before kneeling in front of me and holding my head.

“Mother has to go now, you’ll be staying with your grandparents and uncle, understood?” She spoke quickly.

I-why!? Where is she going? Where’s Daddy?

“But Mom-Mother, where are you going? I wanna stay with you and Daddy!” The tears were nigh immediate. I was feeling a lot of things right now and none of them were good. Abandonment was the breaking point.

“Hush child. Mother and Father have errands to attend to, but we will come back for you soon. All of us will be a family again. Until then I need you to be good and study hard, you are my son, correct? You have a sharp mind, but you must hone it. It does not befit our family for you to grow up to be anything short of exceptional. Come now, stop crying and answer. You’ll grow up to be exceptional, correct?”

I stifled a cry when her cold eyes began to sink like daggers. “...I promise. I’ll train and study hard! I’ll become so smart you and Daddy will be jealous, but you have to come back!”

“That’ll be a feat. We shall see in due time, dear child,” She said before caressing my face. Her eyes glistening through the dark. “Be well, Topaz.”

“I will. I love you... Mother,” I said with a slight giddiness. She’s not usually like this, that’s strange. At the same time, I haven’t seen her in a long time. Daddy said they were taking a break, so maybe she got nicer during the break. 

She gave a curt smile before ringing the doorbell and fleeing through the rain. I watched her dash away much faster than she had with me, so even if I wanted to catch up I had no chance in my condition. As she grew smaller and smaller in the distance the urge to cry came once again.

In the corner of my eye I saw lights go on from within the house. The rain was too loud to hear what was going on, but they must’ve heard Mother pushing the doorbell so many times. A few short moments later the door opened revealing a boy over twice my age with short blonde hair and very tired blue eyes looking around before he fell upon me. Out of the corner of my eye I could see his Electabuzz, Roland, with a pajama cap looking over.

“Topaz!? What are you doing here in the rain at 4am?” Uncle demanded pulling me.

“Uncle Volkner… Mother… she left me… here,” I staggered after each word falling into my uncle Volkner’s arms, having difficulty regaining focus. I was so tired, I could barely move anymore. “She said… she had… to go…”

“Oi Topaz! Wake up! Mom! Dad! It’s Topaz! Come on, wake-” Those were the last words I heard before I closed my eyes. I couldn’t focus anymore, I wasn’t sure if I was still crying or not due to being completely soaked, but I just couldn't stand any longer. Everything faded into a swirling black cloudy night.

Mother never came back, not a word from Dad either. The night after I collapsed at my grandparents’ place they investigated my house finding signs of conflict, but otherwise it looked like a home invasion. The police questioned me asking me what I could remember and I told them all I remember is running away from the house and my mom leaving me with my grandparents. Everything else was too foggy.

What the police must’ve wanted to do was have a psychic type look into my brain to find out what actually happened, but apparently psychic type interference on a developing brain can be pretty damning even with the slightest mistake, so in Sinnoh it’s illegal to do it on minors and forbidden for children under 12. Granddad Vito, the Sunyshore gym leader, set up search parties all over the city looking for my parents, but they couldn’t even pick up a scent so they figured the invaders teleported out. When they brought psychic types to investigate they smelt dark type energy ruining the signal. They asked my grandparents and uncle a bunch of questions about possible enemies, but the investigation proved fruitless. 

~~Luminous Beach, June Year 8520~~

I sat down on the warm beach sand and stared out at the sea.

It’s been a month and they still aren’t home.

Living with my grandparents wasn’t bad, just different. My granddad is the gym leader of Sunyshore City and my uncle Volkner is training to take his place soon. Volkner and his Electabuzz, Roland, would pick me up from school to take me to the gym while they trained. Usually I just sat on the sidelines and watched since I didn’t feel like doing all that much else and watched.

Ever since my parents left I just didn’t feel the same anymore. There were so many people and pokemon around me all the time now, yet I still felt alone. Grandma said I’d get used to it, but I wasn’t all that sure. The doctors said something happened with my brain and that'll it go away soon, but I feel like I'm in a daze. I barely feel anything anymore and it's hard to stay awake long.

“Yo Topaz. Dinner is ready,” Said the familiar voice behind me as I turned around to see Volkner standing above me with his usual expression: apathy. Ironically enough I found him more approachable than anyone else because of it.

“Hi Uncle,” I said quietly before staring back at the ocean. He didn’t say anything for a whole minute. Uncle Volkner isn’t that much older than me, I’m 6 and he’s 12. A pretty big gap, but he was still nice to me. Quiet too and sometimes I needed that.

We watched the waves cascade in the distance. Mantyke leaped through the waters as the sunset painted the environment in an orange hue.

“Do you think I’ll see my parents again?” I asked him innocently. Volkner wouldn’t lie to me.

There was a long pause.

“Dunno,” Was all he said.

I exhaled. That’s the best answer I could expect. He didn’t lie, he just doesn’t know. I stood up and brushed off the sand.

“What’s for dinner tonight?”
“Lasagna. Hurry up before Roland eats it all, he fought in 10 battles today, he’s starving,” Volkner informed me with his constant neutral expression before turning away.

“Coming.”

I looked at the sea one more time before chasing after him. I could brood later.

~~Sunyshore Gym, July Year 8520~~

I was sitting inside the gym watching Volkner and Roland demolish another potential challenger effortlessly. They both had a semi dissatisfied and bored look, but that wasn’t a sign of carelessness. It was mercy. Roland using all his energy in this fight would be a waste.

“Roland, catch Donphan and then use Ice Punch,” Volkner said with his arms crossed.

The opposing trainer commanded his Donphan to use Rollout, barreling right into Roland’s open arms. Contrary to popular belief, Electabuzz aren’t very big at all less than 4ft tall typically, but for pokemon size rarely matters as he easily caught Donphan without even a grunt of distress.

“Don!?”

“Buzz!” Roland smirked before he incased the poor Donphan in ice freezing him. 

“Donphan? Donphan can you move?” 

There was a slight shake of acknowledgement as Roland placed the Donphan down, enjoying his little trick.

“Recall them, we’re done here. Try again when you know what you’re doing,” Volkner yawned as he recalled Roland to his pokeball. “Another easy win…” He said to Roland’s ball before pocketing it.

The trainer ran over to their frozen Donphan, recalled them and ran to the pokemon center looking like they were about to cry.

Didn’t he say he had 8 gym badges? That’s what you get when you lie about your skill huh…

Volkner stretched and walked over to me. “Pretty boring right?”

I nodded. My action figures had a more exciting battle than that.

He sat down next to me. “I’ve traveled the whole region and now I’m in a rut. Got all these pokemon who want strong challengers, but all we keep getting are these weak trainers who want to fight the electric gym thinking it’ll be easy with ground types. It might be time for us to start traveling again…”

I looked at Volkner quizzically as I fiddled with my Munchlax action figure. The main reason why he hasn’t gone out traveling is because he’s lazy. That’s what my grandparents say anyway. I don’t think Volkner is lazy at all since he’s always working with the pokemon and taking on challengers as a gym trainer. It’s just that sometimes he looks a little sadder than usual and doesn’t have the energy he needs to get up and go. Flint, his best friend, is usually able to cheer him up, but he’s off traveling again and training on the island north of the Pokemon League. Something about a Battle Tower?

Maybe he needs more motivation?

“I’m gonna get a drink, ya want an apple juice or something?”

“Mango punch.”

“Of course ya do,” Volkner said before walking off to go get it. The gym was pretty quiet at the moment. We haven’t been busy in awhile so most of the gym trainers are in the back taking care of the pokemon more than anything else. I didn’t mind, all the battles I’ve seen are kinda overrated.

I waited in silence for a bit just looking at the relatively untouched battlefield. 

I’m so bored.

That is until I heard the gym entrance open up. There in walked a girl around Volkner’s age with long blonde hair and an even longer black coat. Actually everything she wore was black including her hair accessories. I looked at her and noticed her focused gray eyes looking around for the gym trainer or puzzle that was supposed to be in here. Lots of trainers have that look.

I wonder what the receptionist tells them before they enter?

She raised an eyebrow before looking at me, smiling a bit when she saw me. “Hello there. Am I missing something or is there no particular puzzle or pathway here?”

“Nope. Just some fights. My granddad is old fashioned. The reinforced glass ceiling is new though,” I said pointing at the ceiling before returning to my toys. “My uncle should be here any second now.”

And just as I said that Volkner came in with two glasses of mango punch, one for me and him. After he handed me mine, he looked at the girl.

“I’m guessing you’re a challenger right? The name’s Volkner Beacon.”

She nodded, bowing slightly. “I am. My name is Cynthia Valkyrie, and I’d like to issue a challenge.” She tilted her head slightly. “You’re a bit young to be a leader, but you’re quite strong aren’t you?”

Volkner raised an eyebrow at that. I wonder why.

“I’ve been through my fair share of fights during my journey, but now I’m just a gym trainer. My grandfather is in the back, he’s the leader…” Volkner looked at Cynthia proper. “How can you tell how strong I am?”

“You carry yourself with the air of earned confidence.” She gave a bit of an awkward smile. “I just saw an example of relatively unearned confidence running out of here. It’s subtle, but you give off this aura of knowing what you’re doing.”

“Ah him. That kid wasn’t anything special, nothing to write home about,” Volkner stated, but even he looked annoyed. Easy fights always make him feel sour. “Anyway, my team is on lunch break and all the other gym trainers are busy. Might as well fight my dad, he’s got nothing better to do.”

She gave a nod of affirmation and shifted slightly on her feet. “Should I wait while you go get him, shall he be coming soon, should I get him myself…?”

“He’s just in the back, give me a sec,” Volkner said before turning around to the back to go get Granddad. I finished my juice and continued playing with my toys before I turned to Cynthia.

“Do you have any electric types?” I asked.

She shook her head. “Not yet. I don’t know what the future will hold just yet, though they certainly are fascinating. It’s quite rare for Pokemon to only be innately weak to one type, and electric types have a number of interesting aspects about them.” She started a bit, shook her head and smiled. “Sorry, I have a habit of going on to myself. I don’t believe I caught your name?”

“Topaz,” I said simply before holding up my toys. “This is Munchy the Munchlax and Blitz the Blitzle.”

A flash of a grimace crossed her face before she smiled kindly and extended a hand. “A pleasure to meet you and your friends.”

I shook her hand before returning to my toy battle. A few seconds later Volkner came out with Granddad Vito. He smiled at Cynthia before walking over and extending a hand in greetings. “Welcome to Sunyshore gym. You must be Cynthia Valkyrie correct? A pleasure to meet you.”

She gave him a smile as she shook his hand. “I am indeed, and likewise. I take it you’re the gym leader?”

“Indeed I am. My name is Vito Beacon, I specialize in electric types and my family is responsible for creating the solar panel walkways that brought you here. It was actually my son Volkner’s idea in order to provide bountiful renewable energy to the entire city. Did you know-”

There he goes.

My grandfather liked to introduce himself by hyping up the accomplishments of Sunyshore. Volkner coughed loudly to prevent him from getting too off track.

“Oh my apologies, I tend to ramble on. I haven’t actually seen too many challengers lately, Volkner scares them off.”

Volkner huffed before the attention focused back on Granddad.

“So, how many gym badges do you have? We can determine how we fight from there.”

She pulled out a small case, and upon opening it it held the Snowpoint, Eterna and Veilstone gym badges. “This would be my fourth gym, however.” Her face hardened. “I have a request to make. I would ask that you come at me with your strongest team members.”

I immediately looked up. Both Granddad and Volkner's eyes widened a bit at that remark. 

Have I ever even seen Granddad’s strongest team fight?

“Are you sure? It sounds like you aren’t too far in your journey… ah wait, you must have strong pokemon from past journeys, of course,” Grandfather rationalized.

She shook her head. “This is my first journey. That does not change the fact that my younger sister was taken two months ago and I have every intention of becoming Champion to fix things. I don’t expect you to believe blind bravado, however.” Her hand went around one of the four Pokeballs on her belt, and she took a couple steps back. “Reginleif? It’s time to fly.”

She threw the ball into the air, it bursting open with a brilliant light before forming the largest Garchomp I’d ever seen (and the first). They stood well above Granddad and were far taller than Cynthia, with fins worn smooth and a determined, prepared look on her face. She gave a small smile to her companion before turning back to Granddad and Volkner. “I would also hope you don’t think I’m so foolish as to expect I’ll win simply because Reginleif is a ground type. Types may be fundamentals, but fundamentals must be expanded upon.”

Granddad was speechless a moment before he collected himself. “Seems I underestimated the youngsters of today. Your Garchomp appears young, but she is quite large and exudes power. Fine then, I shall fight you with my oldest companions. They need to get the blood pumping anyway. Volkner would you care to referee?”

He nodded, still staring at the towering dragon.

Garchomp… I’ve never seen one in real life before. The strongest dragon type in all of Sinnoh and Cynthia has one in only 3 badges. 

Volkner walked over to me with the referee flags.

“Volkner, Garchomp are super strong right?”

“They are devastating. Some of the most dangerous pokemon a trainer can use due to their sheer diversity and overwhelming power, especially within sand. Any battle with a Garchomp has to be worth watching.”

I gripped my toys tighter as I watched Cynthia and Granddad go to the opposite sides of the field. 

“This will be a 4v4 battle between Leader Vito and Challenger Cynthia. Only the challenger may switch pokemon and she will also have the first move. She’s already sent out her pokemon though, so I guess you just send yours out next, Dad,” Volkner stated.

Granddad nodded, unclipping an old pokeball from his belt releasing Electivire, his oldest partner. He was relatively big, but you could see his age with his graying fur around his face and battle worn body. Despite all that he looked healthy and ready to go.

“You have the first move, Challenger Cynthia.”

She didn’t respond, simply staring at her foe. She tapped the ground gently with her foot, nodded slightly to herself and then looked to her Garchomp. “Reginleif? Avalanche.”
Isn’t that an ice type move?
Reginleif, the moment that was said, roared in affirmation and burrowed into the ground in a burst of dirt and stone. There was a slight rumble before huge rocky spires started blasting up from the ground, lodging themselves in various spots around the arena and closing in on Granddad’s Electivire.

“Interesting approach. Electivire dig your tails into the ground to figure out where the spires will emerge next! Dodge accordingly and smash through with Dual Chop!” Electivire roared back, and stuck their tails into the ground. They looked confused though, and simply stood where they are. No spires actually came up right underneath or even particularly around them. No wall made of them or anything of the sort. The furthest ones were out of arm’s reach.
After a quick moment where no more spires were shooting up from the ground, a torrent of sand came cascading out from the hole Garchomp had dug. The battlefield was quickly covered in a thick sandstorm, but there was no time for that. Behind a pillar in Electivire and Granddad’s blind spot, she came bursting up from the ground, tore a pillar from the ground and launched it towards Electivire. Followed up quickly by three more, and then herself.

Electivire’s tails twitched as he reflexively turned to where Reginleif emerged from the ground in a battle stance.

“Shield yourself with Magnet Rise, she’s coming through, make sure to push her back with Ice Punch!”

I remember this strategy. Magnet Rise would catch the debris and Electivire would take on the opponent. I’ve watched Roland do it a few times against other ground opponents. Volkner said rather than making the pokemon float, it creates a levitate-like field around them. Sounds complex, but Electivire can prolly do it easy. 

With a flick of his tails Electivire was surrounded by the Magnet Rise field as his hands began to cool with Ice Punch’s wrath. The shield barely caught the debris as even he was surprised with how much force she had thrown at it, having to strengthen his guard to prepare for his counterattack. After the fourth spire, rather than waiting for it to hit Reginleif was inside the spire itself. Using it as both an attack and a shield, she clamped onto Electivire’s arm with her mouth and flew into the air. Cynthia chuckled slightly.

“Apologies, but we’re from Snowpoint. We’ve trained specifically against ice.” As if to punctuate this, the frost slowly forming on Reginleif’s head was shattered as she blew Electivire back down to the ground with a point blank Dragon Pulse before going for a dive attack.

“Electivire!” Granddad yelled as he witnessed the carnage that transpired. Electivire had a look mixed with pain and ‘I’m too old for this’ as he laid on the ground looking fairly charred as he slowly got up looking at Reginleif come crashing down. “Outmaneuver her! Quick Attack!”

Electivire huffed as his body cloaked himself in a white light before moving out of the dive attack and charging straight into Reginleif with a Quick Attack mixed in with some Bulldoze.

Electivire doesn’t like using moves like Quick Attack anymore cuz of his age, but even he sees how much he needs the extra speed right now.

A smile crossed Cynthia’s face. “You know what to do.” Reginleif simply roared, slammed her massive tail against the earth and sent a powerful Earthquake shattering through the battlefield. The huge amount of spires still left over crumbled to form sharp stones that littered the ground, not to mention the ones currently falling every which way. And while Electivire was too busy trying not to have an avalanche fall on him, Reginleif used the opportunity to send a huge pillar of raw Earth Power right underneath him.

“That won’t be enough to stop this old boy!”

Electivire continued running through the Earth Power and before it could blow he stepped on it and the energy was curbed.
“Huh?” I asked.

“Electivire used Bulldoze to destroy everything on and under the ground, including Earth Power. He’s going to charge straight on through.”

And charge he did, slamming into Reginleif with normal and ground energy clashing. Cynthia’s eyes lit up, having seen something she was unfamiliar with before she called out. “Reginleif! Fly!”

She roared, clamped her claws onto the charging Electivire, and took off into the air. In just a moment though, she came right back down dragging Electivire through the ground with draconic energy sparking across her body. Stones were jutting out of the ground in front of the two as they flew, making the keelhauling that extra bit more impactful.

I watched Reginleif drag Electivire through the battlefield wincing at how much that must hurt, but enthralled. Volkner’s breath hitched as he noticed something.

“Barrier,” He whispered.

“Yeah, we’re standing behind one. If we weren’t dirt would be everywhere.”

Battle barriers are so convenient.

“No, look at that sheen at his back. It’s taking the brunt of the rocks. Some of them get by, but it’s mitigating the damage,” Volkner pointed at how Electivire was holding on for dear life, but there was a subtle psychic barrier surrounding his body shielding him from the worst attacks. As well as…

His tails are all over her body!
We watched as Electivire’s tails, while he was being attacked, had moved all over her body before he inserted the tips deep within her scales breaking through to her tissue.

“Watch closely Volkner! This is what Electivire can truly do!” Granddad shouted. “Thunder!”

“But that’s an electric move and ground types are immune and she’s a dragon type! Isn’t that like super immune?”

“That’s what I thought, but we can’t underestimate Electivire and their electricity. Pokemon’s insides aren’t totally vulnerable and there have been reports of Electivire taking down ground type enemies by inserting electricity straight inside them. Guess this must be what they were talking about,” Volkner answered, shaking with excitement. "Not every electric type is capable of this feat, but Electivire is among the strongest."

Wow, is that a smile? A little weird, but he’s got the right idea… I think?

Reginleif seemed to take notice of the unexpected piercings she just received as she began to slow down. Electivire seemed to notice and seized his chance as his tails began to constrict around her and inserted deeper inside before he let loose a ruthless thunder. Volkner stood in front of me as we both covered our eyes to the blinding light. I heard a loud smash and turned to see Electivire had thrown Reginleif into the ground with all his strength with a vicious Hammer Arm, shoving her neck deeper and deeper into the ground so she could let loose another dragon pulse as he just kept shocking.

Pokemon battles… they are so violent, but I… I can’t not look. My imagination hasn’t been trying hard enough. I should make my toy battles more like this.

Cynthia flinched, her eyes darting before they focused once more. “Reginleif! You’ve got this! Make that your own and finish this!”

There was a roar from the ground as she grabbed onto his arm with her claws, red and black lightning began to mix with the yellow and she didn’t resist the Hammer Arm. She went with it. The sudden shift in balance threw of Electivire just enough for her to turn it around and start burrowing through the ground, still getting shocked. Cynthia though just glanced upwards. When I followed her gaze, I found a huge meteor growing above the stadium. Oh.

“Now!” As the meteor had reached a critical mass and began to fall, Reginleif burst forth from the ground, still with Electivire held in front of her, and sandwiched him between the oncoming meteor and herself while shielding herself from the draconic energy with Electivire. She then tossed him to the ground, snarling and shuddering before the electricity left her system. She’d come out of it with some burn marks and a couple injuries, but nothing that kept her from standing strong.

The dust cleared and we saw Electivire flat on his back looking like he had just been sandwiched between two incoming trains. No wait, that’d prolly hurt less than what just transpired. He seemed to just stare into the ceiling lights, barked something before his eyes went all squiggly. His body was charred and bloody with some patches of fur missing. Just to make sure I checked his tails and luckily they were still there and-.

Wait, how long are those tails? They aren’t that long outside of battle. I never knew he could extend them. I guess Roland will be able to as well.

Volkner looked like he witnessed Arceus had descended upon us before I coughed breaking him out of his hypnosis. 

“Ahem, Electivire is unable to battle, Reginleif wins!” He said, raising a flag.

I rolled my eyes as Granddad recalled Electivire. “You sure showed those whippersnappers. We’ll get you fixed up, right as rain.”

He turned to Cynthia with a more serious expression.

“Your strategies are nuanced and your Garchomp fights like a demon possessed. If I didn’t know better I would have thought I was fighting a dragon master. Electivire hasn’t been pushed that far in years.”

She was beaming back at him as she gently stroked Reginleif’s scales, her slowly calming and feeling less jolted. I doubt she's ever been electrocuted and I can tell she has no intention of allowing it to happen again.

“You praise me too much, I’ve only done as much as I can. Reginleif deserves the credit far more than I. Though I have to thank you for teaching me during that match; I didn’t know there was a way to stamp out Earth Power or that ground types can still be affected by electricity if you inject it. I’d wondered about utilizing Magnet Rise the way you did, but haven’t had the opportunity to attempt it with any of my team. I learned a lot from that, but this match isn’t over yet is it? I hope to learn much more from the coming bouts.”

“You are an ideal trainer. Learn from every experience, yes and as an elder gym leader I shall teach you. It’s not a well known or easily performed tactic, but if injected directly electric type moves can do damage albeit it is still lessened. Ground types are unused to the shock though, so they tend to recoil more than necessary. There are strategies for other types as well.”

She put a hand to her chin and looked deep in thought for a moment. “Perhaps it was because of prior training…” Then her gaze turned to Reginleif. “Reginleif, was that similar to when we were training against ice? Of course different, but the same concept.”
She nodded, and Cynthia’s eyes brightened. “So learning how one elemental weakness affects you and counteracting it makes future training of that sort easier…” She started again and laughed awkwardly. “Sorry, I tend to do that. I doubt you want me to keep you while I theorize.”

“I never knew battling was so complex…”

“When you’re older you’ll understand. There are so many factors to look into for a fight and contingencies you have to prepare for. Every battle is a learning opportunity and you have to take it into consideration when raising your own pokemon. Their strengths, weaknesses and theoretical immunities,” Volkner explained a tad giddily. “The best pokemon trainers are the ones who think the hardest after every new strategy.”

“Oooh. Hm.”

Training pokemon. I wonder if I’ll be any good at it.

“No worries young lady, take your time. It’s been awhile since anyone was willing to listen to advice,” Granddad says as he takes out a pokeball. “Unfortunately, the rest of this battle may not be as interesting. Electivire is by far my most powerful teammate, if he couldn’t win, I’m not sure what the others can do even at their best. Even with Reginleif in that state.”
I turned to Reginleif curiously. She looked fine when I last looked at her, but upon closer inspection you could still see the marks where Elecitivire’s tails constricted her, slight bruising around her neck and deep holes where his tails broke through her scales. Despite it all she stood strong, ignoring whatever pain she must’ve felt.

Is this a battle high or was Granddad not too far off with the possessed demon part?

She raised an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t count yourself out just yet. And there’s always something new to learn from any battle. However, I believe you wouldn’t mind if I swapped who’s out? I would prefer Reginleif doesn’t get injured too badly, and she’s quite frankly the most experienced member of my team. I have another in mind who could do with a properly challenging battle.”

“Of course. Switch to whomever you like. In my case… Electrode, go!”

Electrode landed with a whir. I don’t know how old he is or if they even age.

Cynthia meanwhile had pulled out Reginleif’s Pokeball. “Take a rest, my friend. You’ve more than earned it.” Reginleif gave a gentle roar of thanks, and her shoulders slumped a bit before she was recalled. She fastened the ball back to her belt before taking off another one, her face a bit more serious. “Hel, you’re up.”

As the ball opened, a sudden ghastly pressure swept throughout the room. A simple rock formed with some strange markings shaped vaguely like a face, before a purple and green swirling mist coalesced into a jagged sawlike circle. The eyes looked loathing and an odd screech rung through the air. And yet…
Cynthia just looked to… him? Her? Them? “Tell me if you’d prefer to rest soon, alright? I won’t force you.” The whirling seemed somehow less intense for a moment before they stared down at the Electrode facing the two.

First her Garchomp fights like Satan on a rampage and now she’s got the swirling portal to the underworld fighting with her?

Feeling concerned, I walked up to Volkner and pulled on his shirt. “Did Cynthia catch Hell?”

“Huh? What? No, that’s what I assume is their nickname. That looks like… a Spiritomb. Never seen one in person before… or really heard of anyone having one.”

Granddad rubbed his chin. “Spiritomb hmmm. That’s an exceedingly rare, but dangerous pokemon you have.”

The Spiritomb made a threatening noise while Cynthia nodded. “Please refer to them as an entity all their own. They don’t much like being treated like an object. But yes, I found them and after helping calm them down they decided to come on my journey with me. They’re the second newest member of my team, and as such them getting some experience would be best.” Her gaze turned to Hel. “I take it you want to get on with this?”
Hel simply made another noise, sounding vaguely like dozens of distorted voices talking at once, before a purple black mist spewed forth from the strange stone they projected from. Almost nothing was visible, and Cynthia simply stood there and waited to see what her opponent would do.

“Battle begin,” Volkner announced.

~~2 Rounds Later~~

Cynthia didn’t need to switch out Hel for anyone else. Electrode, Manectric and Luxray put up good fights, but Hel kept using Hypnosis and Dream Eater to keep going, disrupting their attempts to use Electric Terrain which forbids sleep. The battles were cool, but not as noteworthy as the first 3 rounds, but I know they tried their best. They are old pokemon after all. Volkner on the other hand looked more giddy with each passing fight.

Granddad returned Luxray and sighed.

“Luxray is unable to battle. Gym Leader Vito is out of usable pokemon which means Challenger Cynthia and Hel are the winners!” Volkner announced. Granddad made his way over to him, which is when Volkner handed him a box with the Beacon badge inside. I can’t actually remember the last time I saw them give a trainer this badge.

It feels more like Cynthia is an overseer rather than a trainer. None of her orders are direct and her pokemon tend to do what they want to do. I wonder how many plans they have? Isn’t it hard to remember them all? It’s bad enough that trainers have to remember so many moves and add strategies to the mix? Yikes.

Cynthia smiled and bowed to Granddad. “Thank you for the gym badge and the battles.” She then turned to Hel. “And thank you for battling. You deserve the praise for this, not I.” She then turned back to Granddad and Volkner.

“Your pokemon are a force to be reckoned with at this stage and you only have 4. I like to think I’m a competent trainer, but it looks like I need to stay on my toes with kids like you and my Volkner running around.”

Volkner simply nodded at that before turning to Cynthia proper. “Hey if you don’t mind, I’m sure you’re busy and want to get your pokemon to the center, but I wouldn’t mind a quick shot at ya.”

And I knew this would happen.

She smiled at him. “Of course. I shan’t be using Hel or Reginleif though, as they both have more than earned a rest. A quicker bout then?”

He removed Roland’s pokeball from his belt and he had that eager look on his face. “But not an easy one,” Volkner said, clenching the pokeball with an excited expression. As for me, I had the same one.

~~Chapter 1 Fin~~

Chapter Text

Volkner Beacon is a melancholy young man. His mood is a spark, shines bright only a moment before it fizzles out. This fated meeting and battle shall reignite his light towards exponential growth.

~x1x~

Volkner and Cynthia smirked at each other before they made their way to the opposite sides of the ring. They had every intention of enjoying this fight to the fullest.

“Roland, shine through!” Volkner yelled before sending out the battle happy Electabuzz. He whirled his arms a bit and banged his chest before his eyes fell on Cynthia. Immediately after his stance changed.

So he can tell she’s strong too .

Cynthia’s eyes lit up. “Roland the Electabuzz then? Well then, this should be fun for both sides. Heimdall, you’re up!” She let loose a Pokeball and a small, blue and black jackal formed. They glanced around, saw Roland and almost grinned. Then put one fist against an extended palm, bowed slightly and got into a battle stance. “A close quarters match. I hope the both of you enjoy this battle.”

“Granddad, why is that Shinx on their hind legs? Are they an Alolan Shinx?”

For some reason Grandfather nearly spat out his drink at my question, “Nope, that’s a Riolu, they are a fighting type. Home to Sinnoh, but completely different.”

“But they look so similar.”

“Yet they are quite different. You’ll see,” He said before patting me on the head. I pushed his hand off my hair. I like it a certain way and he’s messing it up.

“Likewise, Cynthia! Roland can’t do everything Electivire can, but he can do enough! Move out, fight to your heart’s content Roland. These aren’t opponents we can take lightly.”

Roland nodded and shifted his stance before he went running head on.

That’s really straightforward, but I am going to assume he’s got a plan.

He reeled back a fist, it wasn’t glowing or anything, just an average punch.

Wait what?

Heimdall nodded in acknowledgement and met Roland’s fist with his own, causing the battlefield to pulse with energy. They stood firm in their respective stances . A wave of pressure cascaded across the field before they started engaging in hand to hand combat.

Well, he did say fight to his heart’s content.

Heimdall was primarily matching his blows and dodging, seeming to focus more so on improving his skill than attempting to end the battle. Cynthia smiled. “Let me know when you need assistance. Take everything from this that you can.”
Heimdall gave a small howl of affirmation before using one of his paws to push the much larger Roland’s fist to the side, then crouching and going for a low swipe.

It’s neither a Low Kick or a Low Sweep. It is simply a low swipe. It’s like humans fighting.

Roland did something unexpected and seemed to let him hit the low swipe, but his tail latched onto his leg and pulled him down as well. It quickly became a scramble before Roland attempted to pin Heimdall down. Heimdall is quite slippery though (apparently) and darted between Roland’s legs before grabbing his tail. He then swung him around, throwing him a fair distance away before getting into a different stance, breathing and closing his eyes. Small blue flames burst to life on his paws, and he simply stood there waiting.

Roland recovered in midair landing on all fours staring at Heimdall with anticipation. He got into his own stance before his fists suddenly sparked to life. He proceeded to lob Thunder Punch blasts at him ending with a Thunder kick.

Yeah we’ll call it that.  

Heimdall however was dodging everything, at the least being grazed. At the same time though, he was busy doing that and not particularly able to counterattack. That is until the kick mostly whiffed, threw Roland just a bit off balance and Heimdall zoomed over to deliver a proper Force Palm.

There was a large explosion right on Roland’s stomach, but when the smoke cleared we could see that Roland had stood his ground and was holding onto Heimdall’s arm. He attempted another Force Palm, but Roland began electrocuting him before the attack could manifest. During this time he focused his left hand and began sending a barrage of Fire Punches at the small Riolu.

Paralyzation makes you slower and burns make physical attacks weaker. He must be trying to land a status ailment. Smart.

Heimdall had his hands (well, hand) full trying to not get hit too hard. Which is when Cynthia piped up to say “Stay calm. Detect their movements. You can turn this around.” Heimdall took it before his eyes flashed and he used a brief lapse in punches to land a High Jump Kick knee right in Roland’s chin. 

There were some burn marks and it was clearly affecting him, but the moment Roland’s grip loosened he flipped backwards seeming to split into copies of himself. They then started darting around Roland, making an advance before darting away just as quickly.

“Double Team again, huh? We have countermeasures for that.”

Roland had staggered a bit and was currently rubbing his chin because while it looked like he was okay, to me it looked like it was really freaking painful. Before attacking he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his horns glowing pink.

I swear if he uses a not fairy move.

It took a few seconds, but suddenly Heimdall stopped dead in his tracks. 

That’s Psychic right? Why can electric types use so many psychic moves? Are their brains supercharged too?

“Fighting types have lower resistance to psychic moves meaning they tend to get caught by them easier. By tracking the electric signals Heimdall’s nerves send through his body Roland could latch on and target him,” Volkner explained.

Roland didn’t waste any time slamming Heimdall into the ground a few times before sending him his way before preparing a Hammer Arm haymaker flipping the poor not Shinx several ways to Sunday. Roland turned around and waited to see if he got up rather than pursue again.

Honorable. Or maybe prideful? Overconfident? Ah well, he's waiting.

Cynthia’s eyes meanwhile were fixed on where Heimdall landed, and after a couple moments Heimdall shaklily pushed himself to his feet. “Do you wish to continue?”
“Rio.”
She nodded. “Then let’s go.” Heimdall then cloaked himself in a white and blue light, streaking towards Roland. Even though Roland put up his arms to guard, Heimdall simply skidded around the side and went into a flurry not unlike what had happened earlier. Except rather than Fire Punches, this was full of Force Palms.

It took Roland a second, but his fists flared with fiery fury before he began his punch to palm fight with Heimdall causing burning explosions to burst all over the arena.

“Cynthia!” Volkner shouted, staring at Cynthia while the two duked it out. “This is the most fun I’ve had in awhile and I’ve got to thank you for that, I always love a good fight. Although, we’ll be ending it very soon.”

Roland finally saw his chance when Heimdall aimed a Force Palm right at his midsection. He quickly dodged to the side and let loose a mad discharge blasting Heimdall several feet back, but he was still standing.

“Endure…” Volkner whispered to himself. 

Cynthia just smiled. “Soon, but perhaps not right now.” And to punctuate that sentiment, Heimdall came roaring back to slam Roland right in the face as Revenge. More out of reflex than anything I guess it caused Roland to just ummm blip out of existence.

D-did he just vanish?

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, but simply sighed. “Detect where he is.”

Heimdall’s ear thingies were raised and he began looking for Roland. His eyes fell on Volkner who had his usual smirk before his ear thingies perked towards the ceiling where he saw Roland sending a giant Electroweb across the entire arena.

Why can Electabuzz use Teleport? And how come he never teleports me home from school? Pokemon powers are too convenient, that’s unfair. I wanna teleport.

Heimdall stamped the ground, causing a rock to launch up. He then kicked it straight up, tangling the web around the rock and having a large electrified rock hurtling towards Roland. Meanwhile, he stood there waiting and ready for wherever Roland would move.

Heimdall is breathing pretty hard while Roland still looks raring to go. Despite that he still tossed that rock all the way up there. Amazing.

“Dodge!” Volkner shouted. I thought it was obvious, but I guess he just had to make sure. 

Now I’ve seen a lot of weird plays today, but this I wasn’t sure was possible. Roland stuck his hand out like he was about to shoot a web like Spider-Man… then actually shot an electric web like Spider-Man, dodging the boulder and landing on the wall. Volkner actually smiled at that one and I swear I could hear a quiet ‘Nailed it’. Roland snickered a bit which never happens. He’s having loads of fun… lucky.

Cynthia and Heimdall were more wondering at how exactly he pulled that off, but steeled themselves again after a moment. Roland then proceeded to prep himself before pushing off from his position at full force soaring directly at Heimdall, his expression reverting back to his usual scowl.

Back to his serious face.

As Roland came hurtling towards him, Heimdall quickly burrowed into the ground. There wasn’t much of a pause though, as the second Roland hit the earth out came Heimdall with a Vacuum Wave bringing rocks and earth cascading along with it.

“This is your moment!”

Roland turned around and stared Heimdall dead in the eye before he created a barrier and kicked it to send it crashing into the rocks and Heimdall. Before Heimdall could deal with that properly, he was caught in a thin pink glow.

Psychic!

Roland’s open palm was outstretched suspending the blue jackal in midair. Before he gave the final blow he said something in pokemon I could not understand before he closed his fist causing psychic energy to pummel Heimdall from all sides. He released after a good 10 seconds sending him to the ground.

“D-did you guys win?” I asked tentatively?

Heimdall slowly, shudderingly pushed himself onto one knee. Then he started to stand up. He rose slowly… before falling back, breathing hard and resting on the ground. Eyes not spinning, but clearly down for the count.

Roland turned to me and shook his head before stretching his hand out.

Is this what they call delivering a warrior’s end?

I just noticed I had stood up when Heimdall was being pummeled, but he got up anyway! This is exactly like a shounen. I wonder if Roland said ‘Sleep warrior’.

Rather than go for another Psychic, Roland simply lifted up two fingers and shot a weak Thunder Shock at the little Riolu to officially knock him out.

It was almost like a small grin spread across his face before he was hit as his eyes became spirals. Cynthia smiled, walked over and picked him up. “You did quite well. Congratulations on your progress.” Before she recalled him into his ball.

“Heimdall is unable to battle, Roland and Volkner are the winner!” Granddad cheered.

“Buzz buzz!” Roland cheered whirling his arms around. He wasn’t smiling, but I could feel the happy coming off of him. Volkner walked into the battlefield and patted him on the shoulder.

“Looks like you’re satisfied. With trainers like her, we’ve got to up our game. Maybe it’s about time we think about evolution,” He offered which caused Roland’s eyes to light up. “I knew you’d like that.”

Volkner then walked over to Cynthia extending a hand. “It was a great battle, you, Heimdall and all your pokemon fought well today. With power like that, I’m sure saving your sister will be a breeze.”

She shook his hand, but there was a scowl on her face. “I’m not so sure. I need to be stronger.” Then her expression softened.

I wonder what she's thinking about.

“Brave little tyke ain’t he? Roland is the same way. Ya know Cynthia, I like you. That means a lot since I don’t say that to any challenger ever. Given me things to think about.”

“Yes yes, my old boys couldn’t even defeat one of your pokemon. You’ll go far if you keep going at it like this. Maybe we are witnessing the growth of a future champion, Volkner,” Granddad interjected.

Wait, is this part where we say things? I wanna say things!

I ran over to Cynthia eagerly with my vital question. “Do you name all your pokemon after mythological entities? What other pokemon do you have? Why is your sister missing? How do you remember all the moves?”

“Come now Topaz, we have to let Cynthia leave. Three of her pokemon are injured and the field is a wreck,” Granddad said in his attempts to accost my fun.

“But they are super quick… well, if you gotta heal them up, then you can go now,” I huffed. They fought hard and deserved a rest.

Cynthia meanwhile was laughing. “Seems we’ve made an impression on the whole family. Well, Volkner. You’ve given me things to think about in turn, and I have to thank you and Roland again for helping me and Heimdall learn. Leader Vito, I fully intend on becoming the Champion. And as for you Topaz… I name them after myths because I adore mythology, the other two I’ve the privilege of traveling with are Aphrodite the Milotic and Idunn the Roserade, I’m… not yet sure why my sister is missing, but I know it has to do with the kidnappings recently. And I intend to demolish those who are hurting so many people. As for remembering all the moves, you get used to it.” She hitched her bag up a bit higher and waved. “I hope to see you all again, but I must be going! My team needs their rest after all.” She quickly jogged off to the Center, cloak billowing behind her.

Even her exit looks championy… so she’s looking for her sister? And people are getting kidnapped? I wonder if they all went wherever my parents went? I wonder if my parents were kidnapped too…

“Who’s the champion of Sinnoh?” I asked curiously.

“That’s the thing. Sinnoh doesn’t have a champion, not yet anyway. We haven’t established the same kind of League as the other Japanese regions . You’re just supposed to beat the gym leaders and be done with it. You get a star on your Trainer Card I think, but otherwise, you just do your own thing,” Volkner explained. “I guess there’s an elite four, but we’re one of the regions without a champion at the moment. No one has been willing to take up the mantle.”

Huh. Boring! No wonder there’s barely any Sinnoh matches on TV, there’s not enough representation! I hope that changes soon.

“Topaz!” Volkner said a bit louder than I expected, stirring me from my head. “You looked pretty interested to me, so you’re gonna help with training while I’m still psyched!”

“But-!”

“I want to train Roland a bit more before we evolve him. As for the others we need to really work on amping up their power levels, if even her weakest pokemon are that ingenious we need to work on what the others can do on their own. You’ll do the small stuff, getting snacks, water bottles, come on you’ll get to see a trainer work up close.”

And I get to do your dirty work, yay… but I do kind of want to see trainers train properly now. I wanna see what other whacky moves they know.

“Fine, I’ll help, but I’m gonna learn your secrets so I can beat you when I’m a trainer!”

“Ohoho, looks like you boys will be busy, I’ll leave you to it while I go heal my team. They certainly need it.”

We watched Granddad leave as Roland came up to us with arms whirling in excitement. Finally, something exciting to do! I get to help Volkner be the best trainer he can be! I whirled my own arms around in excitement which got Roland to spin his even faster until we were running around whirling our arms. For the first time in a long time I was truly… happy! 

A light switch turned on in my brain. Cynthia and her pokemon were brilliant. The strongest team I’ve ever seen. 

They never gave up and managed to charge through to victory! I wanna be like them when I grow up!

That night during dinner. For the first time in a long time I was able to taste the meal. And it was the best food I had ever eaten. 

~~Sunyshore City Gym, October 8520~~

“Don’t leave the gym today,” Volkner commanded with Roland, an Electivire now, in tow. “Dad and Mom will be here so you should be fine, but make sure you don’t leave.”

But not my Dad and Mother… I miss them.

“Why not? Is something going on today?” I asked Volkner as I watched him put on his blue jacket and boots. 

It was midday and he had apparently gotten a call from Cynthia, she had actually contacted all gym leaders. Something was going down today and it looks like they had all prepared for it. Volkner had surpassed Granddad in these months and was going to become gym leader soon so I guess he now had his responsibilities too.

“Ugh,” He grunted. “Remember when Cynthia said her sister had gone missing?”

“Yeah?” Did she find her?

“Apparently her disappearance may be related to all the other disappearances that have been happening across the region for the past 5 months.”

My heart skipped a beat. The teachers at school have been really careful about letting us go home alone and warning us about wandering too far away from adults. Usually they are a lot more casual. Most pokemon tend to not hurt children and most people are nice. 

Cynthia helped me feel normal again. I hope she can find her sister too.

“There have been dozens of disappearances and we have received intel on a source,” He said as he clipped on his pokeballs. “My job is to stay here until further notice and patrol the city for hostiles. Pretty sure we aren’t a target, but there might be something going down at Veilstone. I’m not taking any chances and neither are you. Stay inside.”

Not like I can do much anyway without a team, even if I wish I could. I helped you guys all these months, but that still doesn’t mean anything.

“Well, I’m going, stay safe,” He said as he opened the door.

“Vire,” Roland voiced.

“Come back soon,” I replied as I watched them leave.

Granddad and Grandma looked a little concerned, but they seemed to be trying to hide it. Right now we were in the gym recreational area. It’s not open to trainers, it’s where we keep all the electric types and where Volkner works on his projects typically such as figuring out how to expand the solar panel system in Sunyshore. Nowadays he’s moving more of his stuff in here and taking Granddad’s out since he’ll be gym leader and he’s eager to make updates.

We also had space in the back for all the pokemon to hang out and relax since we are located on one of the spires around the city, so they are all close to the sky just how they prefer. It’s pretty nice back there, a bit breezy sometimes, but the Shinx and all that don’t seem to mind.

I hope they’ll be okay… wonder if he’ll find Mother and Daddy…

~x2x~

I was bored and decided to check the TV in the rec room to watch one of my cartoons, but instead came on the news.

Ugh, Granddad must’ve been watching it earlier. Where is the remote? Under the couch?

I began looking under the couch until I heard something actually interesting.

“We are reporting straight from Veilstone City where League Officials seem to be engaging in a volatile battle with the alleged criminals known as Team Galactic responsible for the kidnappings over the course of the last 5 months!” Said the reporter standing several blocks away. 

In the distance, maybe 200 feet away, I could see they were on a Veilstone street judging by all the old brick houses. At the end there was a giant blue building totally different from everything else in the city, with spikes on it.

Grownups like to be edgy too sometimes, I guess.

There was chaos everywhere, but the reporters didn’t dare get closer. All I could make out was some kind of giant fire and ice plume in the distance right in front of the building. There were trainers all over the place, I could tell by their uniforms they had to be League trainers, but they were also some other uniformed guys wearing… blue wigs? 

Or is that teal? Turquoise? Colors are hard.

I ignored the reporter’s words, watching the pillar of ice and fire. After a few seconds, it vanished. Instead, a white streak of light from the base of the pillar began to race across the side of the building. Almost right behind the front of it was a similar streak, that one a shadowy black. 

It looked like the white streak was doing everything it could to avoid the black one, crashing in and out of windows at one point, throwing bursts of fire back, jumping off of glimmering orbs that disappeared just as fast. The two raced up the yellow circle before the white one shot forwards, then dove right towards the ground. 

A second before they hit it, an icy slide formed beneath them as they shot back into the building. The black streak followed right behind.

The white streak looked like they were running for their life, but it looks like they’re making sure everyone in the city can spot them. Now that we’ve seen them, the good guys can go save them… I just hope help arrives before it’s too late.

“It seems a trainer and her Garchomp are beginning to descend rapidly into the commotion!” The reporter yelled, gripping my attention again.

They moved the camera upwards and in the sky you could see a Garchomp and a girl with long blonde hair billowing in the air as they dodged all the enemy ranged attacks coming from inside the building before landing by the entrance, breaking through.

“It seems the trainer made it into the base! Unfortunately, we cannot get any closer due to League officials blocking us and the various pokemon attacks making the airspace hostile, but we’ll do our best to give you the best coverage possible. We’ll be switching to our people in the helicopters!”

There was a quick transition and we got an aerial view of the carnage below. It wasn’t the best quality since they were far away and attacks were flying everywhere , but they seemed to be doing their best.

“In the distance, we believe the Garchomp trainer is evacuating people, but due to the dust clouds and attacks we can’t make out if they are the victims or not. Right there we can see the Garchomp once again amidst the dust and they seem to be ascending away from the conflict-” The Reporter’s headset caused them to pause. “Apparently, there’s going to be a cataclysmic explosion and we need to distance ourselves. The Garchomp is poised to attack!”

I stared at the TV screen with wide eyes as I watched, who I assume was Reginleif, charge through the roof of the spiky building. On the ground level I watched league trainers evacuate curious civilians who were trying to figure out why everything was exploding outside while various other pokemon who were too far to make their escape began forming Protect barriers. All anyone could was watch as the entire building was engulfed in a bright light that expanded across the whole city as an explosion rang. There were some screams from the reporter before the footage cut. There was a relatively loud boom that I could hear outside as well that caused me to turn.

What?

I stared at the TV in awe for what felt like hours.

What just happened?

‘Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring!’

I jumped when I heard the sound of the phone ring loudly by my ear. I tentatively picked it up.

“H-hello?”

“Topaz? That you?”
“Volkner!?”

“Eh, you’ll do. Tell my parents I have to go to Cadenza Town, Cynthia and the rest of the League are rendezvousing there.”

“Cadenza Town?” I’ve never heard of that place before.

“It’s a small farming town located on Route 210. It’s even smaller than Solaceon and has even less to do. Just tell them that’s where I’ll be. I dunno how long this’ll take,” He quickly explained.

“Oh, alright, I will.”

“Good. Remember, stay inside…” There was a long pause before Volkner spoke again. “Cynthia found her sister by the way. I thought you’d like to hear that.”

My heart jumped . She did it… I’m… I’m happy for them. That’s good.

I thanked him for telling me before I hung up the phone and looked out the window to check if I could spy Veilstone City. Even though it was dark out I could still see a vague cloud in the distance.

She really did get so much stronger since last time…

I simply sat by the window sill watching Veilstone City from a distance, wondering when Volkner and his team were coming home.

~~5 Days Later~~

I listened to the phone ring, waiting in anticipation for Volkner to answer. I’ve tried calling him a few times, but he’s always been too busy to talk much. According to the news the kidnapping victims were actually saved, but their situation was being kept under wraps. No one has even seen them on film or anything yet, but my Grandma was talking about how their families were contacted. 

Not a good sign… but maybe…

My parents… they went missing around when the kidnappings started, so maybe they’ll be there and Volkner couldn’t say anything about it? I got all hopeful, making excuses as to why we haven't heard anything yet. I was desperate for answers which is why I needed to talk to Volkner now.

The beeps stopped and I could hear a very familiar exasperated sigh on the other side of the phone.

“Topaz, this you?”

“Uncle! Are you free?” I asked eagerly.

“Yawn… for the moment yeah, but I was about to sleep. It’s late and I gotta get up early.”

I took a deep breath before exhaling.

“Did you find Mother and Daddy?”

I heard a swift grunt before he began to speak.

“Topaz… are Grandma and Granddad around?”

“They are busy, but I’m here. Where are my parents? Can they go on the phone now?”

Volkner took a deep breath. “We couldn’t find them, Topaz. They aren’t here.”

I paused. Did I hear that right?

“Topaz?”

I woke from my stir. “What?”

“They’re gone.”

“I know that, but where have they gone?”

In the background I could hear him whisper something to someone, but I couldn’t make it who it was. “Volkner, where are they!?”

“I don’t know… I’m sorry...”

The world froze at that declaration. 

He’s just kidding right? No, they can’t be gone, Mother said she’d be coming back and we could all be a family again. She promised me! Why would she lie? Where else could they be?

“Topaz? Topaz!”

I dropped the phone and ran to my room slamming the door behind me. I jumped onto my bed and screamed into my pillow.

Why!? Why did she lie? Why did they have to go!? I’m all alone again! Everyone is gone…

I cried myself to sleep that night. My grandparents tried to console me, but I just kept yelling at them. Eventually they left me alone… alone to my thoughts…

After all this time they still won’t come home. Why… why do I have to be alone?

~~Sunyshore Gym Construction Site, December Year 8520~~ 

PoV: Volkner Beacon.

My hands traveled across the keyboards of my computer at lightning speeds. There was construction going on within the gym right now, but I toned it out with my headphones and focused on my work. 

Renovations are going well. Soon we’ll be able to open. Actually have some bloody puzzles in this place and hire some more gym trainers. Some mechanics would be good to have close by too, as long as they can handle pokemon care. Could prolly stand to get some pokemon from the other regions outside of the main 4. I’ll send an email to the Nimbasa leader later. 

‘Ding ding’

“She must be here,” I said as I reached into my pocket to look at who texted me. “Right on time.”

Before I got up, I put my jacket back on before leaving my new office area. It’s still a work in progress, but it’s got a beginning library and a lot of my tools from the house in here. My desktop was the first priority, but even that’s due for an upgrade. That can wait till everything else is squared away though. I walked past some Machoke and Meditite helping their trainers with construction. 

We’re undergoing a major overhaul of the place now that I’m gym leader and I’ve taken inspiration from more creative gyms as to how I want it built. We’ve got the budget considering all the matches we’ve won over the years and considering I’m slowly learning how to power the entire city, but it’s still pricey. 

The pokemon will appreciate the extra space in their rest area, but until then they’ll have to make do.

I walked into the reception desk area where I saw Cynthia waiting.

“Glad you could make it,” I said, extending a hand.

She shook it, smiling a bit. “Of course. As if I wouldn’t come.” She glanced towards the rest of the gym. “I see you’ve decided simply having a couple trainers and an arena wasn’t interesting enough.”

I turned around to look at everyone working diligently over the blueprints they’d helped me arrange. I thought I had some pretty out there ideas, but they kind of just glanced at it and went to work. Must be used to gym leaders.
“New champion, new standards.”

“I absolutely approve. Do you have a copy of the schematics handy? Just out of my own curiosity is all.”

I took out my phone, found the files and sent right over. “The idea came to me while I was eating lunch one day. The electric barriers from Vermillion’s gym gave me ideas so I utilized them for the puzzle room, but I also wanted trainers to answer questions like in Cinnabar’s gym to weed out the idiots faster. The theme is gears and there are 4 battlefields, 3 for my gym trainers and 1 for the gym leader. Depending on their battles and answers determines how fast they get to challenge me as the gears rotate. What do ya think?”

She put a hand to her mouth before she just started laughing. “You thought of all this while having lunch? And people call me a prodigy. It’s wonderful. And it shows that you’re more than capable of doing what I came here to ask of you.”

I put away my phone. “So, what’s up?”

She took out a map of Sinnoh, with some simple lines drawn on it. “I’d like it if you could manage generating the region’s power. Clearly you’re more than capable with tech, and I want to make absolutely certain that we can maximize how much energy can be generated while intruding as little as possible onto Pokemon’s homes. If there’s anything I’ve learned while I was traveling, it’s that humans need to bother Pokemon less. Of course your solar panels are perfect for this, and while I have some ideas myself I’d like to hear whether or not you’re up to this.”

Before I answered I took a moment to actually look at this map to see if it was feasible. Sinnoh has had a power problem for a while now. Floaroma has got the windworks, but that’s nowhere near enough. I’ve got my own plans for Sunyshore, but this…

These locations are smart choices. I’d make some edits here and there if we’re going to be powering multiple cities with these generators, but with the right budget and resources, I can make it work.

“It’s possible. It’ll be costly though. Some of these areas are known for their flatlands so windpower would be optimal which I’ve been studying up on. Course we’ll need to make pseudo generators so electric types don’t flock to the main cities’ power supply. I’ve got my solar panel walkways plan in mind for Sunyshore, but if I observe what we’ve got to work with I can consult and devise plans,” I said before pocketing the map.

“Thank you for this,” she sighed, “I was hoping you’d say yes. Of course you can devise and edit to your heart’s content. In addition, because this is most certainly going to require quite a bit of money, I’ve already made a deposit for you. If you need more, I’ll do my best to procure it. Setting up everything I’d like to do is going to take time, but I’d say that having the power running across Sinnoh is just a tad important.”

“Building a league and a region at the same time ain’t easy. I’ve had to close my gym for renovations, but Lucian already set me up for some tournaments to gain exposure to Sinnoh gym leaders. He said something about how the exposure would draw in investors allowing us to actually make the League we want.”

A weary smile crossed her face. “I’m well aware. My mother would have a fit if someone tried to pay her in exposure, but for trainers that’s actually feasible. I also have two other requests, but these are much simpler. I’d like to establish a region-wide system of having gym leaders get potential starter Pokemon to give to new trainers, but I’d also like you to practice discretion with this.” She put a hand to her head. 

“So many thoughts, but moving on. If you can teach those in Sunyshore to not attack wild Pokemon for experience, please do. Experience can be gained in trainer battles perfectly fine, and the amount of Pokemon who were ready to attack me on sight and then didn’t when they realized I wasn’t about to suddenly attack them for no reason is horrifying.”

“Hmmm, I remember that from my own journey. I’ll let the mayor know; is that another one of your new laws waiting to be passed?”

“It is. Lucian’s been quite helpful in letting me know what should be done first.” She rubbed her eyes slightly, yet had a fulfilled look in her eyes. “It’s tiring, but this is exactly what I wanted to get into. And I know it’ll get easier as time goes on. Speaking of… is Topaz alright?”

“At least you have no regrets and you’ve got that brainiac on your side. As for Topaz, he’s been better lately. Still pretty quiet, but I think he’s adapting. It was a lot to process and he’s still not completely okay, but he’ll get there,” I said, rubbing the back of my head.

She gave a relieved sigh. “I’m glad to hear. My sister still hasn’t vocalized anything since I helped them all escape. She’ll speak via sign language, which wasn’t the worst to learn, but nonetheless. I’m worried for her. So it’s nice to hear that Topaz is managing at the least.”

I grimaced. “So she still can’t talk about it all huh… Topaz is tough, he’ll get through it. Your sister got through that hell alive, one day she’ll be okay again.”

“Helheim.”

I did a double take. “Helheim?”

“She and everyone else who made it out have taken to calling the event Helheim. Which, if even a fraction of what I’ve heard happened to any one person I’d say it’s apt. With everything, I’m not even sure the name Helheim does it justice. But it’s best for them to be the ones to name it, and it’s not like we particularly had a name in mind.” 

Her brow furrowed and she opened her mouth, paused and shook her head. “I know for a fact the priority for us is to make sure nothing like that happens ever again.”

I folded my arms. “The fact Galactic has been able to elude us for 2 months ain’t looking too good, but it’s been quiet. Not even a mention of a kidnapping all over the region, so unless they’ve left Sinnoh we’ve left them crippled. We just have got to use this time to prepare for when they come back…” I closed my eyes before opening. “So, you want gym leaders to give out pokemon now? They started doing in the other regions right, instead of relying on just family or professors?”

She nodded, dragging herself back to the matters at hand. “Exactly. Asking ten year olds to trek across a region without a Pokemon is nigh on suicide. Frankly I don’t think ten year olds should be trekking across the region at all , but that’s something for the future.”

I had to chuckle at that. “Coming from the 11 year old is ironic. Regardless, I’ll look into it. It’ll be nice finding all these electric tykes some good homes besides bumming around or till they go off into the wild.”

A grin crossed her face. “One last matter. One I’m sure you’ll be interested in. Not today, but about that rematch we were scheduled for.”

“My arena is a bit messed up right now, but hey we can make it a grand spectacle when the Sinnoh League arenas are finished. Get more fundraising while we’re at it too.”

Hate to postpone a good match, but it looks like I’ll be busy for a minute. Better make sure Roland and the others don’t get soft on me now.

She checked her phone, then looked back. “Sorry, but I’ve got to leave. I have some time to spend with my family and Lance is keen to try and prove that three Dragonites is a brilliant battle tactic. Again.”

“Well I wouldn’t want to hold you up from that. Peace out, Cynthia,” Giving her a two finger salute wave. She gave the same in return with a smile.

“Same to you, Volkner. Stay safe.” A whirl of her cloak billowing behind her, a roar of a terrifying Garchomp and air screaming as they left. And she was gone.

She really does leave like a champion. Huh.

I turned around and looked back at the gym. The construction workers were busy fitting in the gears into place, making sure each one was secure and served its proper function. I took out the map Cynthia gave me with all the generators listed before looking up towards the glass ceiling above the unfinished arena.

Looks like I'll be busy for a long time. I let loose a deep sigh before smiling towards the sky. What a pain.

~~Chapter 2 Fin~~

Chapter Text

Topaz: Age 7

It is the dawn of a new era for the Sinnoh region for they finally have a champion of their own, Cynthia. A mysterious young lady with long blonde hair, dressed in all black has taken her seat at the throne as the strongest trainer in the Sinnoh region and champion.

She has crafted a team wielding power, ingenuity and intelligence beyond any would expect their ages and defeated all who stood in her way to the top. Few knew of her true goal, to rescue her lost sister, who along with hundreds of others had gone missing for nearly half a year with nary a trace.

After she had claimed all 8 gym badges of Sinnoh and defeated all in a grand tourney for the right to become champion, she rallied the pokemon league to march onwards to save those who were lost. The enigmatic perpetrators known as Team Galactic escaped, but they will return one day. Nonetheless, she's more than ready to face off against them again.

Of her many allies is the young man of Sunyshore, Volkner. He has risen to the occasion to support his new champion as the successor to the electric Sunyshore Gym. There is much to be done in the Sinnoh region, as it is vast, but old fashioned. Too many grievances have been permitted in this country for far too long. This is the first year of the Champion's reign.

~~Spring~~

PoV: Topaz Heart

Location: Sunyshore City; Beacon Household.

It must've rained last night.

From the window of my room I could see there were still raindrops lingering on my window, slowly sliding down. Luckily the sun was shining bright, gleaming across the city representing the sunny in its name.

The house was quiet right now. Volkner was off doing League work in some other city so he wouldn't be home for a few days and my grandparents never make too much noise in the morning.

I looked in the mirror of my small room. Now that my stay here is permanent, my grandparents have tried to make it more comfortable looking with lots of posters, plushies and toys in my room. Of course, all electric pokemon.

I wish they had asked what I wanted.

Before I left my room, I took a look in the mirror and fixed my hair before putting on my yellow school hat.

Looks different today.

I'm Volkner's nephew, but I don't actually look too much like him. My dad is… was Alolan, so I'm half Alolan and half Sinnohan, but I look way more Alolan, so I have darker skin and curlier dark brown hair. I really like it. Makes me feel like I'm a shiny pokemon.

Except…

I curled a blonde, lightning shape strand on top of my head. My Granddad says that it must be the mark of a future electric type trainer, but I've seen the people on TV and if my hair is special then theirs must be legendary.

How do you get your eyebrows to connect with your beard?

My skin was a more caramel brown, but my eyes were a bright amber color. Grandma likes to say my eyes glow like a Luxray, but if that's true why can't I see in the dark?

I buttoned up my blue school jacket. Over the heart is the city's symbol, a lantern.

"Lux," I heard from the other side of the door.

"I'm coming!" I called out before opening to reveal the much taller Froberge, Volkner's Luxray. He's in charge of walking me to school. He didn't feel like going along with Volkner this time, so he stayed home and took the responsibility of walking me to school and back.

Staying in your Pokeball or lazing about in some random place would get pretty boring, so I can understand why he's here.

In his mouth was my school bag which I quickly put on. "Thanks Froberge."

"Lux," Was all he said before leading me to the door. He's not as stoic as Roland, but he's pretty straight laced. His job is rallying all the Shinx kits at the gym so they listen to training, since they'll eventually get trainers of their own. Ever since Gym Leaders were given permission to give out starter Pokemon they've all been a lot more excited and competitive to be chosen, so Froberge is around to straighten them out and guide them.

I slid on my backpack and made my way out the door with Froberge in tow. It was still early in the morning, but I felt well rested and the walk to school isn't too long. It's relaxing actually.

We made our way casually down the street, passing by the beach and out of the residential area. I'm still pretty small so Froberge takes slower steps, but if he minded he didn't show it.

Sunyshore City is pretty hilly, so the houses are all over and depending on where you are you can see a lot of the town. In the distance you could see Sunyshore Gym, Volkner's gym.

Construction finished months ago flawlessly. The gym was a lot bigger now and everything about it looked way more modern. There were glass ceilings above the battlefields that could be opened when needed and solar panels adorned the roof of the building. Volkner looked pretty pleased when it was finished and all the gym Pokemon appreciated the new amount of space, as well as the staff.

Way better than how Granddad had it.

The closer we got to school the more kids and their parents I saw walking there. Most had Pokemon with them, but they all had some sort of human guardian. Grandma offered to walk me to school loads of times, but I declined every time.

It's not the same… but I'll be okay.

After Volkner told me he couldn't find my parents the spark that Cynthia lit within me faded, just a bit, but I knew she wouldn't give in like that. I had to be strong like how she was when her sister went missing. I don't have pokemon to help me find my parents, but even without them I can live. It's hard, but... I've got Froberge, Roland and the others.

In the distance I could spy my teacher waiting at the school door with a patient smile as he greeted each one of us on our way in. Froberge walked me down to the entrance.

"Good morning Sensei," I said bowing slightly.

"Good morning Topaz. To you as well, Froberge," Sensei nodded.

"Ray."

Before I went to class I turned to Froberge, hugged his face as he gave me a little nuzzle before running inside.

"Now class, we have a new student joining our class today. Can you introduce yourself please?" Sensei asked the boy with curly black hair and emerald green eyes. He had a similar complexion to mine albeit a tad darker, but unlike me he had an innate mischievous look.

"Jade Forrest, my favorite color is green and I like outsmarting bullies. If ya wanna have a go during recess, come on and try it!" The boy, now known as Jade, exclaimed proudly. "Don't worry, I won't make you look too bad the first time! The second time there'll be no mercy though!"

That immediately got the whole class talking and Sensei looked a bit lost for words.

He seems fun.

"That was um… interesting. Well, Jade, would you like to sit with Topaz over there?"

And he places the new outcast with the old.

Ever since my parents vanished everyone has been walking on eggshells around me. I've had to make a few apologies for making blunt statements and making them uncomfortable, but what am I supposed to do when they ask me if I want to play. When we play with our Pokemon toys they always say I have to use electric types cuz of my uncle, then they choose the ground types. So I tell them if they keep thinking so close minded they'll never amount to anything as a trainer who can only follow the most basic tactics in battling. Then I come up with all the reasons why I'd be able to beat them with my theoretical Pokemon.

It wasn't always like this. Beforehand it was easy to get along with everyone, but now I just... can't. It's lonely.

Jade eagerly sat down next to me, near the back of the class. After about 10 minutes of listening to the teacher, Jade turned to me proper and whispered.

"They are all kind of mean right?"

I gave him a slow nod. They hadn't been the nicest to me lately...

"That's okay. Makes the pranks better, I'll teach you some tricks during recess," He whispered in a hushed voice.

I'm... not against that.

"I'll tell you who deserves it most," I whispered back.

"Deal," He snickered before returning to drawing on his classwork. I leaned over to see him drawing a bunch of pretty flowers of all sorts of colors. He was obviously a troublemaker, but a creative one.

"Do you wanna be best friends?"

I raised an eyebrow. "But we just met."

"So? Is anyone else here more friendly than me?"

Some are friendly, but I wouldn't say friendlier.

"Not really."

"Well neither of us have friends here and we just became friends. So that means we are best friends."

Can't argue with that logic.

"Now class it's time for history, but we aren't going to be learning about why everything in the old textbooks were glorified lies about the miracle of colonization, but instead cruel acts of forced oppression, manipulation and mass murder."

There were several 'awwws' from the classroom. Honestly I was a bit upset too. I love history.

I wanted to hear more stories about how an oppressed people manage to defeat and repel the strongest military on the planet with strategy and sheer spite.

"I know, I know, but this is actually a pretty similar situation. There's another tragedy we must discuss, a much more recent one. Can anyone tell me what it is?" He surveyed the class. I didn't bother raising my hand yet. "Yes?" He said pointing to the girl with pigtails in the front. For some reason ever since the incident names have been hard to remember.

"A recent tragedy? What's a tragedy? Are tragedies bad, Sensei? Is your hair a tragedy?"

It took all my willpower to not burst out laughing. Jade though let his mouth run free till Sensei gave him a dark look.

"Ahem, a tragedy is an event that causes extreme suffering, distress or destruction… so not my hair! Next!" Sensei pointed to a boy.

"I dropped my vanilluxe cone yesterday and it felt like I was suffering, Sensei!"

Sensei pinched the bridge of his nose. "N-not exactly what I was talking about. Jade?"

Jade stood up proud. "You're talking about all those kidnappings right?"

"Precisely! You get a gold star, Jade!"

Jade sat back down smugly as Sensei added a gold star to his name on the board.

"Today we are going to be talking about Helheim. That's what the victims of the event have dubbed the event."

Helheim… the underworld in Norse mythology.

"Last spring there were a string of kidnappings over the course of 2 weeks throughout the region. The League has determined them to be a new evil organization known as Team Galactic. They set up within Iron Island and made them undergo cruel experiments, robbing many of their lives."

The tone in the room shifted immediately after that. Everyone paid close attention.

"The full details are unknown to the public and all the surviving victims have chosen to avoid coming out, preferring to spend their time with family. We do know they managed to plan an escape by sending out a signal the League was able to catch. Champion Cynthia and the League were able to fend off Team Galactic and save the victims, but unfortunately we still don't know where they are so remember to never go anywhere unattended especially without a Pokemon friend and do not follow scary strangers."

Sensei smiled.

"On a brighter note, Champion Cynthia and her new and improved League is working hard to improve the situation all over the region. Our gym leader Volkner has contributed immensely in this effort by attempting to resolve the power problem in Sinnoh with generators all over."

He's been non-stop busy ever since Cynthia became champion with having to manage the gym, organize generators and make solar panels. I wonder if he's sleeping like he should?

"The Champion is rather young, but in Kanto and Hoenn there seems to be many new young champions as well. Anyway, the laws are changing due to the new state of the League, so make sure everyone pays attention to what's going on in the world. You're living through history."

Huh. I suppose we are…

The rest of class went about normally, but I couldn't stop thinking about what Sensei said.

All those people disappeared, but now Cynthia is making the region a safer place… If I get stronger I can too maybe I can make a difference. One day.

~~Summer~~

Location: Sunyshore Gym.

"Shinx don't spark as much Pichu and Pikachu, but if agitated they tend to bite so don't do anything dumb like pull on her tail or something," I instructed Jade as I gently passed him one of the Shinx who was taking a break from starter training.

"Got it!" He cautiously took her into his hands and after a few tentative sniffs she began licking his face. "Haha! I think they like me! How can you tell if a Shinx is a boy or girl?"

I pointed to her hair curl on the top of her head. "Girl Shinx have shorter head curls than boy ones, it's the same for Luxio and Luxray too."

"What about Pikachu and Pichu?"

"Girl Pikachu tails look like hearts while boys have flat tails. Pichu ummm intuition? I don't see that much of a difference, so sometimes I just ask, but Volkner says once you've been around pokemon long enough you start to see the little details," I explained.

It was summer vacation and Jade was bored, so he decided to stop by the gym for a playdate. Right now we were outside in the backyard where I was teaching him how to care for Shinx before she had to get back to training. Volkner was in his workshop trying to figure out how to improve his solar panels and how he wanted to lay out his new and improved solar panel walkways around the city. There's some, but he wants to replace them with newer and better ones.

I handed Jade a brush. "Try brushing her."

Jade hesitantly took the brush before he began slowly stroking Shinx's fur. She gradually got more comfortable in his lap before she started purring.

"Topaz, this is amazing!" Jade's eyes lit up. "And you get to do this everyday?"

"A little. I help out with the little things," I shrugged. "It's the gym trainers that do most of the work."

"Are you gonna be a gym trainer when you grow up?"

Good question.

"Maybe. Depends on how things go."

There was a moment of silence before he spoke again.

"So I heard from some of the others that Volkner is best friends with the new elite. Is that true?"

New elite- oh yeah, Flint.

"They said he's the total opposite of Volkner, a real firecracker, but he became an elite while your uncle is still a gym leader. How come?"

An envious Pichu ran into my lap, so I began brushing him with the spare comb I had. "The League offered the position to him, but he declined. Volkner prefers Sunyshore and he wants to renovate the gym more. Being an elite is stressful too. Also he kinda likes the constant stream of challengers." I paused and tried to recall how Flint became an elite member of the league. "Flint… well he's really great with fire type pokemon and their moves, but he's apparently a lot smarter than most people give him credit for and is pretty good at getting the job done. Also he left a good first impression on Cynthia."

"Isn't it Champion Cynthia?"

"I met her before she was Champion though…"

"Really? What was she like!?" Jade nearly got up, but he remembered the Shinx on his lap and calmed down. The Shinx sent him a quick dirty look before returning to her rest.

"Basically how you see on TV."

Jade huffed and pouted. "Boring!"

I had to chuckle when Jade's noisy exclamation caused Shinx to poke him in the arm to continue brushing which he quickly resumed. Though it didn't last long until we heard the training whistle.

"Alright, break time is over kids, time to hustle," Said Zachary, one of the gym trainers who worked here before Volkner was leader. He's an older teen, but he's always super nice. Zachary has been taking charge of the usual starter training and he's been really enjoying it.

I've noticed that they train future starter pokemon differently than other pokemon. They tend to start young with obedience lessons and leadership skills, so they are reliable to their trainer and can lead any new pokemon in the party.

At the same time, we have to teach them to not have blind loyalty. To know the signs of abuse to themselves or others by their trainer. It's hard work and you need a specific license to teach pokemon all of this. Also, rather than trainers choosing pokemon, the pokemon choose the trainer. It seemed more fair that way, a trainer can have multiple pokemon, but a pokemon only one trainer. Gotta make them count.

Zachary was quick to take the test and passed it with flying colors. He told me with this new training regimen for starters, it'll help everyone involved. According to a few reports, it's already improving traveling conditions.

Sunyshore trained Pichu, Magnemite, Elekid and Shinx, primarily the last three though. Pichu and Pikachu tend to be a bit more rebellious and rambunctious, but the recent Kanto champion's Pikachu has made them mega popular all over the world, so we train a few as well.

I won't lie, Garchomp is cool, but Pikachu is too cute.

"Mrow," Shinx protested cuddling into Jade's shirt.

Jade gently brushed her fur with his hand. "Come on Shinx, back to training. Ya can't go on an adventure till you're all trained."

She let out a brief sigh before she gave him a lick and jumped over to Zachary, Pichu followed suit, waving at me before running off to the training area.

"Sorry Lil T, Jade, today I'm teaching them about berries. They'll be free later," Zachary apologized.

"It's alright."

"We'll be here!"

He nodded and ran off to go attend to them.

"His job sounds fun. He gets to teach young pokemon from scratch how to be good partners."

"Zachary makes it look easy. I tried to teach an Elekid the difference between an oran and cheri berry and he just ate them both before falling asleep."

Jade suddenly got up. "Then we should watch Zachary work and try to copy what he does so we can help!"

"...do you wanna be a pokemon caretaker, Jade?"

"It looks more fun than I thought, so maybe!" Jade said looking into the distance. From so high up we can see the rest of the city and ocean. Wingull flapping across the horizon on this hot midsummer day. Down by the beach pokemon and people of all shapes and sizes enjoying their vacation time. Meanwhile the hustle and the bustle of the city was still very much alive.

The gym can get crowded when we have lots of challengers, but I love its location. An isolated outcove where we can just relax and watch the town from afar and raise pokemon in peace.

"Oh yeah, Zachary, he called you Lil T right? That's your nickname or something?"

Judging by that look of disdain, I'm guessing he's not a fan.

"The gym trainers keep trying to nickname me, but I don't want any of their weird names. They should just call me Topaz," I said hugging my legs.

"Nope, no can do, we need to give you a real nickname from another kid! Not some grownups!" Jade leaned close to my face, staring into my eyes, searching for an answer. A nickname.

Will he be this dramatic when he nicknames his pokemon? This is a lot and he's… really close.

"Zio."

"Huh?"

"That's your new nickname. Zio. Shorten it to Z. I'll call you Z!"

"...but why?"

Where did that even come from? A video game?

He put a hand on his chin like he forgot to think of an origin for the name. "Well, you've got the letter z in Topaz and names with z are rare. So why not just go all the way and rename you Zio!"

His logic is a little lost, but his attitude is infectious.

"Okay! Zio! Do you want a nickname too Jade?"

"Nah, I'm good, thanks for asking though."

Wait wh-

"Do you wanna go inside and play video games? I got the new copy of the Plusle bros!"

Darn, my weakness.

"I call player 1 since it's my house!"

"But it's my game!"

"And it's my gaming console!"

"First one there is player 1" And with that he took off. "Catch me if you can, Zio!"

"Cheater!" I said running right after him.

~~Chapter 3 Fin~~

Chapter Text

Year 2, Age 8

The first year of Cynthia's reign as champion has passed in the Sinnoh region and it has been a resounding success. The Elite Four has been founded, her ordinances have been enacted and new infrastructure is under construction all over. Mortality rates have been decreasing rapidly all over the region and despite the recency of Helheim people are once again beginning to feel safer.

With her decrees zoos have become reservations, pokemon rangers have come to work alongside trainers and the quality of life for all has been improved. Despite her young age she has set out to do everything she had in mind and more. Her allies work in tandem to support her endeavors, including the strongest leader Volkner who has worked tirelessly to improve the region's power supply situation.

The young boy Topaz has grown accustomed to his life without his parents. There's frequent change across the region, but he finds his home life to be rather stable and surprisingly lively. While he has only one friend of equal age, he calls the pokemon of Sunyshore Gym his compatriots as well as looking up to the gym trainers who always make sure he's taken care of. Nonetheless, on occasion, his soul aches for the familiarity of his parents.

~~Spring~~

Topaz Heart

Location: Beacon Household.

"Jade, did you get the snacks?"
"I can't find them! Why don't you get them, it's your house!"

"Ugh," I grunted as I ran into the kitchen to help Jade get the snacks he apparently could not find. I looked in the first cupboard I opened and pulled out the snacks. "Here. Come on."

Jade huffed, but sat down next to me on the living room couch. "Isn't this a lot just to watch the news?"

I gasped at the audacity. "Cynthia is going to be speaking today! She's making an important announcement about… something, but Volkner said we should watch it."

"It actually relates to the both of you, actually."

We heard a voice behind us and we turned to see Volkner in his casual clothes leaning against the wall. "The League is making a few more major changes, but they're for the best for the region. You kids too."

He always talks like he's super old. He's not THAT much older than us. Kinda.

"Yeah yeah, come on sit, Volt!" Jade said as he began to tug on Volkner's arm.

"How many times do I have to say don't call me that," He complained before relenting. "Here it's starting."

The screen transitioned to a lady reporter talking about something more boring, but that didn't last long.

"Today we have important news for the region and new trainers alike from our champion, Cynthia Valkyrie. Thank you for joining us today, Champion Cynthia. I leave the stage to you."

The screen transitioned once again to Cynthia in what I assume is her office since it gave off her vibes. Minimalistic, but chic and stylish. It had quite a number of papers all over it, but they were… somewhat tidied up for the announcement. She smiled.

"Hullo and welcome! As I'm sure you've all seen, Rangers from Almia have begun arriving in the region. That's due to how we wanted to make sure that we treat the Pokemon of the region with the respect they deserve, and to make sure that we don't intrude upon their habitats unnecessarily with future projects. They've also given us an important piece of information about Pokeballs."

Jade turned to Volkner. "Is that what they are building by Route 222?"

Volkner nodded. "That is going to be the Sunyshore City ranger base. It's close enough to Lake Valor, Hotel Grand Lake and our city. They've got a wide area to look out, but it'll increase the general safety of the area."

Cynthia continued on to explain how Pokeballs made by certain companies made Pokemon overly subservient, how they had unrestricted stasis lock features and how the League will be pursuing legal action if the code to said Pokeballs are not changed.

"Wait! We've been mind controlling Pokemon!?" Nearly jumping out of my seat to look at Volkner. "And we're just stopping it!?"

"Yeah, Volt what's up with that?" Jade turned to him equally angry. "Does that mean Pokemon aren't our friends!?"

"Sheesh, calm down. It isn't mind control, but it was an unstated feature of Pokeballs that the League deemed unethical and we're working on removing it entirely. We've spoken with the regional council extensively. My Pokeballs have been updated so Roland and everyone else is fine."

I took a huge sigh of relief at that.

Thank goodness. I guess not much changed since they already liked us!

Cynthia took a breath before resuming. "In another trainer related issue, we are raising the journey age from ten to fifteen. Due to the immense danger of Sinnoh's landscape, weather especially during winter and a general lack of time to impress upon upcoming trainers the importance of survival skills? Young trainers still have an uncomfortably high mortality rate. All the Helheim victims were asked about their thoughts on this new rule, and due to how they were all either children or adults who got captured while defending children? They all wanted this implemented as soon as possible. On a lighter note, trainers will still get their license at ten, as well as being offered a starter Pokemon. Of course, the Pokemon has to accept you as their trainer, but that should go without saying."

Consent is key.

"We have to wait!? But we were so close, plus she's not even 15 yet! Isn't this unfair, Zio?"

I was silent for a moment, my mind surfing through a series of thoughts.

How could Cynthia do this to me? I was so close to going on my journey, but now I have to wait even longer? I live with a gym leader, I would've been fine on my own… in a region where terrorists just recently kidnapped and killed scores of pokemon and humans. Or I could die freezing to death before I get to a pokemon center because I had to take a detour… Okay I can see her logic.

"Too many people have been lost in recent years to negligence. We're done taking chances, so we're changing up the school system to teach future trainers better. It's all for your safety." Volkner made sure that all sank in with a deep look, but I just had to interrupt. "I thought you'd be more upset, Topaz. Like Jade over here."

"Mm. I had a brain battle, but logic won. It's alright Jade, we can still practice battle!" Cheering him on. Then I realized something.

"Wait. D-did you even learn any of this important trainer stuff? You haven't been on a journey since you first left Sunyshore. Actually, I can't remember the last time you went to school."

Volkner pouted as if I hit a sour spot he had forgotten he was sour about. "I've been creating solar panels since I was 10, I don't need basic school anymore. But since we need to learn how to run a country, the younger members of the League have private tutors until age 18. It's whatever."

I wonder if the electric shocks supercharged his brain, but in exchange it only works in bursts and when it runs out he becomes all mopey.

Cynthia began again.

"Trainers are allowed to have two more Pokemon on their team for a total of three before reaching the age of 15. At that point, their license functions as a standard one. I am entirely aware that I don't meet the age requirement of this myself, but I would hope that I've proven myself capable of being Champion all the same. And if you disagree, you're more than welcome to challenge me."

Did becoming Champion make her even sassier?

Her face shifted from a more serious look to a kinder one. "In addition, I am more than aware that those who do not have Pokemon capable of quick transport would like to be able to see the rest of the region before they're fifteen. As such, we will be constructing a railway system. This will take time, as we need to make certain it's safe for the environment and doesn't intrude on important areas for Pokemon. However given the fact we have Pokemon to assist us with this project, it should be completed in a couple years. I thoroughly believe that it's needed for the sake of the region's continued prosperity and for the safety of all living in it. Thank you for taking the time to listen."

Hmmm. The railroad would be nice. It's not like I'll be going on a real journey anytime soon, but maybe soon I'll be able to travel around.

Jade leaned back into the couch and groaned, talking upside down. "Ughhh, we have to wait 7 more years instead of 2 to go on our journeys this suuuuucks."

"It really doesn't though. You two are lucky, everything the League is doing is making things convenient and safer without ruining any of the fun for journeys. Since it can be as fun as you want, but it won't be if you're dead. Soon we'll almost be as safe as Unova or Kalos maybe. Not entirely since we aren't as industrialized, but we'll work on it," Volkner explained in his attempt to appease Jade.

"Okay, but like, what will we even do with a pokemon if we're stuck here?" Jade complained before righting himself to face Volkner.

"Damn, you're really stuck on going on a journey. No one is forcing you to stay here, you'll just have more restrictions on your license, but you can still leave town once you have a pokemon."

"But I want to leave…" Jade said looking at his feet, more defeatist than usual. It was… upsetting.

"Hey. Once we get our starters, it'll be alright. Maybe some of the train will be done and we can ride it with them and go all the way to uhhh Snowpoint City!"

Volkner scoffed at that, but I gave him a look.

"Go all the way to Canalave City then!" Giving Jade my determined expression again. He looked at me thoughtfully before relenting.

"Fine! I can wait, but school better suck less once we get our pokemon! I'm gonna take care of them like no one has ever seen!" Jade got up to begin shadow boxing.

He's a little confused, but the enthusiasm is there.

~~Summer~~

Location: Hau'Oli Outskirts, Alola.

Finally, we're here.

I leaned in close to witness our descent to the beautiful island region, Alola. Even from this distance in the sky I could see all the tourists enjoying themselves, savoring their vacations from whatever lives they lead in their home regions.

I spotted 4 large main islands, but in the center there was some sort of artificial island. There wasn't much to it and I could tell there was a lot of construction going on, but it was there. Not too big though.

How long has that been there?

"Ambi?" Marsil, Volkner's Ambipom, leaned over my shoulder to see what I was looking at and her eyes immediately sparkled.

I'm visiting my grandparents- my dad's parents, in Hau'Oli for a week or two since it's been awhile since I've last been here. I… can't really even remember the last time I was here.

It's been so long.

Marsil is here to accompany and keep me safe. She's been working hard with Volkner all this time, but she practically demanded a vacation. So right now she's my chaperone. I know I can rely on her to keep me safe, Alola isn't all that dangerous though. The pokemon and humans are equally chill and from what we know there's no random kidnappings going on.

It's also kind of strange since they don't have gyms like most regions. Instead, they've got this whole island trial thing. It just sounds like budget gyms in my opinion.

"We're about to land Marsil. My family should already be at the airport by now, we just need to find them," I informed her.

She gave a quick nod before turning back to the window to look down at the world.

Someone is going to enjoy herself.

"Alola Topaz, my beautiful grandson has come to see his grandmummy! This is truly a blessed day!"

I couldn't even get out a reply before my grandmum Palila pulled me into a powerful hug.

"Come now Palila, give the lad some air to breathe," My grandpop Nahele said, placing a hand on grandmum's shoulder. "Plus I need to give the ole boy a grand hug too!"

She opened her arms to welcome him in for a great hug squeezing me tighter. For good measure, Marsil decided to join in on the hugging endeavors.

And already this is more physical contact than I'm used to.

Not to say my grandparents back at home are cold, it's just that um. I guess they are a lot more distant? They have their moments sure, but really they go about with their own devices leaving me and Volkner to do whatever.

"And this must be Marsil, a pleasure for you to be joining us," Grandmum said, after she released me turning to Marsil to shake her hands. Ambipom love to shake hands. Marsil shook her hands with the expected excited fervor you'd get from an Ambipom.

"It's been awhile, glad to see you both," I spoke in a slightly lighter beat than my typical monotone voice. This was Alola, I ought to try and sound a bit happier.

"Come now, child. Loosen up. Now tell us everything!" Grandmum said as she picked up my luggage and led us away.

I have to admit it was nice being back. The air has a distinctly different feel and taste, even though I live in a beach city and this is just a beach country. Sinnoh has a crisp, cooler feel to it while Alola has this constant warm, lively energy at all times.

My family here resembles me way more than my family back in Sinnoh. I've got the same skin tone as my grandparents and similar hair. Though I've been told I resemble a black Volkner at times which isn't too far from the truth, I guess.

My family at home never really made me feel like an outsider, but my grandparents tend to just do their own thing and Volkner isn't exactly the typical paragon of a loving uncle. Don't get me wrong I don't wish for him to change at all, it's just… a hug would be nice every once in a while…

They loaded my luggage into their buggy and we drove to their place. Marsil was marveling at everything while my grandparents were talking about how everyone in the family was excited to see Rod's kid after all these years. Rod being my dad.

I don't remember him all too well, but apparently we look alike. Very different temperaments though, he was all energetic and happy, always getting into trouble. Really the way they talk about him it's like he was Tarzan. I am not Tarzan.

Dwelling on a father I can't remember isn't my favorite way to spend the time so I took to tuning everyone out once again to stare at the scenery we drove by. Up close I could finally see everyone I had watched from in the sky. The intense sun glistened against the sun causing it to sparkle. In the distance, I spotted several pokemon I was vaguely familiar with from my last time visiting Alola all those years ago. Pikipek flocks soaring through the skies, Yungoos and black Rattata groups fighting over berries, Cutiefly peacefully pollinating on the ample amount of flowers on the route and Rockruff playing fetch with their human families.

While there was a distinct difference between the summers of Sunyshore, it was still quite similar. It made me feel like home was a lot closer than it actually was.

I felt a small hand on top of my own to see Marsil's normal hand was patting me, giving me her usual smile. I smiled back before turning back to the sea as her tail hand curled around me to give me a snug hug.

When we finally got my grandparents' home there were relatives all over happy to see me already starting a BBQ. Marsil luckily stayed close to me despite some of my younger cousins being really curious about her. Everyone kept asking me if I remembered them before they told me they haven't seen me since I was actually a baby.

I can barely remember my parents, how can I remember all of you?

Not to say all of this was bad, I was just very out of my element so I did what I vastly prefer to human interaction: Watching all my family members' Pokemon play together. Another thing I noticed in Alola is that the pokemon and human relations are naturally good. Besides those Trial thingies there wasn't too much reason to get stronger or have big teams. Most people had a few Pokemon to live alongside and Pokeballs were rarely used because of it.

Alola doesn't have a documented Pokedex (and I don't have a Pokedex), so it's not always easy to learn about Alola Pokemon. I know the national Pokedex goes up to at least 493 consisting of all the pokemon within the Eastern League, but the Unova region's professor plans on adding their own dex data soon enough. So I'm a bit excited to snoop through Volkner's dex when she's finished.

In my boredom I spotted another new Pokemon I had never seen before. They had a cutesy pink face and body, with dark brown legs. At their rear end they had a little white tag. I got up from where I was sitting to follow the small pokemon as they waddled over into the woods. I was about to follow them until a boy a few years older than me got in my way.

"What are you doing, don'tcha know it's not safe to follow Stufful into the woods!" The mysterious boy chastised me.

I looked past him to watch the Stufful disappear into a bush. "Stufful…"

"Yeah, haven't you seen a Stufful before? Haven't your parents told you about them?"

If only.

"No, I'm from Sinnoh. We don't have Stufful there."

"Sinnoh, but you look so… Alolan," The boy began to look me over as though he was trying to find my Sinnohan parts.

"I'm half Alolan, I'm just visiting family, but they got boring so I decided to follow the Stufful."

"You should be careful though, Alola pokemon are pretty nice, but sometimes they can get carried away. Stufful can throw pro wrestlers around like it's nothing so unless you're a friend, don't get too close. Don't even get me started on Bewear," The boy sighed.

No, don't stop, I'm curious about Bewear too.

Upon closer inspection, the boy looked around 10 or 11 so barely older than me. He wore a baseball cap, had a coat tied around his shoulders and wore black shorts with teal accents. In his hands I noticed a small bag.

"Anyway, I'm Kukui! My dream is to be a Pokemon professor! What's your name?"

"Topaz," I said simply. "Can you show me more pokemon, Kukui?"

"Oh yeah, lemme show you what I've got!" Kukui reached into his bag pulling out a small notebook. He turned to a random page of a sleeping green owl looking Pokemon.

"This is Rowlet, the grass starter of Alola given to trainers who want to go on journeys here on Melemele Island."

So there we were sitting on the grass as he showed me all sorts of Pokemon I had never seen before. He had pictures, drawings, written data and in the greatest detail, how the pokemon would attack.

In hindsight it was really silly of me to just follow a Pokemon I had never seen before. It's been hammered in our heads since kindergarten that Pokemon, while our friends, were super powerful and we should be careful around them. Even the cutest ones could kill you with little effort.

On occasion I'd point out Pokemon we have in the Sinnoh region and how they were different, but I was best with the electric types. Sadly they don't have Shinx naturally in Alola, but they did have Pichu! Kukui told me he was 13 and had a Rockruff as his starter, so he was training so he can observe all sorts of Pokemon safely and I told him I'm a gym leader's nephew which got him asking me a string of questions about the Sinnoh League.

After a bit Kukui checked the time. "Aw man, I've gotta go! My mom made my favorite for dinner today and I don't wanna miss it. You're staying here in the Outskirts right? Do you wanna hang out tomorrow?"

I nodded faster than I expected.

"Then from now on you can be my apprentice in Pokemon. I'll be the professor!" He stood up pointing at me dramatically.

It's not like I wanna be a professor or anything, I just like learning is all.

I huffed. "I'm not your apprentice, but you're the trainer so I'll follow you. That good?"

"That'll do! See ya, Topaz!" And with that Kukui ran off. Not even 10 seconds later, Marsil swung down from a tree right next to me.

"Were you watching us this whole time?"

"Ambi ambipom," She explained oh so eloquently.

"I know, I know you were just looking out for us. Thanks." I patted her on the head as thanks and we returned home. The trip looked a lot more fun than I had initially expected.

From that point on, I spent my days hanging out with Kukui all over the island so we could observe wild pokemon. Marsil and his Rockruff accompanied us and since she was so strong we were able to see some of the rarer, stronger pokemon on the island. While we saw a lot of Alolan pokemon, there were Unovan and Kalosian pokemon I'd never even heard of just walking around like normal which stunned me.

In the end I asked Volkner if I could stay the whole month and he agreed, so it was a fantastic time spent in Alola.

He told me how he wanted to explore all of Alola and one day make a Pokedex for all the Pokemon here. Judging by the number of new pokemon in Alola it seemed entirely possible, albeit still difficult. I admired his dream and determination though. I tried to help as best I could as we explored Melemele recording what we found into his notebook. When the trip finally came to an end though Kukui and Rockruff gladly came to see Marsil and I off.

"You were the best apprentice ever, Topaz. I'll never forget you!"

"Ruff ruff!"

"I'm not dying, I'm just going home. I'll come back again," I calmly stated. It was a fact after all, I really wanted to come back and see the other islands one day.

"Heh, you're right. It was great meeting you, maybe the next time you're here Alola will have a pokedex!"

"That just depends on how hard you work," I smiled at him. Marsil cheered from behind. "I had fun, Kukui. Thanks for showing me around." I raised a hand up for a high five. "See ya later?"

He high fived me back. "See ya later!"

Marsil said goodbye to Rockruff and we each said our good-byes to my relatives. This was a really great trip and I have even more love for my Alola heritage, but it was time to go home. Marsil and I waved once more before we began to board the plane with all our luggage.

~Meanwhile~

While Topaz bid adieu his family and new friends, outside of the airport a distressed Trumbeak had managed to find themselves on the runway. Now why were they said distress?

While they were searching for prey they had decided to go for something simple, such as a Grubbin. A nice meal they could complement with some berries. Now, usually Grubbin tend to live near electric types, but on occasion the Trumbeak was able to find the more foolish ones by themselves, vulnerable.

This one was anything but vulnerable. Usually Grubbin avoid conflict and live underground until they evolve into Charjabug. This particular Grubbin though? This one was 8 degrees of crazy.

You see, the Trumbeak hadn't even intended on going after them. They had descended close to spot an unaware Caterpie and figured this would be simpler and safer. Grubbin on the other hand had different plans. They saw a threat and decided to eliminate it before they caused problems.

Once the Trumbeak had gotten close enough Grubbin had jumped into the air and firmly planted their pincers on the poor Trumbeak's derriere. This was not the first time Grubbin had done this, this particular one had a tendency to attack on sight and hold on until they were viciously thrown off.

Due to their antics most of the birds within the forest have taken to avoiding him. This one did not receive the memo. Grubbin was oddly aggressive compared to their compatriots. While others hid from predators, he attacked them out of spite. He needed no protectors and he needed no allies. If he died, so be it. He would die a soldier.

As you can guess he did not have any friends.

Nonetheless, this Trumbeak had managed to find themselves all the way at the airport where they got the bright idea to slam their assailant into one of the airplanes. It took a few tries, but eventually even the mighty Grubbin had to let go. He made sure to take a few feathers with him.

As he watched his opponent flee in terror he began to look around. In the distance he saw another one of these strange creatures ascend into the sky and he came to the only natural conclusion: Giant enemy birds.

The Grubbin having finally found a worthy challenge prepared to attack before he began to feel his own enemy bird move, faster and faster. Not willing to let them escape he dug his pincers deep within the aircraft's exterior in order to hold on. For the duration of the flight he stayed that way, angrily telling the bird to give up and that it needs to try harder than that to kill him. All the way from Hau'Oli to Sunyshore.

When the plane finally landed Grubbin considered it another win. His opponent could not take anymore and so he quickly hopped off to go back home. Except, he began to look around and home looked vastly different.

A typical Pokemon would've been perturbed, but moments after landing a naive Staravia began their descent to eat the strange, angry looking bug only for Grubbin to stare the new bird in the eye and preemptively tackle them out of the sky.

While Staravia stumbled into the ground trying to process why the bug did not flee, Grubbin merely sighed. Wherever he was, it still had totally new birds that needed to be taken down and as a soldier he was all too happy to oblige. Grubbin thus began to waddle over to Route 222 to set up his new homebase and recruit new soldiers.

~~Winter~~

Location: Sunyshore Lumifrost Fair.

Lumifrost, the shining light winter festival, the highlight of the year for children and businesses everywhere! It takes place in December to celebrate the end of the year. It originated in Snowpoint City at the time known as Snowgleam Festival due to the beautiful auroras in winter. As the holiday caught on all over the world the name changed due to the general lack of auroras in most places.

Lumifrost is meant to signify luminescence, so bright colorful lights are a huge theme for the holiday meaning Sunyshore is quite bright and beautiful contrasting the Sinnoh snow. Frost is common all over the world, even places without snow necessarily. Thus bringing on the name Lumifrost.

To celebrate the joys of the end of the year a new custom was born: gift giving. Sure it's a company ploy for people to spend large sums of cash to end the year, but what can ya say? New stuff is nice. Sunyshore is a port city receiving goods and people from all over the world meaning there is a lot to be sold and even more to be bought. While Lumifrost isn't the liveliest time for Sunyshore compared to summer, it's still busy due to all the consumers running about.

To celebrate the spirit of Lumifrst Volkner, who has completed the complex solar panel walkways of the city, makes them all glow an array of festive colors. The usual red, white and green flood the city along with the typical decorations, it's quite beautiful walking around at night because of it. Currently, Jade and I were appreciating quite a bit.

"Jade come look at Munchlax Rock!" I called Jade over to point to the rock. They put up a projection of a Munchlax's face onto the rock and it went through several different facial expressions. In the distance I could see a wild Munchlax attempting to copy each facial expression in kind.

"Wow!" Jade quickly compared the projection and actual Munchlax. "They got it perfect."

"It was pretty easy. Figured people wanted something special for Munchlax rock, so here it is," Volkner followed up behind us along with Roland.

I took out my camera to take a pic.

"Hey Munchlax! Do you want to take a picture?" I called out. The Munchlax turned to us before smiling and running over to Jade. I took a few pics before handing the camera to Volkner so I could join in. Afterwards, I showed them to Munchlax who seemed happy to be included before he walked away jollily.

"It's getting chilly, let's hit up the mall now," Volkner offered.

Jade and I practically raced each other to the local mall. It's been too cold for stalls to be outside so they've taken to them having them inside malls. We entered the mall to be surrounded by a bounty of decorations and 50% off signs. There were people bustling all over with bags of newly bought items, little plushies they got from a stall or cinnamon buns.

"Volkner. Volkner!" I tugged on his arm.

"What?"

"Cinnamon buns!" I pointed at the cinnamon bun cart.

"I thought you wanted fried chicken."

"I'm growing, I can eat both. Right Jade?"

"Come on Volkner, we're starving!" Jade pulled him over to the cinnabon cart.

Cinnamon buns or cinnabuns for short are a staple treat during the winter. Another odd Lumifrost tradition is eating fried chicken. Now where do we get the fried chicken? Don't worry about it, humans don't eat Pokemon anymore. It's actually crazy illegal to hunt, kill or consume a pokemon. Laws protecting Pokemon are insane. If a Pokemon kills another Pokemon or human on behalf of a human's orders, then the human gets into a lot of trouble while the Pokemon typically gets counseling.

Thanks to the power of science humans have been able to create synthetic meat by using berries of all things. By processing using some sort of complicated formula our teacher skimmed over and I haven't personally read about yet we can consume meat without any of the moral issues. It's also quite a bit safer since it's berries after all and not corpses we consume.

Nonetheless, we got our cinnabuns and fried chicken from Volkner who was all too happy to pay. Even the usually stoic Roland broke into a smile when he tasted the heavenly cream from the cinnabuns.

"Roland, you've got to try this fried chicken! I put honey on it for the extra sweetness!" I handed Roland a chicken leg with honey practically dripping off the meat. He happily accepted eating the whole thing at once. After a few curious chews his tails began to sway happily as he barked? Barked a thanks.

"Vire!"

"I'm glad you're happy, buddy," Volkner said, giving Roland a somber smile. I looked at him with some concern.

"Are you feeling super sad again, Volkner?"

He sighed and took a sip from his water. "A little bit, Nephew. The League circuit takes a break during the holidays so no challengers. Not even much work besides what I've got back home."

I frowned. Uncle Volkner has a tendency to get really unmotivated to do anything sometimes. Sometimes it gets so bad he doesn't even run the gym. I don't really get it, but I asked my teacher and they said that sometimes we just feel depressed. It's during these times Flint tends to stop by and help out till Volkner gets his spark back.

Once it's back though he's full of ideas and way more fun. He looked pretty sad today, so I asked him if he could take Jade and I out, but it looks like it's not enough.

"That's okay. Maybe if we pray at the shrine your sadness will go away! Hmmm, we can pray to Mespirit to make you feel happier!"

Jade swallowed his food before happily chiming in. "It works for me!"

Roland concurred by patting Volkner on the back. "Alright, you three have convinced me. I'll bite. Let's go."

We finished our food and made our way to the local shrines. They are in the oldey- I mean, rustic parts of town. So it feels like you just walked into Celestic Town rather than another part of Sunyshore City. Lanterns of all different shapes adorned the shrines, there was a playground covered lightly by snow.

The shrine was large, filled with offering pools for Sinnoh legendaries only. There were shrines for other region legendaries, but we decided to visit this one as they are our legends after all.

Volkner gave us each some pokecents to pray with as we each went to pray. We headed to the offering bowls where the legendaries are ordered by their tiers of influence, Arceus being at the top.

I placed a coin into Mespirit's offering box, knelt down, close my eyes and began to pray. Apparently no one has ever seen someone empty these offering boxes which means the legendaries must take them at some point. I dunno why they needed cash, but I hope they can afford whatever they wanna buy.

Mesprit, being of emotion. It's me Topaz again. My Uncle Volkner is having one of his sad times. If you could give him some more happy that'd be great. I tried my best, but I think he needs a bit more. Anyway, thanks again, hope you can buy whatever you were trying to get. Amen.

I opened my eyes and felt at ease, like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I don't go all the time, but praying always made me feel a little bit better. Volkner was praying to Uxie while Jade was praying to Shaymin judging by where they were standing. Even Roland seems to have prayed to Cresselia. He offered up a berry rather than money.

I wonder what he's wishing for?

I stepped away from the shrine to stand outside underneath the gently falling snow. My mind began to wander back to my parents until Jade brushed against me awaking me from my stir.

"Volkner and Roland are still praying. You prayed for his happiness right?"

I nodded. "What'd you pray for?"

Jade looked up into the sky. "For spring to come back as soon as possible. I want to paint more sakura blossoms. It's hard to work outside when it's so bloody cold all the time."

"Mmmm…" His statement actually brought something to mind I've been meaning to bring up for a long time. "How come you never go home Jade? You take every chance to not be with your parents. We're always at the gym, my house or out and about."

Jade turned quiet, looking straight ahead. "There's nothing interesting there."

He stopped talking. "Go on…"

"My dad is a workaholic who avoids spending time with us by working abroad and my mom is a coordinator agent so she's always taking calls. I feel like I barely know them sometimes."

"Hm. I had a feeling that was the case," I nodded. It explains a lot about his behavior. He acts out to be seen, to be scolded, to be parented of some kind. That's what I read in a book anyway. "Do you have any Pokemon at home?"

"Nope. My parents can't even be bothered to raise their own child much less a Pokemon. I don't even know if they used to have any when they were kids. Our neighbor though has a Sunflora who always says hi to me when I come from school so that's nice. She's always tending her flower bushes, sometimes I help out."

"What do you do at home?"

"Draw. Paint. Ya know."

"Mmmm. Are your parents home now?"

"Nope. Mum is in Kalos for a Lumifrost shoot and Dad is in Alola trying to sell Lumifrost decorations. Fake snow machines and everything."

"...I could come over and you could show me your room and all the art you don't show people."

"You wanna come to my house?"

"Yeah, why not. Roland can come too, it'll be fun. Not like we'll be bothering anyone and you've seen my place a billion times. New year, new us!"

"It's not the new year yet."

"Not with that attitude. So, which way do we go? I literally have no idea where you live," I said, taking a step forward surveying the area.

"You two going somewhere?" Volkner said as he and Roland emerged from the shrine.

"We're going to Jade's house to hang out. Roland can you chaperone us?"

We all turned to Roland who shrugged non committedly.

"Looks like he's good to go. You guys be careful alright, be back soon Topaz or my parents will throw a fit."

"Got it Uncle, thanks! Jade, lead the way!"

"It's cold, Roland, can you carry us? I'll point to where we have to go," Jade asked.

Roland merely grunted before he effortlessly picked us up in each arm and jumped onto the roof of a building before we were leaping from house to house.

I could hear Jade's shrills of joy overshadow my own. He finally opened up to me and I was relieved. We're so close to becoming trainers and I'm glad I've got a friend like him by my side.

~~Chapter 4 Fin~~

Chapter Text

Year 3, Age 9

Another prosperous year in Sinnoh has ended and another begins anew. The League's developments have been diligently carried out steadily, under Elite Lucian's guidance the region has undergone the biggest economic boom in decades. Champion Cynthia's decision to change the official trainer license age from 10 to 15 went over more smoothly than expected due to the events in recent years having brought attention to how dangerous journeys can be. A great deal of strides have been taken to ensure the region's safety and those that inhabit it.

Topaz though is elated. He has one more year left till he can become a Pokemon trainer. Alongside his best friend Jade they study and practice everything they can to be the best trainers they can be. They must savor their last moments as innocent children, unconnected to the dangerous world Volkner wishes to shield them from. All he can do is keep working to ensure they've got the best chance they've got.

~~Spring~~

Topaz Heart

Location: Book Store

"Thank you sir!" I said to the bookshop clerk.

"My pleasure young lad. Anything for a lad so eager to learn. If only your friends were so willing to read as much as you."

I wouldn't call them my friends per say, sans Jade, but he loves artbooks.

"Maybe one day! Anyway, got to go!" I ran out of the store with my new book Sinnoh Underground for Dummies vol 1. It's been a few days since I had found my mother's journal and fiddled with the solar panels. Unfortunately my mother had difficulty proceeding in her research due to the sheer danger of the Underground so they felt it was safest to leave, but I still had questions.

As for my solar panel plan, Volkner actually liked my idea and looked super proud when he was talking about it. Well, as proud as his face allows, but it still meant a lot! There were some parts he was going to fix up, but he said he expected a lot. A new electricity food resource went a bit above and beyond even that. Hopefully we can add it in soon, but until then my focus was solely on my new book.

The Sinnoh Underground fascinated me. An entire subterranean system the size of Sinnoh lurking under our feet fascinated me beyond words. While we can access it easily enough it does not follow the same laws as our world.

Distances are skewed, minerals can be planted and grow at phenomenal rates, entire sub-cultures living their lives, fossils from all over the world have been unearthed there. There was so much that I didn't understand and it just made me love it more!

I found myself in the rustic district of town. It was still too cold for the beach, but it was nice enough to peacefully sit outside. I found a table and bench by one of the shrines underneath a sakura blossom tree.

It was usually pretty isolated and very quiet, an ideal place for me. In the distance I could see a Regigigas and Heatran figurine I assume having been placed as an offering.

Regigigas and Heatran are often used as symbolism for the Underground as it's said that Regigigas moved the continents meanwhile Heatran is the embodiment of the Earth's molten core. I was curious if either had anything to do with the Underground's current condition, but hopefully the brush upon it in this volume as I began to read.

I stayed like that for a good while, eating up every word so I could use it for future reference. A lot of it pertained to trainers and how to get started on the underground and while this was a bit early for me to be reading, I had to admit it was satisfying to read nonetheless.

I've never swung a pickaxe before in my life, but I'm sure it can't be that hard. Surely it can't be so easy to make entire walls fall over little chinks in the wall. What if they found a fossil!? If it collapsed I'm definitely going back in with my Pokemon.

After reading for a good while without stopping I got the overwhelming need to stretch and grab a snack from a vending machine before continuing. My desire for fruit snacks prevailed over my ability to focus.

"Enjoying your book?"

I open my eyes to see a teenager with long blonde hair and a pitch black outfit greet me casually from across the table. In the background I spied a magnificent Milotic socializing with a gorgeous Roserade. After my brain processed what the heck was happening I managed to find my words.

"C-Cynthia?"

Despite my flustered state I managed to wave at Aphrodite the Milotic and Idun the Roserade respectively, Cynthia's companions. They gave a calm wave and tail flick back. "How long have you all been here exactly?"

Did I really not notice the champion, a walking rose and a giant sea serpent slither in?

She shrugged. "Oh, about an hour. I had some reports to look through and plans to make, so you needn't worry. You've not kept me from anything. I just figured I'd say hello, since I needed to talk to Volkner. He said you'd gone out, and I find you reading up on the Underground. I'd ask if you find it intriguing, but. Well, I did come flying in on Reginleif and you simply looked annoyed that the table had shook a bit."

I looked at the table and did notice it had shifted a bit, but I also remember scowling and moving over.

So this is why Volkner says I need a chaperone. Am I okay? How low does your awareness need to be for you to be committed? Questions for later.

"I vaguely remember ignoring that. Sorry," I sheepishly apologized. "Volkner says I run on my own terms when I've got a good book in my hands. I just keep reading till I get inspired. Guess he was not kidding at all."

She just laughed and waved her hand a bit. "You've nothing to worry about. I'd recommend waiting until you're at home to do something like that personally, but I'm not exactly in a position to judge. My family keeps telling me to try and sleep in my bed and not on my desk, but I have a habit of forgetting humans need sleep when I'm pouring over myths."

"Usually one of Volkner's Pokemon follows me around, but they were all busy so I decided to just head out on my own. I'm nearly 10 so soon I'll be able to do it all the time!... but next time I'll read with wary company."

She nodded, satisfied, before glancing at the book I was reading. "Oh! I have a fun idea. How would you like to come to the Underground with me? Nothing special, just the upper layers for now. You're clearly interested, so why not show you some of it along with where I spend… probably too much time."

Before she could say another word I was on the table, the book stashed back into my bag ready to depart. "I'm good to go!"

She smiled brightly. "Then come, day doesn't last forever!" She took my hand and walked over to a more deserted part of the city, bordering on not being in the city anymore. "No one should mind here. Reginleif?"
Her gargantuan Garchomp burst out, though with a bit of a smile. She gave a gentle rumbling before blasting into the ground, quickly making an angled tunnel as Cynthia looked to me. "So, would you like to go first or should I?"

"Wait, I thought Sunyshore City had its own Underground entrance?" I asked. "Is digging here really okay? Can we just dig anywhere?" This time I asked with excitement.

"No," she elaborated, "you can't just dig anywhere. However, I know you're not the biggest fan of people and I'd prefer to not be set on by loads of people at the moment. Reginleif is wonderful at filling holes back in and leaving little to no signs of it having ever been dug, and I made sure to ask her to dig in a place no one will mind. Besides," as a grin spread across her face, "Where's the fun in not having a little bit of adventure?"

Sounds fair game to me.

I peered down the hole. "Wow, she really is good at digging holes. How far did she- no nevermind, we can find out!" I took a cautious step in testing the incline before affirming it was safe and then jogged a few steps down before I called out to Cynthia. "It's dark!"

"You get used to it. For now though? First lesson," as she pulled out a lantern, "you always want one of these on you. Or someone who can make a light source. Or if you've got some gadget or really any way to make sure you can see where you're going."

She held the lantern up, illuminating the tunnel down. It sloped fairly gently, with various rocks having been pulverized on the way down. There was a faint blue light ahead though, and as we walked it got brighter. Soon enough we were in the tunnels themselves.

Taking the chance of the opportunity I decided to ask Cynthia a more personal question.

"So where were you before you came to Sunyshore? The League?"

She glanced over before smiling. "Simply spending some time with Caitlyn. She's aspirations of becoming part of the Unovan elite four, and she's quite close to that goal. She wanted to know if I had any tips I hadn't told her, given I'm a champion and all."

"Hey… isn't she a Frontier Brain? I thought they were already super strong. That's what the news says anyway."

I dunno much about the Frontier Brains, but this piques my interest.

"They are," she continued while making sure I kept my footing, "But she's a bit of a special case. She rarely actually fought herself, and felt it wasn't right for her to simply inherit a position. So especially after Helheim she wanted to prove herself in her own right. Not to mention getting a better grasp of her abilities. We journeyed together, talked and she eventually decided she'd like to be part of the elite four in Unova." A smile crossed her face. "But she's doing better now, and that's what's important."

I took a close look at Cynthia's face and her smile was a bit different than usual. As though she was thinking of very fond memories.

Is she… blushing?

"So you two are really close huh?"

She chuckled awkwardly. "I suppose we are, aren't we?"

Oh wow, is this what being smitten looks like? Jade would eat this up if he knew… so I'll keep it a secret. Plus, it's none of our business.

We continued down through the tunnels till we arrived at large steel supports. They were pretty big, with riveted steel supports holding them open and the occasional support beam up top. Otherwise, the ground was well worn and dusty. The walls had rocks poking out of them, some shining just a tad. The air was a bit staler down here than above, but you could still smell the sea and near the vents were wall sconces with sparking blue crystals glowing with an azure light.

As I was taking it all in, along with the huge Garchomp looking quite pleased with herself, Cynthia put a hardhat on my head. "Nearly forgot, but you should have that on."

I touched the hat and giggled with glee. "I'm a real miner!" I properly took in our surroundings before landing on the lights. "Are those lanterns illuminated with electric stones? What Pokemon are down here? Where should we go next? What do you plan on mining? Is it really as hard as they say? Where's your helmet?" I turned to Reginleif. "Thanks for the drill down Reginleif! You're fast in the sky and ground!"

She gave a pleased roar while Cynthia shook her head smiling. "You never run out of questions and I wouldn't have it any other way. The lanterns are electric stones. They're found deeper down, but we won't be going there today. Perhaps you can find them on your own though, there should be some on the levels you're allowed to go before going on your journey. We're going to stay in this general area, since it's far enough away from the communal entrance to have some interesting tidbits scattered about. I plan on mining… whatever catches our eyes, really. I highly doubt we'll come across anything like a fossil or evolutionary stone this high up, but I'm sure there'll be learning experiences. It can be quite hard, but you get better as you go. All sorts of Pokemon can be down here, but at this level you're gonna be hard pressed to find anything besides a Geodude, Zubat or Bronzor. Sometimes a Hippopotas too, but they show up more lower down. And as for where my hat is…" she gave a bit of an awkward chuckle.

"You have it. I forget about it unless I'm going to be sitting in one spot for a while. I've faith in my team and myself to be able to handle the odd falling rock. But more importantly…" she smiled. "What are you hoping to find on this excursion?"

That's a good question. Frankly I'm just glad to be here, but… "I just want to enjoy the experience. And swinging a pickaxe! It can't be that hard right? An entire wall can't collapse after a little kid hitting it? Right?"

She hesitated slightly, moving her hand back and forth just a bit. "Aah, I'd say that maybe that's for later. After I show you how. Depending on how hard you hit it… yeah, a fair bit of wall can collapse. There's different types of pickaxe, different rocks to hit, different densities of dirt, and you of course always need to be gentle enough to not full on break what you're trying to find. And you'd be surprised what a little kid with a hard object can do." She glanced around, before her eyes zeroed in on one specific section of wall. That looked just like all the rest. "Perfect!"
Reginleif followed as we walked over to the wall she'd decided was special. "Can you tell me anything about this wall, Topaz?"

I took a step back to observe the entire corridor from end to end. Either my sight is going with my sense of awareness or I'm missing something. "I can tell you… it's a wall. But I am going to assume there's something there."

Books can only teach you so much before you have head out into the field and actually work things out.

She nodded before running her hand along a specific section of wall. A bit of dirt brushed away easily. "There's a bulge here, but more than that. You see how the dirt is looser here? That means something pushed it out of the way. Buried stones and ores grow in the Sinnoh underground, so that's a telltale sign. Others of the like are glinting if it's poking out from the wall, how worn the floor is, if when there's a lot of hard rocks there seems to be an abnormal pattern and so on. I can't go into it all, but seeing and understanding the differences is a major step forward in navigating the Underground."

"I see…" I placed my hand on the wall. I brushed my hand against it and I immediately found the differences between where the stones were and what was just a normal wall. I had totally missed it.

Maybe I should get glasses.

"Oh yeah," I turned to Cynthia. "I heard about these things called Secret Bases. Ya know like in spy movies. The book said they've got them in Hoenn too, but to create them you've got to use this move called Secret Power. Does that work here?"

She tilted her head a bit. "Yes, but the Sinnoh method is a bit different. We can't rely on our Pokemon partners for everything after all." And then she pulled out a drill the size of her head from her pack. "Now using this is when I like to have my hard hat on."

"Oooh, can I try?"

She quickly put it back in her pack. "No. Not what we're here for, and that's something you need a bunch more practice for. Besides, you wouldn't want to make a secret base where loads of people pass by would you? Isn't much of a secret then."

"True," I was tempted to ask her about her own Secret Base, but like she said, it's secret for a reason. "Do you find them often? There's this whole flag system and you gain perks when you steal them right?"

She sighed contentedly. "Yes, that's a whole thing. Me and Byron have been setting traps and getting into the other's base for a while now. It's quite fun." She gestured to a wall behind her. "And while there's a secret base there, there's a reason I don't go after newer miners. It's no fun if everyone's just taking your flag when you're still trying to find bases. But back to this wall." She pulled out a pickaxe, a smaller pickaxe and a hammer. "These are the primary tools you use. A pickaxe to venture deeper, the smaller one for more precise poking around and a hammer for less precise poking around. Of course there's plenty of other tools, but these are the main ones."

I nodded carefully overlooking the tools. They looked quite a bit different than the tools in the book, but it's not surprising that the champion and experienced miner would have only the best tools. I could tell they'd been used countless times, but they were no worse for wear even sporting ornate designs in the metal.

While I wanted to discuss more about Secret Bases, it was time to get back on track. "So, from what I understand once you find your mining spot you begin to work at it right? Right here," I pointed at a particularly thick cluster. "That's where you'd use a hammer, I think. Meanwhile over here," I moved my hand to a much lighter, softer rock. "Is where the pickaxe would be useful."

"Yes and no," she said, holding up the smaller pickaxe, "but you're not wrong. The softer rock is what you want to use the smaller pickaxe on. And the harder cluster would require the hammer if we intended to get through it. However, in clusters like this it's always worth carving them out before splitting them apart. Most of the time you'll find more rocks, but sometimes you find something more special. And I'd say that being gentler all the time and finding something some of the time is better than hammering away all the time and finding nothing."

She then went to chipping away around the cluster, along with the part of the wall she'd highlighted earlier. There was a glimmer in her eyes not unlike the glimmer that met them when she uncovered a small, slightly jagged yellow gem. She then quickly broke the cluster into fragments, finding nothing but a few flecks of ore which she put back in the wall with the dirt.

Then she turned to me excitedly. "Can you tell me what this is?"

It took only a glance for me to realize. "Topaz!" I leaned over to get a closer look. I had noticed that she placed some shards back in for them to regrow later which is also a smart habit I ought to remember, but this grabbed my attention.

"Lucky! My parents named me Topaz after my eyes! That's what my grandparents in Alola said anyway. I've always loved them because of it." I marvelled at the raw topaz for a few moments longer having never actually seen one outside of a museum.

She held it out for me to see. For something just taken out of a wall, it was pretty clean. Maybe that comes from being good at mining? Whatever, it was shimmering and had the occasional spark run across it. "Would you like to have it?"

"Can I?" I noticed it spark again. Can rocks feel my emotions now or is that just a coincidence?

"If you want it," she said warmly. "This is an excursion for your sake after all, it's only right that you should have a memento."

After I finished nodding vigorously and I think I jumped for joy a bit, but I calmed myself down to give her a resounding yes. She then gladly handed it over, leaving me to look at it while she rummaged for something in her pack.

Within the topaz gem I could see it spark every so often, the electricity of Sunyshore coursing through it. I figure it's due to the high concentration of electric types in the area that has affected even the Earth all the way down here which also explains the glowing rocks. It fit my aesthetic perfectly too.

Even though I wasn't a super strong trainer like Volkner and Cynthia was the super busy champion she still made time for me. It… it felt really nice. Volkner of course makes time for me too, but we're family. He's got no obligation and I get that, but it must've made things easier.

Cynthia and I aren't related yet she also stops by for a chat. She's a genuine person who wants to make the region a much better place, so she's got a lot on her shoulders. Yet here she is, happily mining away with me just to give me the experience. I may not act out like Jade in class, but I still want someone to pay attention to me sometimes.

My thoughts moved me before I could even realize and I was hugging Cynthia tightly. Water brushed against my cheek and I touched it in confusion thinking there must've been a leak somewhere. Indeed there was and it was straight from my eyes. I didn't know how or why this happened, but my chest was tight.

It pained me. I couldn't remember the last time I hugged someone, not even a Pokemon, it was a foreign feeling yet I needed it so badly. She looked down in surprise, but quickly hugged me back and just gently rubbed my back.

"It's alright. I'm not going anywhere."

Whatever words I wanted to say couldn't escape my mouth. Instead my tears began to flow as free as a waterfall as I began to cry. Whatever emotional dam within me burst at this moment and I couldn't stop it. Memories flooded back to the day when my mother dragged me through the rain. The dizzy spells and confusion. The promises she made before she abandoned me alone at my grandparents' front door like I was an abandoned Rockruff.

The sheer isolation and loneliness I felt until I could finally go back to school and meet Jade. All these years… it had become too much. And now Cynthia was just here, hugging me back. There was a soft noise from Reginleif as she patted my head a bit with one of her claws. More calming than you'd think.

"It's alright Topaz. You've been through a lot. You're strong. You have so much life to live ahead of you. I know it's hard right now, and it's been hard for a while. But I promise you there's a light waiting for you at the end." She put a hand on my head and smiled warmly. "And I'm certain that light is being shone in part by you."

Her words resonated with me more than anything I had ever heard before. She did not merely say this as comfort, but she stated it as though it was absolute fact. A guaranteed. The promise she made to me… it was different from my mother's. This one didn't give me any feelings of hesitation or anxiety.

It was reassuring, calming. I could trust her words, guaranteed. Even from Reginleif I got a strange feeling of warmth as though I were sitting by a hearth warmed by a dragon's flame. I can't explain why it felt that way, but it did. I muffled my thanks to the both of them and just held on.

"Topaz, do you want to know something I've learned from everything that's happened recently? I knew it before, but I think it's important for you to know too."

I nodded silently.

She looked at me genuinely, holding me close. "Your family isn't something that anyone but you can define. And just because a family member isn't around doesn't mean they're gone, so long as you remember them. But you aren't alone. And you won't be. Volkner, Roland, everyone is there for you. But you have to be the one to decide they're family. You're like my little brother, and I want to make sure you're okay. So if you need to talk to me like this, or just need me to say hi, or a hug or anything? Let me know. I'll be there for you. And I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon."

I nodded again. I believe her. I believe in her and her words. That was enough for me. She just stayed there with me for a while, not letting go before I was ready. And ruffled my hair a bit. "You know, Volkner should have some tools around. Something you get used to as a miner is making your own tools and equipment with what you find. Your first thing you make could be something with that topaz."

I looked at the topaz curiously before an idea came to light. "I think I've already got an idea," I looked down demurely. "You two are good at this. I don't think I've ever vented like that before. Hope I didn't mess up your coat or anything."

She shook her head. "Not at all. And I have had quite a bit of practice. But just know? You're not alone. You won't be again. And soon? You're gonna meet a lifelong partner. I just hope they can keep a lookout for you when you zone out."

I sighed. "I'll work on that. Anyway, um, that was a good cry. Can we keep going or do you have to go now? It's cool if you do, I feel way better now."

"I can stay a while longer," she said gently, "it's still light aboveground. Not for too much longer, but you're safe here. Just tell me when you're ready."

"Got it!" I nodded happily at her and Reginleif. "Onward then!"

We spent some more time underground, Cynthia showing me some orbs and how weirdly shaped they can get. It was nice. Eventually though she walked me back up when the sun was setting, and when I looked back the hole Reginleif made was just some loose dirt. She took me home, some people looking at the Champion and why a kid was with her but she didn't care. She simply said hello and made sure I got home okay.

"Thanks again Cynthia, Reginleif. I feel… exponentially better. Today was a lot of fun!"

Reginleif gave a happy roar while Cynthia just ruffled my hair. "I'm glad you enjoyed that so much. Maybe when you're experienced with mining we could end up running into each other. Hopefully just not running away from a cave-in."

"Awww, that sounds like the best part!" I joked. "Trainers live for life threatening situations!"

She chuckled. "Not intentionally we usually don't, but you have a point. Enjoy your dinner Topaz. And go say hi to your family here."

"I will. You two get home safe! Thanks again for everything!" I gave Cynthia and Reginleif each a proper bow. They deserve that. "When I become a trainer I'll do Sinnoh proud! I promise you that!"

She smiled brightly. "I know you will." She gave me another quick hug before she hopped aboard Reginleif, the two waved and then were off into the sky with the wind whistling in their wake.

I watched them fly away a bit before heading inside. I walked in to see Volkner cooking his signature pasta and meatballs. Roland was sitting patiently at the table, Froberge was relaxing on the couch while Marsil was juggling the ingredients. All gave me a quick greeting which I returned in kind, but then they all began to look at me a bit differently.

"Hey Topaz, you were gone for a while. How ya been?" Volkner paused mid stir. "You look different… it suits you. What happened?"

I chuckled a bit to myself and gave him my sincerest smile. "I got a hug."

Volkner raised an eyebrow in confusion and surprise. "Oh? Good on ya? I assume you're hungry though, so wash your hands and sit at the table. Dinner is nearly done."

"Okay Uncle!" I ran off to the bathroom to wash my hands. I looked into the mirror good and proper. My expression truly was different. My eyes were brighter, illuminated. Cynthia had shone me the light and now I've got to follow it to be the best trainer I can be.

~~Summer~~

Volkner Beacon

Location: Sunyshore Silph Co. Building

I leaned against a wall checking my pokenav for the time. Past midnight. Sunyshore is a busy place, especially during the summer, but most people are at their homes relaxing or sleeping by now. Froberge was with me, lurking in the shadows adeptly, scanning our surroundings. I had elected to wear a hoodie tonight in order to somewhat conceal my identity, I basically have a mop of blonde hair on my head which anyone could recognize me with.

We had gotten reports from some concerned citizens of a suspicious individual scoping out the building. While usually I'd brush this off, there have been reports in other cities of tech company buildings being stolen from so if this was the same culprit I ought to stake it out. Somehow the thieves are able evade law enforcement each time and sometimes even overpower them so I had some of my fellow gym trainers with me on this one. We communicated via Zachery's, my right hand, Medicham and his telepathy. Trained especially for missions like this.

Froberge caught my attention as his eyes began to glow even brighter. I took out my night vision goggles to better see in the dark to see someone escaping with a bag with what I believe was a Lopunny along with them.

"This is Volkner, the thief was already inside and is leaving through the rear window. They've got a Lopunny with them. Pursue!"

I quickly placed a portable saddle onto Froberge and hopped on as he made his mad dash. Judging by how Froberge is acting there don't seem to be any allies of theirs closeby so they must've stolen from the building alone. In the distance I noticed them quickly jump out of the window and onto a nearby roof before dashing ahead.

There was no need to direct Froberge as he was right on their tails, with a great heave jumped onto the building to resume chase. In the distance they were making good headway, but I had complete faith in Froberge to catch up.

Unlike me the thief wasn't using any Pokemon to ride on, simply using their innate athleticism to jump from building to building with an deftness I would've expected from a gymnast. Froberge had their scent trail and could easily spot them atop the rooves. We had trained so he wouldn't be distracted by unnecessary targets so this was childplay's.

"Froberge and I are pursuing on the rooftops. Keep up if you can."

There were a bevy of responses, but I was only focused on what was ahead of me. The thief and Lopunny had obviously done this many times before and Froberge wasn't exactly an expert on roof jumping, but he got the gist fairly quick. We were gaining on them due to his large strides and superior night sight, but the Lopunny turned around to fire at Ice Beam at us while we were in midair.

"Cut through with Night Slash!" Riding electric types often hindered them from their full capabilities as most electric moves emerge from the body and it would be difficult to maneuver ourselves in the air, so barreling through was a fine option. Froberge's paw became coated in darkness as he cleaved through the Ice Beam before landing on the roof. Lopunny and the trainer hadn't stayed to watch us fall, so we kept up our pursuit.

Judging by the direction they were going they weren't leaving by water and the only land route nearby is Route 222. I can work with this. I took out my pokenav and called the Sunyshore Ranger base conveniently located by Route 222.

"This is Leader Volkner, I'm chasing a thief and their Lopunny through Sunyshore City heading your way, I'm sending you my location. Track it, I'm right on their tail," I spoke into the nav holding onto Froberge as best I could with one hand. They understood I wasn't exactly in a convenient position and went in to move out.

Eventually they ran out of roof to jump and came into the western mountainous area of the city. I finally got a good look at the thief: a woman. She was wearing a mask and dark blue clothing as camouflage in the night unfortunately, so that was everything discernable I could speak of.

She quickly sent out a Noctowl, but rather than fly on top of her, she instead elected to slide down the mountain alongside her Lopunny and Noctowl.

Smart. Flying through the air against an electric trainer wouldn't end well.

Froberge caught up and began hopping down the mountain on any steady platforms he could find. It wasn't necessarily a comfy ride, but we had trained for moments like these.

I reached towards my belt for a capsule I was hoping I wouldn't have to use, the advanced stun gun I had developed. It wasn't anything special in my opinion and I had no intention of making any more, but it was useful for subduing targets. Unfortunately it has a cooldown so I have to make every shot count.

Essentially it shoots a lance of electricity at the opponent akin to a Thunder Wave in order to paralyze them, so it's shaped like a rifle though I can fire it with one hand. Albeit it'll be a challenge doing so while tactfully jumping down a moment, aiming at a moving target in the dark, but I was never one to shy away from challenges. When I had proper line of sight and a good idea where she would land next I pulled out my stun gun and shot where she would be going midjump. Unfortunately, Lopunny deflected it easily with a swift Ice Beam covering the mountain's surface in ice.

Shit.

Froberge landed uncomfortably slipping onto several unfavorable platforms sending us off course.

"Magnet Rise," I ordered and before Froberge plummeted down the mountain he used magnetic energy to allow himself to Levitate, before he began to dive down the mountain as well. In the distance I could see the thief swinging through the forest with her Pokemon in hot pursuit. I pulled out Marsil's Pokeball and began to speak to it. "Pursue the woman, Lopunny and Noctowl through the trees."

After relaying her orders I tossed the Pokeball into the forest in the general direction of where they were all going. After a few seconds the Pokeball rebounded back into my hand as always.

Pokeballs are almost too convenient.

Froberge continued to soar through the sky, but it wasn't as effective at this distance from the ground. Pokemon using the move could levitate off the ground sure, but the higher you go from the ground the more difficult it becomes to move. He began to descend steadily till he could find proper footing and continue the chase. In the distance I could see several sparks flash through the sky.

It took a few more strides to get through the woods, but I managed to spot how the thief got through the forest so quickly. If there wasn't a nearby branch, she'd simply grab her Noctowl's legs and swing from them. Mixed with her never ending pool of energy, she was fast.

Unfortunately too fast, as she had escaped into a deep hole I can only assume leads to the Underground with her Pokemon. Another problem was the giant Tyranitar standing in our way. Marsil looked like she had been sucker punched in the face, but she simply wiped the dirt off her face and squared off. I leapt off Froberge who took on a battle stance as well, still able to fight.

A yawning sigh suddenly cut through the tension. Froberge barked at the shadows from where a young man, looking around a few years older than me stepped into the moonlight. Though it was dark, I could more easily see his appearance. He had darker skin complexion akin to Topaz except he had grayish black hair, his face mostly hidden by the fedora on his head. What really weirded me out was how he was wearing Pancham pajamas with sneakers.

The man tilted his head and I could see the coal dust smeared across his face and his hazel brown eyes were far too relaxed, as though he'd just woken up. Upon closer inspection I noticed vertical scars over both of his eyes as well.

What am I looking at here?

I eyed the hole he stood in front of, but with a simple stomp the Tyranitar filled it up. It looked like a Sand Tomb to me, but the way it was so casually executed made me cautious.

The mystery man stretched, yawning again. I pulled out my league badge and showed it to him. The loss of the thief angered me, but this was the first time anyone has seen her accomplice. I had to make this count. "I am a member of the Sinnoh League. You just aided in the escape of a criminal, so you can either come quietly or resist. Same end result, but I'll let you choose."

He squinted at the badge before looking me over. "Aha! You're the Sunyshore Gym Leader. Sparky right?" He stroked his chin. "They say you're the strongest gym leader in the region. You could've been a member of the Elite Four, right? Come on and admit it, you couldn't be bothered. We lazy guys like to save our energy."

"I wish you could save me some time and tell me what the hell you think you're doing. How about that?" My hand was still firmly clenched around my stun gun. The man rubbed his chin once again before turning to the Tyranitar. "Hey buddy, think we should tell him what we're doing?"

The Tyranitar simply huffed, not deigning the question with a verbal answer he wouldn't even understand. "Sorry Sparky, you heard the big guy. That was absolutely a 'fuck off' huff huff."

Arceus is he annoying, but luckily Froberge had snuck into the shadows early in this conversation. Albeit I'm not sure if he was actually unnoticed by the actual dark type in front of us. Nonetheless he took his chance and attempted to leap upon the human, but he swiftly ducked and the Tyranitar took a big swing at Froberge. Seizing the chance he gave me I fired another shot straight at the guy, but a small Stone Edge shield protected him.

"Someone is hasty. Hey Leader, it's pretty late, are you sure you don't want to go to sleep in your bed rather than be unconscious in the middle of a field?" The man said fixing the hat on his head while I dashed forward swinging the stun gun right at his head. From out of nowhere he pulled out a cane and blocked my strike before it reached my head. "Someone's aggressive tonight."

I knew my Pokemon could handle the fight on their own, it was time for me to put in some work as well. The criminal pulled back his cane and swung at my face forcing me to dodge with one handed backflip. He continued the assault with several swings from his cane that I easily dodged before I grabbed his swinging arm and hit him in the stomach with the butt of my stun gun.

"Oof, that smarts. So you do know how to fight. That's good, makes this less boring," The man said as he rubbed his belly before we crossed weapons once more. I attempted a low kick, but he simply jumped up before going with a downward strike. In order to dodge I rolled out of the way pointing my gun at him.

Thinking I was going to shoot he immediately dodged to the left allowing me to tackle him to the ground. Unfortunately I underestimated his strength as he pulled my shirt and flipped me off him. Before I could recover he kicked me in the stomach causing me to roll away as he chased, but I pushed down the pain and kicked him in the shin causing him to trip up, falling into the dirt.

We each scrambled to our feet before a blast from the Pokemon battle caused us to recoil.

Marsil was assaulting Tyranitar with a Power Up Punch barrage, but he kept blocking with skillfully placed Stone Edges. Meanwhile Froberge would fire a Thunderbolt into his blind spots that he'd swipe away with a Sand Tomb shield. Tyranitar bit into Marsil's tails with a wicked Crunch and swung her straight into Froberge causing both of them to topple over.

Damn it, they are both skilled.

Before I could fully recover from the stray blast the criminal ran over and punched me in the face. Crashing into the ground, I rolled to regain my balance and pointed my stun gun at him. This time he didn't flinch as he came running, but this time it was for real. I fired and the lance of electricity was sent flying straight at him. Amazingly the man barely shifted his body in order to dodge the head on strike, but it still seemed to graze him as I saw him twitch when the lance scraped by his abdomen.

I couldn't falter as I ran up to swing the butt of my gun at his head. The man couldn't dodge this time but he managed to block the strike. Still went falling down. Before I could pursue I noticed the Tyranitar preparing to throw a rock at me. Unlike the trainer, I could not take any chances with that as I dove out of the way before turning to the trainer who had quickly recovered, dusting himself off.

"First I had to wake up for this and now my favorite pajamas are all messed up. This night sucks and now you've got me all awake now, jerk," The man tugged at his clothes observing all his new tears.

"Leader Volkner!" Running up to me was Zachery along with his Medicham and several rangers. "That's the culprit?"

"An accomplice, but we don't know his whole role here, be careful." I warned my crew as I watched the guy as his Tyranitar backed up into him. While he didn't look too visibly pained it's apparent that damage was done by Froberge and Marsil.

"Yeesh, more? I can only entertain so many people this late," The man complained. "Buddy, it's time to split. This was fun Sparky, I can see why people say you're the best. Next time you wanna pick a fight, try earlier in the day."

"Who are you, asshole!?" I was beyond done with this shit, at the very least I could get a name.

The man actually considered it before replying. "We're Dispetto. Rulers of the Underground."

Before I could respond Tyranitar did a short hop that shook the ground using Earthquake. As we all attempted to avoid the cracks of ground energy rapidly approaching us Tyranitar created another exceedingly deep hole for the mystery man to jump into. Before he could escape he turned to me and gave a simple 'tata' wave and fled, hopping down the hole feet first with barely any jump. Tyranitar quickly followed once he was sure that all of us were too shaken to follow.

Damn ground type attacks.

Marsil recovered first and made her way to the hole, but somehow Tyrantitar had already managed to plug it all up. I made my way over to her and Froberge checked to see how they were doing.

"You two were amazing. Froberge, you've gotten way faster. Your skill with Magnet Rise has improved a lot lately," I complimented my Pokemon before taking out my pokenav searching for Lucian's number to call him. It didn't take long for him to respond.

I swear he doesn't sleep.

"Volkner? Is there a problem?"
"I'm trying to figure out if there is. The thief struck Sunyshore Silph Co. She has a Lopunny and Noctowl and an accomplice with a skilled Tyranitar."

"I see, but at the very least you were able to garner that. Anything else?"

"Yeah," I began to look at the moon. "What do our resources have on the group known as 'Dispetto?"

~~Autumn~~

Location: Deep within Route 222.

Grubbin patrolled the multicolored forest floor of Route 222. It was deep into fall and the scenery was a beautiful red, orange and yellow as far as the eye could see. There was a chill in the air that Grubbin wasn't especially fond of, but he had grown accustomed to it. Unfortunately he realized he'd have to go into hibernation soon as even he had difficulty finding food during the cold, snowy months that he experienced for the first time last winter.

After spending several weeks in the forest seeing Pokemon he had never seen before it had become clear that he was absolutely nowhere near Alola anymore. In fact according to the locals he was in a region named Sinnoh known for its cold climates and mountainous ranges. It did not perturb him even an iota as there still seemed to be birds for him to fend off from his newfound fellows.

Despite the colder climate he easily toughed it out and quite literally grew thicker skin just to cope with it. It confused him why the other species were not as easily able to cope in the cold when he came from a tropical island. Other than that he was considered an oddity even here. For one thing he was the only Grubbin within the area and also his unique mindset pertained even now.

The Grubbin patrolled the route daily in search of threats and bugs in need of shaping up. He had actually managed to gain a bit of rapport with the local Wurmple and Burmy for fending off hungry Chatot and Staravia. He even volunteered to train them as his own personal militia.

It was quite fulfilling although it was quite difficult, these Pokemon did not have the same level of fortitude as him and most preferred to live close to the electric types until they had evolved safely. Grubbin wasn't particularly fond of that idea, but everyone has their method and he won't deny it was effective and a familiar strategy of his former brethren in Alola.

"H-Help me!" A voice cried out in the distance garnering Grubbin's full attention.

I know that voice! I am coming, little one!

Grubbin dashed as fast as his little legs could carry him to a small clearing where a Burmy was cornered by a hungry looking Chatot.

If you want food, find a berry bush, flying rapscallion!

Grubbin locked on and fired a String Shot at the Chatot binding them in string. Before they could realize what was happening Grubbin's vicious Vice Grip connected restricting the little bird's movements.

In their panic they kept squawking trying to break out of his grip, but he refused to let go. "Let me go or I'll scream!" Chatot threatened, but Grubbin did not believe this was cause for concern. He was wrong.

"Fine, you asked for it! And I was like baby, baby, baby oooooooh, like baby, baby, baby noOoooO!"

Grubbin instantly recoiled in pain, forced to let go his enemy in fear of losing his mind. Even the little Burmy he saved was scared of the Chatot opening their mouth once again.

What has he been through to learn such cruel torture methods?

The Chatot opened his mouth once again, but this time Grubbin was ready. He shot a String Shot directly into Chatot's mouth silencing him. Rather than push this issue any further, the bird decided to cut their losses and flee before the weird bug did something else. Grubbin fired a few more String Shots, but the Chatot had flown away too quickly. He sighed and turned to his Burmy compatriot.

"Are you alright, citizen?"

"Citi-nevermind, I'm okay now. Thanks… but could you turn the other way quickly? I'm a bit… underdressed," Burmy pleaded. After looking properly Grubbin did notice that Burmy wasn't in any of the usual coats they wear, but there were leaves scattered about. As a respectful soldier he allowed the young maiden to adorn herself once again. Grubbin was not a soldier ruled by vices, he was respectful, honorable and diligent. Not lecherous.

"Okay, I'm all dressed now. Does it still look okay? I spent all day yesterday getting everything just right."

Grubbin could not salute so he merely clenched his pincers. "You look stunning, ma'am. Would you like me to escort you back to your home tree?"

"Um, sure thanks!" Burmy wasn't quite sure what to make of this bug Pokemon. They didn't look strong, yet they fought without fear. She wondered if that was out of bravery or recklessness, but mainly how he has survived for so long. Nonetheless, she accepted his offer and was safely delivered to her tree. As thanks she offered him some tree sap which he quickly devoured in order to heal his wounds from the super effective Chatter.

"Well I'll be on my way then as you seem to be alright now," Grubbin nodded as he began to make his way down the tree.

"Wait!" Burmy called, causing Grubbin to stop. "The Chatot mentioned before he tried to eat me that some Starly would be migrating over Route 222 soon and they'll be hungry. He said he wanted to eat me before they came by, that is until you got in his way."

Grubbin became uncharacteristically excited. Usually he has a permanent scowl on his face, but this was a war he refused to lose! "Do you know how many there will be?"

"Chatot said there wouldn't be too many as they are a younger flock, but I'll be hiding that day for sure. I don't wanna be involved with all of that!"

"No worries citizen, my militia and I will take care of it," Grubbin snapped his pincers once more. "It will be a true warzone, take care until the day of reckoning!"

Burmy, a little confused, decided to just heed his advice and thank him for helping anyway. Grubbin on the other hand made his way to his secret base. During his time in Sinnoh Grubbin has saved his fair share of bugs, but most would simply give him a treat before moving on with their simple lives. Three special bugs were not so simple, these were Grubbin's soldiers. His allies against evil, his militia!

It took a bit of crawling, but he finally arrived at their base of operations. A small clearing with fallen logs and a giant slightly electrically charged boulder. Lying in a dirt patch was a sand cloak male Burmy. Sleeping in the shade was a male Wurmple. Smelling some nearby flowers was a female Combee named Clover. Grubbin's militia. He snapped his pincers thrice to gather their attention. As soon as they heard them they all crawled or flew over swiftly to address their lieutenant.

"Sir!" They all saluted… the best they physically could.

"Attention bugs! We've received a new report of a few stray Starly that'll be coming to Route 222 in a few days. Those vicious ebon sky blockers will not stop till they have even every bug alive on the route! Not unless we stop them!"

Wurmple spoke up first. "Permission to speak, Sir!?"

"Permission granted, Corporal Wurmple."

"What would you have us do to prepare, Sir!?"

"Training! More training! We need to get back into it, bugs! We have to be ready to fend them off or innocent lives will be lost! We don't have much time, so don't try to learn anything too complex. Just work together as a unit and we'll beat their feathered ass back to whatever hell nest they fell out of! You all hearin' me!?"

"Sir yes sir!" They all shouted.

"I can't hear you!"

"SIR YES SIR!" They all shouted proper.

Grubbin nodded content with their ferocity.

"Good going maggots (a much more endearing term for bugs). Let's get to work."

They didn't have to work long as the Starly came the very next day, around the afternoon. The size of their flock was greatly exaggerated as there were only 3, one of whom was mostly looking for a nice trainer to settle with so they could stop hunting, while the others just wanted some food. No ill will amongst the three of them and honestly they preferred berries over bugs as food. If only our overeager fighting friends were aware of this information.

The Starly were flying low through the forest looking for food when Grubbin struck. Clover used her gust to blow all 3 Starly off course and before they could each right themselves, Burmy and Wurmple scored tackles on their targets while Grubbin nailed an excellent Vice Grip dragging his Starly to the forest floor.

They all took battle positions as the two airborne Starly began to recover somewhat while the grounded one quite dazed turned to Grubbin. "What is your damage? Why did you just attack us?"

Grubbin scoffed. "As if we need to explain our reasons to the enemy! Clover now!"

Clover flew in swiftly and launched an overwhelming Sweet Scent to daze all three bird Pokemon making flight more difficult and in turn easier targets. Burmy tackled one of the aerial Starly into the other sending all 3 into a disoriented pile. Wurmple let loose a bevy of Poison Stings to deal even more damage, causing at least one of them to be poisoned.

Furious, an overzealous Starly launched a Quick Attack straight for Grubbin. Burmy jumped in front shielding him with Protect causing the Starly to splatter against the shield awkwardly. Grubbin seized the moment to use Bug Bite on the poor bird before spitting him out.

Meanwhile another Starly had managed to tackle Clover out of the sky and before they could begin their Pluck assault a frantic Struggle Bug caught them off guard allowing Wurmple to cover her with an excellently timed Poison Sting tackle attack. Judging by their sickly expression, they had been inflicted with poison as well.

Two of the Starly were poisoned, one of which was injured by Grubbin's Bug Bite. They had no backup and were incredibly hungry. It was time to go.

"Retreat!" The Starly really wishing they had a trainer called out.

"Heck no, we can take them!" Said one foolish Starly, but after Grubbin gave them a furious scowl, they changed their mind and scrambled away in fear. The last one barely dodged another Poison Sting before following suit.

The Starly who truly wanted a trainer looked back at the proud Grubbin one last time. "When I get a trainer you'll be sorry, bug!"

"And if you dare come back here you'll be sorry! Wurmple, take aim. They are still in range," Grubbin threatened. Before Wurmple could take a shot the Starly realizing the danger they were in flew away even faster to the nearest ranger base where the nice humans would feed and take care of them.

As they watched the birds fly off Grubbin turned to his militia with a proud expression. "Mission accomplished!"

"Hoorah!" They all cheered. While this battle was unnecessary and totally avoidable as the Starly were just a few wingbeats away from finding an Oran berry bush, they all felt good about this win.

"Perfectly executed by everyone! It couldn't have gone any better than this, the fear in those birds' eyes soothed this old soul. We have protected our kin and secured the forest's safety without the need of a single electric type. Let us rejoice in this victory with a feast!"

"Sir yes sir!"

The militia bugs made their way over to the nearby Oran berry bush that the Starly had intended to go to and discussed future strategies they'd like to employ. Today was a good day for Lieutenant Grubbin.

~~A New Spring~~

Location: Sunyshore Gym Resting Area

The sunrose high into the sky on a beautiful spring day. Cherry blossoms flew through the air, Starly and Chatot sang their beautiful songs and flowers blossomed along the coastside. From within the Sunyshore Gym a small Pokemon stirred from their slumber as the light shone in their eye. They slowly opened their eyes before rising to stretch, long before any of their fellow electric types had woken up.

Today was the day one of them would choose the trainer they would spend the rest of their lives with as partners. The Pokemon rubbed their eyes to stir out the sleepiness. They had heard good things from the gym trainers, so they were curious, but they doubted they'd want them as a Pokemon.

Something poked them in the back of their mind though. The Pokemon wasn't sure if it was from the strange dream they had or if it was something else entirely. Hope? They weren't exactly brimming with it. The Pokemon yawned and made their way to the water bowls. They could choose not to show up if they wanted, they didn't have to choose any trainer, but… they think they'll go out today to see who drops by.

~~Arc 1 - New World Order Fin~~

Author's Note

This marks the end of Arc 1, essentially the Prologue. Initially it was only going to be one chapter, but we didn't feel comfortable sticking 3 years of regional development in one chapter.

From now it'll be more focused on Topaz and his pokemon team and training!

Please leave a review and tell your friends! They really boost morale! Have a great day!

Chapter Text

It has been 4 long years since Topaz's parents disappeared, Cynthia became champion, Helheim was stopped and Volkner became a gym leader. Topaz and the world have gone through a bevy of changes since then. Sinnoh has become a modernized region that strongly advocates and fights for Pokemon rights as well as human safety.

Once before a casual Pokemon League has become one of the most competitive in the world. Trainers, coordinators and pokeathletes flock from all over to participate in the many opportunities Sinnoh provides for them. Rangers from Almia and Oblivia have begun working alongside Sinnohans to preserve nature and its inhabitants. New regulations have been introduced improving the quality of life for all as well enabling safer passages for travel.

The region has evolved so much in such a short time, but it's not done. Topaz on the other hand is done waiting. The moment we've all been waiting for, it's his 10th birthday. Due to Sinnoh regulations he cannot participate in official Pokemon related activities nor have more than 3, but he can still get his starter!

Topaz has spent his entire life watching from the sidelines as his uncle and all the other League members change the region and make a difference, now it is finally time for him to contribute as well! I introduce you all to  Arc 1: Pack of Fools !

~Topaz~

Location: Beacon Household. Year 8524, Spring.

Ring ring ring, ring ring ring!

I shot up in my bed immediately upon hearing my alarm ring. I turned to check the time, 9:00am. Perfect. I jumped out of bed, grabbed the clothes I had prepared last night and ran into the bathroom to get ready. Today was the day. I have survived 10 years on this amazing but dangerous planet and as my reward I get to meet my Pokemon partner so we can travel across the world, make new friends, battle the best of the best and hopefully even save the world!... maybe not that last bit, but I could hope!

Naturally I had everything set up last night beforehand and I knew everything that I needed to do. I'm supposed to be at Sunyshore Gym by 10:00am, but being early means I can meet my partner early so we can leave early! No other kids (Thank Arceus, I would've fought someone if they tested me AT ALL today) were going to be choosing with me today, so I was free to pick at my leisure!

Another perk is that since I'm meeting my Pokemon partner I get to miss school, which sucks for Jade since he wanted to watch, but I think it's good I do this by myself. Plus he'll get to choose his starter pretty soon as well.

I finished my shower in record time most likely and quickly put on my new clothes. It's common custom all over the world to get new, more fitting clothes when they become a trainer. It's grown out of practice since now junior trainers live at home, but this was a huge new step for me and I wanted to look the part. Volkner and I went to the market to check out for trainer clothes specifically. Due to everything trainers go through their clothes need to be able to handle it, while also showcasing the look you really want.

Trainers clothes aren't a requirement per say especially at this stage, but if you can afford them, get them. They are more durable even to Pokemon attacks, surprisingly comfortable making them easy to sleep in and just look amazing!

For my first trainer outfit I elected for a black long sleeve shirt with the luxury ball symbol, gray pants, fingerless gloves and yellow sneakers.

Lookin' good, Topaz!

To complete my ensemble I wore a simple cap and a brand new capsule tech backpack. Made with the same tech that make up Pokeballs, I can store so much more stuff in here that I wouldn't be able to. Integral for a trainer who will need to carry so much stuff for themselves and their Pokemon! After I was all dressed I went into my closet to pull out the Pokemon bed I had gotten for my future partner. I dunno who they'll be, but most likely they'll fit considering who the candidates are: Magnemite, Pichu, Mareep, Elekid and Shinx.

Magnemite is the only dual type of the 5 (Electric types unfortunately lack diversity at times). They typically aren't very emotive or cuddly due to being steel types, but they can float wherever they need be and the bounty of resistances is super useful. Magnezone is a real threat though, slower, but they can shrug off enemy attacks with ease as well as manipulate the magnetic field around them for greater defense.

Pichu takes a bit to get going, but once they start running they never stop. The weakest defensively of the 5, but that doesn't matter if you never get hit. Despite the line's small size, their tails and electric attacks can topple the largest opponents. Raichu can definitely bring the house down, but many have found Pikachu works just fine for them.

Mareep is a bit of an oddball amongst electric types as most are fast and energetic, while they tend to be tanky and mellow. In contrast to Magnemite's firm defense, they use their wool as fluffy resistance. Either way, a really stocky Pokemon that tend to make for really good friends.

Elekid on the other hand is the total opposite. Aggressive, unruly, battle hungry. They may be a baby Pokemon, but they hatch out of the egg swinging. Probably the species who would most easily slide into battle and while they don't have the best defenses, their offensive prowess is devastating. I've seen the Electivire in my life accomplish amazing things over and over, they do not play around.

Last, but not least we have Shinx. Somewhat balanced compared to everyone else. They excel in physical attacks, mainly with their claws and fangs. Luxray have the insanely useful ability to see through just about anything which is great for espionage!

They were all such valid choices, but I've made the decision to not make a decision now. While I did list off the most typical behaviors and skills of these species, there's no guarantee the 5 Pokemon I meet will fit their archetypes.

I could meet an aggressive Mareep, a timid Elekid or a clingy Magnemite. It's okay to have a Pokemon in mind, but after growing up for years around the gym Pokemon I've come to see that each individual Pokemon can be as different as us humans. So really my advice or philosophy anyway is to work with the personality, not the species when formulating a team.

A Pokemon can be as powerful as can be, but it's going to be hard to work together when the trainer and Pokemon are incompatible. Sure you can work to change and understand each other, but sometimes you have to accept it's not always the right fit.

So I am going in totally blind. In order to avoid the starter trainer sessions I've been avoiding going to the Pokemon area of the gym and mainly have been studying like mad these last few weeks on how to be the best trainer I can be.

Last year Cynthia spurred me on to do even better and now I have the highest marks in my class (not to brag… okay I will brag, I live with a gym leader and read for fun. If I didn't get top marks I'd be livid).

All I could hope was that all of that hard work, practice and studying to be a trainer would actually apply to my own Pokemon. Taking in a deep breath I turned to the top of my dresser where the topaz Cynthia gave me lay. Despite it having been almost a year since I had obtained it the interior of the stone still crackled with electricity on occasion. Per her suggestion I learned how to craft it into a form of jewelry, a necklace I've worn everyday since I made it. I placed it around my neck, stared into the mirror, inhaled and exhaled before I finally left my room. Before leaving I glanced at the clock to see it was only 9:15am.

Huh. Guess my monologue wasn't that long after all.

I made my way downstairs to see my grandmother making breakfast whilst humming a little diddy to herself. When she heard me come downstairs she turned away from her frying pan and gave me a bright, sagely smile.

"Happy 10th birthday, Topaz! I knew you'd be up early, but you're not supposed to be there for another 50 minutes or so!"

I canvassed the table and honed in on an apple to munch on on the way to the gym. It's a short walk… but I think I'll run and save some even more time.

"Thanks Grandma, but I gotta go now. I have to be early, those Pokemon won't train themselves… well they can, but I want to guide them!" I stumbled over my words biting into my apple and opening the door.

"Now wait just a second you have ample time, don't you want breakfast? What if Volkner isn't ready yet?"

I turned to her with a confused expression as though she didn't understand the gravity of this situation. "Volkner's prolly surprised I'm not there right now. I would've woken up earlier, but not even he would be ready for me at that point."

"You're right about that. Fine, you can go without breakfast, but I've got a special gift for you!" Grandma turned off the oven and ran into the living room retrieving a small brown box with a yellow bow on top. "Tada, open it!"

Grandma gladly handed over the box which I took gently. Honestly becoming a Pokemon trainer is the best birthday gift anyone could ask for, the rest was just extra flavor. Nonetheless I unlaced the ribbon and opened the box to find a yellow scarf. I took out the scarf and put the box down, noting the smooth, but reliable fabric.

I pulled my eyes away from it to see my grandmother smiling warmly at me. There was an expectant look on her face. "You look surprised. Did you forget about the Sinnoh tradition already?"

I shook my head slowly. Originating from Twinleaf Town it was common for parents to wrap their children in scarves before they go out to play as it can be a very cold region. This was especially true when the trainer age was 10 and to go out without proper weather gear was madness, so basically all new trainers in Sinnoh have at least one scarf in their wardrobe. I had completely forgotten as Sunyshore is on the warmer side and it's spring, but it's the thought that counts.

"I remembered, I just didn't expect it."

She nodded sadly. "I know I'm not your mother, but I'm still your grandmother and guardian. I worked with your father's mother, Palila, to sew this scarf. She started it and I finished it, using materials from Alola and Sinnoh alike. So both sides of your family are with you," Grandma smiled at me nervously. "Albeit I'm nowhere near as good as Palila, but I took my time. Your grandfather insisted on this color."

Ya know, sometimes I will admit I think my grandparents are too preoccupied with their own business to pay attention to me. I mean who knows where he is right now. At the same time, they do care in their own way.

That's… really nice actually. Wish my parents could see me now.

I wrapped it around my neck, making sure the legs of the scarf didn't block my necklace. It complemented my black shirt nicely and it felt perfect for the current climate.

"It's perfect. Thanks Grandma," Giving her an appreciative smile. That seemed to ease her nerves a bit. From her reactions with Volkner I've seen she's had trouble interpreting his standoffish nature and believes I've inherited it as well, so at times she can walk on eggshells in hopes of not receiving an uninterested sigh.

"Oh thank Arceus I'm glad. Can I take a picture before you head off?"

"Can't you take one after I get my Pokemon?"

"I could, but your other grandmother would love a picture of her only grandson before he gets his new Pokemon ya know."

Fine. Might as well take advantage of how flawless I look before I leave the house.

"One quick picture," I surrendered. Grandma squeaked excitedly before taking out her already prepared camera and snapping several shots. "I'll send them to you later!"

"Thanks Grandma, I'm off. See ya later!" I made my way out of the door quickly with my new bag on my back and my scar billowing in the spring winds.

The especially strong gusts brought a refreshing chill to my bones, but with it came a bounty of sakura blossom petals blowing freely through the wind. The sun shone brightly above the sky as people and Pokemon roamed the streets. Lots of wild Pokemon were roaming the streets, in the distance I noticed some wild Kricketune and Buneary playing tag with some kids. I have to wonder if my Pokemon will be so carefree.

Taking in a deep breath and closing my eyes I embraced the feeling of the sun and calmed my nerves before making my way to the Sunyshore Gym as fast as I could. My scarf trailed behind me and I skillfully maneuvered by passerby people and Pokemon as I made my way to the gym.

My head was filled with all the antics I could get into with my team. I could finally use Pokeballs of my own, fill up the Pokedex, teach them new moves, find secrets lost to mankind and so much more.

A Pachirisu walked into my path, but I swiftly jumped over them shouting my apologies as I made my way out of the suburban district all the way to the gym. By the end I was cursing myself for not asking for a bike, but I made it to the gym early regardless, a bit out of breath, but nothing I couldn't handle.

I opened the doors to be greeted by the receptionist.

"Good morning Topaz, we figured you'd be early. Volkner is out back with the Pokemon, Zachary helped him get ready early," She informed me swiftly.

I nodded my thanks and ran past the battlefield where Zachery was facing a challenger. He yelled a greeting to me which I quickly waved, but I was more focused on getting into the next room. I made my way into our lobby area where some of the gym trainers were either working with some Pokemon or typing away at their computers.

I made my way past them to the backdoor leading outside where the starter Pokemon are typically sent out. It was a bit chillier so high up the mountain, but I couldn't care less. Standing in front of me were 5 electric type starter Pokemon and a patient Volkner sitting on rock looking into the horizon with Roland meditating by his side.

Magnemite was floating around, but judging by their bzzzts they were plenty excited and a bit skittish. Elekid was whirling their arms and shadow boxing. Mareep was standing in a grassy patch eating. Shinx was grooming herself (I could tell by her smaller hair curl).

These four were quick to spot, but it took me another second to notice the Pichu away from the rest sitting by themselves in the shade. They seemed to be asleep from what I could tell which makes sense, they are still young and it's early.

When I had opened the door Volkner turned to me and gave me a slight nod of acknowledgement before whistling all the starters to attention. It quickly grabbed the attention of the first 4, but Pichu was a bit slow to react. Nonetheless they all lined up together by Volkner and Roland who had ceased his meditation.

Obviously it makes sense for Roland to be with Volkner, they are a team, but for this? Maybe he's interested in seeing which starter will be joining our inner family. Roland is obviously the head honcho of the gym Pokemon, second being Froberge, but few Pokemon here actually get to stay at home.

"It's a good thing you're early, Flint bet that you would sleep in. Now he owes me money," Volkner smirked fondly to himself at the thought of receiving compensation for having faith in me. "Anyway, happy birthday and welcome to the Sunyshore City starter ceremony."

Before I could reply he pulled out a party popper and pulled it causing confetti to fly all over us before being quickly blown by the wind. All with a deadpan expression and awkward silence. Even the Pokemon were a bit speechless.

I have no words.

"Can we just-"

"Pretend it never happened? Agreed. Thanks Volkner, I'm all ready and good to go!" Moving past the weird moment quickly because I was beyond the point of caring right now.

Volkner handed the empty popper to Roland who gave him a look of confusion that was swiftly ignored before he began to address me again. "I'm sure you know the gist already, but I have to cover all the bases, even for family. Before I begin I have to thank you for choosing Sunyshore as your starter destination."

He didn't sound thankful to the normal person, but I am expert in apathy and he's real glad I didn't choose to get a Pokemon from Crasher Wake in Pastoria or head all the way to Snowpoint for an ice type.

"Just to remind you in the Sinnoh region we may choose which starter options we would like to choose from, but unless the Pokemon consents you cannot choose them. They've been trained to smell bullshit- I mean unethical persuasion and manipulation from new trainers, so you cannot expect blind obedience from any of them, but they are all reasonable Pokemon who will serve as suitable partners."

"In other words, while most wild Pokemon don't know better about humans and how they act starter Pokemon do and can tell right from wrong and will act on it," I surmised.

We learned that little tidbit in school, it's a part of the new starter training mandate Professor Rowan wrote.

"Exactly, this is to avoid trainers abusing their future Pokemon or forcing their starter to act out their trainers' less moral commands despite their reservations. We also allow them to decline or accept any trainer they please since they'll be stuck with them. They should find them tolerable, too."

I already knew all of this, but it felt a lot heavier during the actual ceremony. "Oh wait, do the elite four and Cynthia give out starters too?"

He shook his head. "Not usually. The trainers under their command are a bit more independent and often don't have time to train Pokemon to be given out, but I know Flint has done it a few times. Not sure if Cynthia or the others ever have, but I could ask later when I have time."

While I still wanted a Pokemon from Volkner I was curious about what kind of Pokemon Cynthia would train for starter Pokemon.

Are Gible okay as starters? Well she got one and she's the strongest trainer in the region so I guess so.

"Anyway you know the options. Avoid getting them dirty. They all hate ground type attacks," Volkner continuing on. "Now is the time to prove yourself to them that you're worthy to be their trainer."

Ah this part.

I have to click with one of them and then I can become a trainer. I'll admit I'm a bit nervous about this part since in the worst case scenario all 5 could reject me and I'd have to either wait for a different batch or look somewhere else for a starter and that's… humiliating, so that ain't an option.

I had thought about this hard and honestly an Elekid might be the best fit for me. I want to explore all of Sinnoh and it can get pretty dangerous in the wilds. Their drive to get stronger and my desire to be strong would mesh well ensuring our safety.

Magnemite and Shinx were also viable options in theory with Magnezone's ability to fly being useful and Luxray's ability to see through the dark. Raichu and Ampharos I know have their perks, but on paper I wasn't totally sure.

Naturally none of this really mattered to me in the end as I had already decided on choosing whomever I resonated with the most. Volkner and Roland stood by watching and waiting, but Roland did offer me an encouraging growl.

The starters had already begun conversing amongst themselves excitedly. They all seem to be quite close… except for Pichu. The Pichu had wandered away from the others to findle with some sticks on the ground.

Confused, I turned to Volkner for answers. "What's wrong with Pichu?"

Volkner crossed in arms contemplatively. "He's a bit antisocial and standoffish. For some reason we can't get him to mingle with the other electric types so we enrolled him into starter training hoping he'd find an interest in that. Needless to say, he was able to pass and he's perfectly competent, but it still didn't make him a social butterfly. Usually, I'd be 100% understanding of not wanting to deal with people, but Pichu are a communal species and are typically very active. His temperament and mannerisms are very different from anything I've ever seen before."

"Antisocial and standoffish eh… hm," I pondered to myself. I'm no life of the party either among my peers so I understand where he's coming from. I at the least have Jade and Volkner, but even with his supposed closest friends he doesn't have anyone.

"Well? Go on, talk to him," Volkner spoke up. "It looks like he's got your attention already anyway."

That wasn't a lie. I felt a kinship to the small Pichu as he reminded me too much of myself and I remember how I used to feel- no. How I still feel at times: Lonely. Even just one person's kindness can make a huge difference, just a little patience is what he needs.

I made my over slowly before taking a knee to be closer to his level. Pichu looked up from what he was doing confused and vaguely surprised as he looked over to the other 4 starters still talking.

"Pi… chu?"

"Hi Pichu, my name is Topaz, Volkner's nephew, how are you today?" I asked simply.

It took a moment before he responded with a meer shrug of his shoulders.

Yup, that's how I feel most of the time too.

I looked over to the other four before whispering to Pichu. "They sure talk a lot don't they? Are they even paying attention?"

Pichu shook his head quickly. Obviously this was a normal occurrence.

"Yeesh, they remind me of my classmates at school. All they do is drone on about some nonsense or another. It takes me months to remember even half of their names. Do you like your… starter mates?"

Pichu looked at them once again before shrugging non committedly. His mannerisms and facial expressions could get quite mature and I didn't realize that a Pichu could look so done about everything, but here we are.

"I figured that was the case. Yeah, I've got one real good friend. His name is Jade, but he's a bit younger than me so he can't get his Pokemon yet. Jade is… he's a… how do I say this… eh, let's be blunt. Jade is a complete and utter ass, it's actually the best. He's always stirring up fights, causing drama, pulling pranks and threatening people. All with the same lackadaisical smile. Course I'm more the scowl and insult type, but he's convinced me some people just need a little bit more oomph to get the point across."

I actually managed to get the smallest of amused squeaks from Pichu so obviously whatever I am doing is working.

"My goal is to be the strongest trainer in the world or ummm strong enough to be useful, but I can't become that without winning the league. I also have to beat my uncle, but I know all his moves, so that shouldn't be too hard to work around," I mused.

I could practically hear Volkner roll his eyes, but I kept going as I now had Pichu's full attention.

"Course there's a whole lot to be a trainer and I don't plan on fighting and training all the time. I wanna see the world, participate in events, holidays, festivals. I want to create a team of good friends, no wait, a family! I may not be able to understand Pokemon, but I certainly get along way better with them. So Pichu, do you have any interest in becoming stronger?" I asked sincerely.

Pichu looked me straight in the eyes before looking back at the ground. I got a little tense as that looked like a denial, but then he began rubbing his chin as if pondering what he did want.

Judging by what Volkner said about him, he doesn't really have any ambitions, passions or friends. Nothing and no one has been able to spark this little Pichu yet. Luckily I am here to light the match.

"Pichu. I can't make you choose, but let me ask you. What do you have to gain staying here? Being trainerless?"

That seemed to catch his attention again and a bit of uneasiness. As I suspected, it doesn't sound all too desirable to him either.

"I know not every Pokemon can be compatible with every trainer, but… say you don't go with a trainer. Meaning you either stay here and continue living your life the way you do. You could choose to move into the wild, but you were born with humans and it's not always an easy adjustment to live in the wild where you have to fend for yourself. Now let's say you get a trainer. Now let's say you decide to go with a seasoned trainer looking for a Pichu. All of a sudden you're welcomed into a new group of strangers and have to get readjusted to a whole new situation, along with traveling and training with your much larger allies who may even be bullies."

I paused to let all those scenarios sink in and all had their intended effect. Pichu was smart, he couldn't have passed the starter exams without some intelligence. The grass, fire and water starters of every region have been born and bred for young trainers for centuries. They have above average intelligence for their age and high loyalty to increase their trainer's chance of survival. Few Pokemon share the same traits, one of them being Eevee and another the Pichu line.

Pichu could've declined or quit starter training at any time, yet he's here like the rest of them looking for a trainer. Except, he maintained his distance meaning he's lacking confidence in himself and wishes to escape disappointment for both parties. He needs a safe space and I can provide that for him.

"It's actually a really good idea to become a starter Pokemon. You get to meet upcoming trainers and hear their intentions and goals upfront. You're for every capture, fight, victory and loss. New teammates have to adjust to you, not the other way around and you can steer your trainer in the right direction as they'd trust you. Admirable plan," I coaxed.

Pichu looked a bit perplexed, but he seemed to get the gist of what I was saying was a compliment on his intelligence.

"For example, I'm a new trainer, but I also spend lots of time at this gym and have been working with the electric types here for years. You'd still get to see Volkner, Roland and the others in case you change your mind, which won't happen, but it's an option. As for my goals, obviously I want to battle the gyms, but I'm not opposed to trying out the Pokeathlon or just chilling. I'm also super huge into the Sinnoh Underground and researching it, but that's mainly a me thing. Also, I know how it sounds, the ground is bad, but I don't plan on going down there till we are good and ready."

Hopefully that eases his mind about that. Now for my concluding statement.

"I'm not sure I'm the type of person who can take a person out of their shell as someone who is very much anti people, but at least we can be lonely recluses together? So Pichu," I extended my index finger to him. "I choose you. Can you choose me?"

Pichu looked at me, my hand, Volkner, Roland and the Pokemon, but I think one of them noticed since I heard a gasp of horror in the background, but I was focused on Pichu. I'll admit my heart was pounding, but without faith or confidence in your Pokemon how can you call yourself a good trainer?

Pichu walked a bit closer before he grabbed my finger with his tiny paw. I felt the softest jolt of electricity travel through my entire body as soon as we made contact as though it was judging me one last time. During the shock I could see myself in his little eyes and a sort of resonance I couldn't really explain.

The feeling was fading fast, but afterwards my confidence had returned. Pichu had made his decision. I don't know how I know, but I knew it 100%.

"Glad to be working with you, Pichu," I smiled with determination which Pichu returned with a small smile of his own.

"Pichu!"

I stood up to face Volkner. "I choose Pichu and Pichu chose me. We're ready!" I turned to see several faces in complete disbelief.

"Sorry guys, but uh, maybe try paying attention next time?"

Pichu didn't seem to care at all considering he sauntered over to Volkner all casual like. He wasn't super confident or anything, but I think he was a wee bit hopeful and relishing a little in spiteful gazes.

Oh yeah, I absolutely chose the right Pokemon.

"Alright you four, new trainers will be here tomorrow. You can all have your chance then, hopefully you'll have learned your lessons by that time so another Pichu doesn't steal the show," Volkner chastised them. "Go on inside and lick your metaphorical wounds until the next ceremony."

With a few disappointed sighs the unchosen Pokemon made their way back inside the gym. In the corner of my eye I swear I saw Pichu cheekily wave at Magnemite who was about to fume until they settled down under Roland's watchful gaze.

So the Magnemite was the aggressive one of this bunch, not the Elekid. Unexpected, but kind of funny.

My attention was quickly pulled to something way more exciting as Volkner pulled out a shiny amber colored Pokedex and 6 Pokeballs. I squealed at the sight of them.

I have chosen my starter and now I'm getting a Pokedex! It's finally happening! Bout time!

"Congratulations, Topaz and Pichu on your new partnership. As commemoration I grant you this Pokedex and these Pokeballs, one of which is Pichu's. It's already set up with your Trainer Card data, but it's always important to keep the physical one with you in case you need to prove your identity or class."

I took the Pokedex carefully. It was in the exact color I had requested! Before I swooned even more I remembered something. "Oh yeah, um I got my own Pokeball for Pichu," I said, taking out a brand new Luxury ball. "I wanted my first Pokemon to be in a special pokeball. How do I transfer him to a different Pokeball?"

"Well right now it's simple since I am already transferring him from Sunyshore Gym custody into your own, so I just use my own Pokedex and…" He took out his own blue Pokedex and scanned what I assume was Pichu's pokeball. He then pointed it at my Luxury ball. After a few seconds I got a ding on my Pokedex which I opened to see it asking me if I wanted to accept Pichu into a new Pokeball. "There we go, now accept."

I clicked accept and the Luxury ball began to glow a few seconds before the Pokedex spoke.

"Transfer completed."

"That's… convenient." I was a bit amazed by how easy it was.

"Back in the day you had to go to a PC in order to do that, but nowadays since Pokedexes are everywhere and more advanced a lot of convenience has been added. You'll want to look at its settings and personalize it to yourself a bit more after this, but that's not necessary right now. Do you still want these Pokeballs by the way?" He held up the 6 unoccupied Pokeballs.

"Hm. I like Luxury balls the most because of how they look and because they are super comfy for the Pokemon, but… I guess it wouldn't hurt to have these," I said non committedly just stuffing them in my bag for emergencies while I gently placed Pichu's ball on my Pokeball belt.

"You know Luxury balls are five times more expensive than basic Pokeballs, right?"

"That's alright, I can only catch 2 more Pokemon anyway and they won't break them since they'll join on their own volition!" I retorted. Granted I had to do a lot of chores for the single Luxury ball. Even the exterior of it feels expensive. "Plus I have an aesthetic to uphold. Yellow or bust, I say."

Volkner sighed dramatically. One of the reasons Jade and I clicked is because we each had strong feelings on our favorite colors. I'm the golden boy aka I wear yellow while he's the emerald lad aka the green one.

Now we need to find all the other colors and we'll have a certified rainbow.

"Of course you do. Anyway, here just in case things get messy," Volkner searched through his back before pulling out three potions, an escape rope and 2,000 pokedollars cash. "I'm only doing this since you're a beginner, if you're low on supplies, make your own money and buy them yourself. Pokemon centers are free too so you'll be fine making do."

I accepted the items with a swift thanks as I took out item capsules to put them all in. They weren't really heavy, but I wanted to get used to using capsules. Good trainers can navigate capsules and Pokeballs easily.

"So… can we go now?" I asked curiously. I didn't see what else I had to wait for after all. Pokeballs, Pokedex, Pokemon and I already have all the rules drilled into me. I'm good to go!

"Oh one last thing, Pichu knows how to navigate your Pokedex to access the SOS feature. Just in case things go sour, trust me you'll be grateful. Roland got anything to say?" Volkner looked over to his stoic Electivire for some words of encouragement.

"Vire."

"Stellar, off you pop. I've got things to do," Volkner shooed me away as he took out his phone and began typing.

"Got it! Alright Pichu, you wanna run or go in your ball?" I asked ready to sprint out of here.

"Hmmm, Pichu," To answer my question he jumped up and smacked the ball button to go inside.

"Oh. Well I did ask. Whatever, thanks guys see ya!" And with that I ran out of the gym, through town and to the beach. It was a nice day, but not nice enough to go swimming so it was pretty empty besides trainers watching their water types relax in the water.

We weren't ready to train in the sand so I found a nice grassy area for us to work in, rather isolated too just how I like it yet we still had a view of the ocean.

I took out Pichu's Pokeball and expanded it, excited. This would be my first time doing this and I wanted to do it right. I licked my lips and nodded.

"Pichu, stand tall!" I tossed the ball into the air and Pichu emerged with a great yawn.

"First things first, do you want a name?"

Most of the trainers I know give their Pokemon names, so why shouldn't I?

"...pi," Pichu simply shook his head.

Guess that's a no… for now!

"No name huh? Maybe later? Ah well, whatever you decide. Now let's see what the Pokedex has to say about you," I took out my brand new amber colored Sinnoh Pokedex which looked vaguely like a really strange DS system. "Okay, you're probably used to this, but I'm going to scan you now, ready?"

Pichu nodded as I brought up the Pokedex to scan him.

"Pichu the Tiny Mouse Pokemon. Congratulations on registering your first Pokemon!"

'Regional Number 103 (National 172)

Typing: Electric

Gender: Male

Height: 9''/Average: 1'

Weight: 4.6 lbs/Average: 4.4 lbs

Egg Group: Cannot Breed

Ability: Static - Upon physical contact this Pokemon has a chance of inflicting paralysis on their opponent. Static Pichu's fur tends to build up electricity quickly when rubbed excessively.

Moves: Thundershock, Covet, Tickle, Thunder Wave.

Entry: They are not yet skilled at storing and controlling their electricity due their small electric sacs. Be wary of accidental shocks when they become emotional or startled as they short out quickly. At this age they tend to feed on smaller doses of electricity, but they get by just the same with fruits and vegetables.

Evolution: Pikachu (Raise Happiness)

Data Updated.'

It's been awhile since I've last seen Volkner use his Pokedex to scan something, but I don't remember it being this detailed. Also they changed the entries from referring to Pokemon as 'it' to 'they'. Progressive.

After a quick look in the settings it appears that just being near unfamiliar Pokemon will register them as seen, catching them provides the full details and thus the Pokedex will list them all. I can choose to have it vocalize the information or be mute so I can read it myself whenever I decide which is nice for covertness.

At the bottom of his regular entries were further notes that Pokedex would update with my permission as well as some other data such as his blood type and any diseases he might have (luckily he was perfectly healthy).

To my knowledge the Pokedex's digital security and physical durability is phenomenal. It's nigh impossible to hack someone's Pokedex and steal their information or their Pokemon's, with Professor Rowan and his analysts constantly making security updates. There were several features added by the Professor after Helheim such as the SOS feature.

As of right now I am the trainer class "Youngster" and my Pokemon deposit center is Sunyshore Gym, my house and Sunyshore Pokemon Center. Dependent on the situation I can send my Pokemon to any one of those locations to keep them safe.

I looked over Pichu's data again.

Pichu had some extra moves due to his preliminary training. Seems he's a bit on the shorter side, but weighs a tad more. Judging by the estimated stats he was in excellent condition, but I'll have to see for myself.

"Alright Pichu, let's see your moves. Use Thundershock on the target ahead of you," I asked.

Pichu nodded and turned to the ring target ahead of us. He jumped into the air and let loose a simple jolt of electricity quickly searing into the target from a pretty good distance.

"Nice aim," I congratulated him, making him smile a bit. "Now try Thunder Wave."

"Pichu! Piiii chu!" Pichu charged the electricity into his tail this time and threw a slim javelin of electricity at the target creating more sparks.

"Another target hit, good job. Let's see Covet next!"

"Pi chu pi." Pichu ran towards the target on all fours before his hand turned white and he punched the middle before rebounding perfectly back on his feet.

"Ya know Pichu the way you were acting before I thought you'd have some trouble, but you've got the movements down. Volkner trained you well, but I'll train you even better! Now your last move Tickle can't really work on a target so um," I looked at myself awkwardly. "Pichu, use Tickle on me!"

"Chu?" Pichu tilted his head unsure. Even though it wasn't a damaging move, using a move on your trainer goes against his training. He needs reassurance.

"No worries, it's just tickling. I can take it! It wont even hurt," I assured him. "Work your magic, Pichu!"

"Chu chu…" Pichu gave an unsure shrug as he raised his two paws and darted towards me. He was a lot faster when running to me and for a moment I could feel my instincts screaming at my body to dodge. So… I dodged. Pichu landed where I was before as I had rolled to the side to avoid his tickling.

I stared at my hands in confusion. "Well… at least I know my survival instincts still work in case we get hit by a real attack. Um, try again, I'll stay still this time."

Why am I so concerned? He's just going to tickle me, it's not even that bad. Right?... right?

Pichu gave me a suspicious look before he got on all fours and pounced once again. He landed on my chest and I could already feel it. He crawled over my chest under my armpits causing me to lose control as I swung my whole body to take him off. Before I could get anywhere he moved to my other armpit, dug into my abdomen tickling away, even got my neck too.

I began to roll around in the ground trying, begging to get him off me as tears of laughter began to flow from my eyes. I am not a touchy feely person and have rarely been tickled, but this. This is beyond tickling. It was like a little demon had found every single ticklish spot on my body and attacked them simultaneously. I was practically screaming for him to stop.

"PICHU! PFFFFFT STOP! PLEASE HAHAHA!" Somehow no matter how much I rolled he managed to find somewhere else to tickle. It was madness, until during my spasms I managed to get a hold of him.

"Ha… ha… ha… got… you… now…"

"Pi-CHU!" Out of surprise he let loose a quick jolt of electricity knocking me back and nearly making my brain explode from all the tickle spots it hit once again.

"I… figured that… would happen…" Leave it to electric types to just shock ya out of nowhere. I laid on the ground as I watched a small child and her mother passing by.

"Mommy, is that trainer okay? Should we go help him?"

"No dear, he's learning a lesson right now. We should just leave him be," She pushed her child away scurrying past us.

No no, help would be nice. I'm immobile. Is 10 years old too young for a hernia cuz I think I might have one? I didn't know I could laugh that hard. Cry that hard. I've never felt so drained in my life, what in Arceus' name is that move?

I turned my head to look at Pichu sitting curiously by my face tilting his head in wonder.

"Okay… um… good job, Pichu. You're the best tickler I've ever met."

I decided since I was lying on the ground it was time to mentally evaluate his moveset.

He needs diversity fast in order to handle other ground and ghosts, but he knows what he's doing.

Thundershock and Thunder Wave both have excellent aim… against motionless targets in a safe setting. I'll have to try moving targets and in battle, but it should be fine. The Pichu line also has a tendency to jump before nearly every attack for the extra oomph, so I'm curious as to how he aims when on the ground.

Covet is really basic. It's a normal type Thief, with the slip of his hand he's able to steal something while attacking which is useful, but I want to move on to moves with more power behind them.

Tickle is supposed to just lower the enemy's attack and defense, but I have sorely underestimated its power. So I'll have to conceive strategies relating to that. I can absolutely work with this.

I managed to lift my head up and rest on my arms to face Pichu properly.

"First of all, what are your paws made of? Second of all, whatever that was you absolutely have to do that on our opponents. It's better than paralysis! Anyway, all your moves are great, so let's try teaching you some new easy moves and work ourselves up. Alright?"

"Pichu!... pichu pichu?"

"Right. After I regain the will to stand up. Yeesh, I better get used to this, don't think my heart can take it."

After a short hiatus I was fighting fit once again so I decided to teach Pichu a new move for starters.

"Let's see what would be a good beginner move for a Pichu…" I said opening up the Pokedex checking what he could possibly learn. "Hm, your moveset is a little small, but Charge is an essential move for most electric types. It sounds simple enough, but after you master it you can store large amounts of electricity and let loose on command. It also boosts your special defense which is always valuable. What do you say?"

"Pichu!" He said in an affirmative squeak.

"Awesome! So according to the dex you should try to charge up like you're about to use Thundershock, but hold it right before release. Then you transfer that electricity from your cheeks to the rest of your body thus activating Charge! Simple!"

"Pichu?" He looked unsure of himself.

"Come on now Pichu, you've got this! It's easy anyway, just focus on my instructions."

Pichu nodded before taking a deep breath and began charging to his pink cheeks.

"Okay now slowly transfer the electricity to through the rest of your body."

Pichu closed his eyes to focus better as he attempted to follow my instructions. His body crackled, but it looked like he was barely holding on.

"Relax Pichu, you're stressing out. Calm down and let the electricity course through you," I advised gently. I didn't want to upset him for having trouble.

Pichu didn't seem able to relax as he kept crackling. It didn't look like he was stable or even capable of moving so that wasn't promising.

"Pi… pi…"

"What's wrong?"

"C-Chu…"

His distressed calls have me concerned, but why does it sound like he's trying to warn me-? Oh.

"Pichu, please don't shock us all! Can you release it into the sky?" His electric sacs seem to have taken more than he can handle at once and Pichu has trouble controlling their electricity. He's going to shock himself.

"Pi! Pichooooo!" I dunno what caused him to sneeze, but it sent a Thundershock barreling for me. I jumped to the ground before it made contact, but it zapped the tree behind me. "You okay?"

Pichu's eyes were all swirly now and he did a little spin before falling and… pulling out a white flag?

Where did he even keep that?

Ignoring… however he did that, I ran over to pick up the tiny Pichu and hold him in my arms to check if he's okay.

He doesn't look hurt, just a bit dizzy, I breathed a sigh of relief. He should be back to normal in 3… 2…

Pichu's eyes returned to normal and he stared directly at me. I quickly put up a smile and pushed down my concerns. "Good first try, sorry for pushing you so hard like that. We can try later if you want?"

Pichu looked a bit downtrodden as he hopped out of my arms which did sadden me a bit more than I expected. I hope we are still clicking. Let's try something easier… and safer.

"How about we try learning Headbutt first! It's really simple, you just focus normal energy to your head and tackle. Easy! Once you learn it, physical strikes moves will become a bit easier to learn. Try it on the target," I pointed at the ring target once again.

Pichu seemed surprised by my sudden surge of enthusiasm, but obeyed nonetheless. He charged at the target building up some normal type energy, but not enough to call it a true Headbutt.

"Again. You'll get it!" I cheered on.

It was a phenomenally easy move to learn as it only took him a few tries to master it, being able to perform it at a moment's notice. It's stronger and immediately more useful than Covet, but I know he's still got stronger normal type moves to learn so we'll use this as a building block.

To teach Pokemon new moves it's important to learn the basics and work your way up. For example a Pokemon who knows Tackle will find Take Down easy to master. Then once they've got that Double Edge is a cinch. Finally Giga Impact.

Many of the moves Pichu uses may barely be used in actual battle ever, but they'll be the stepping stones to real power. For example, Wild Charge and eventually Volt Tackle will be way easier for him if we keep going, but we aren't there yet.

Some goals are best saved till he's a Pikachu since as a baby Pokemon his growth potential isn't exactly extraordinary. At least he can learn some odd moves and bond with me faster.

"Yo, Pichu trainer!" A voice yelled from behind me causing Pichu and I to turn around simultaneously. He was a guy around my age in a red shirt and blue shorts along with a relatively small Buizel. "You a newbie? Let's have a battle!"

"Bui bui!" His Buizel followed up with his own fervor.

Finally a challenger! Our battle will be legendary!

"We accept! Right Pichu?... Pichu?" I turned around to find Pichu napping on the ground covered by a large leaf from one of the trees as a blanket. "Pichu? Pichu! Wake up! How are you already tired?"

"Wow, your Pichu is still a baby. Fighting him would be a waste of time for my Buizel," The little turd boasted.

Whatever interest I had in learning his name has evaporated. He's now the uppity jerk.

"And talking to you is a waste of air. Pichu is just tired from a hard day of training and doesn't wanna bother with every little nuisance that comes our way. So could you kindly get the hell out of my face?"

Before I get discourteous.

"Whatever. Find me before you have to tuck in for bedtime next time we meet," He scoffed as he and his Buizel left. The Buizel did stick his tongue at me as he left.

"How about you stop harassing complete strangers and giving them an attitude!" I shouted back, fixing my scarf in annoyance. "Jackass."

I looked down at Pichu whose ear began to twitch as he opened an eye to look at me before getting up, yawning.

"You were awake!? Then you could've battled!"

"Pichu chu," He shook his head. "Pichu pi pi chu pichu."

As he spoke he sorta mimed what he wanted to tell me so I took a wild guess.

"Were you scared of… losing?"

Pichu shook his head in a so-so way.

"Pichu pi…"

"Uh… did you lose to your starter pals back in training a lot?"

He shook his head in denial. "Pichu pi."

So I'm vaguely right, but it's not because of their bullying as far as I can tell. Let's try this then.

"Are you still unsure of yourself?" I knelt down to be closer to him. He simply looked down and that was enough of an answer.

"Listen, Pichu. We're both starting out, it's okay to be unsure. I've been unsure like 20 times since we met, but never about choosing you as my partner. I believe we can work well together, but we also have to take chances sometimes… but I think you're right here. That Buizel looked semi trained and even with the advantage, I think we need more practice. As a team anyway."

"Pichu!" He looked somewhat pleased that I got it. I've noticed he's not really a smiler or even all that expressive. He's got sleepy eyes too, so it's tad hard to tell if he's perpetually tired or happy. But right now, I can feel he's at ease with my response.

"We don't need to battle today, but we will need to keep training in order to raise your confidence. Until then we won't battle until you feel you are ready, ya got that?"

"Chu!"

"Good. Anyway, let's stop for the day, you've experienced a lot today and I don't want to overwork you on the first day. I've got a few days off school to get to know you so that isn't a problem and we can meet my pal Jade later. As for right now, let's go to my house, your new home."

He nodded before walking over and looking expectantly at his luxury ball.

Still won't ride on my shoulders huh. Literal baby steps I guess with this one, can't say I'm any different though.

I enlarged the ball and recalled him. Some pokemon didn't mind pokeballs, but they were usually bigger and older, but Pichu is just so small. I want him outside all the time! Maybe he'll change his mind, but until then I guess it's good to get used to Pokeballs.

After I picked up my bag, I opened the Pokedex and made my way home reviewing the data it had recorded from Pichu's training today, looking for anything of note.

~Pichu~

The inside of my pokeball was much nicer than my old one I have got to say. I sensed my trainer was a bit disappointed I had elected to go inside it, but isn't that normal for most Pokemon? It's fine anyway, I don't mind Pokeballs.

From the inside of my ball I could still hear and see the outside world, so in the event my trainer was disabled I could save him. At his belt buckle I could see a decent amount as well.

The interior was way larger than before and there was a lot more stuff too. My old Pokeball was a simple room looking similar to the rooms at the gym. It had a tiny generator for me to sap energy off, a bed and water bowl. It did the job.

In this new luxury ball I've got a much larger space. Now I've got my own mini beach with sand and water, the sky has changed from the gym room to a nice blue sky. A mini fridge, a comfy bean bag bed and a water fountain. A huge and luscious improvement over what I had before!

I got comfortable in my bed and thought about everything that happened today, letting it all sink in.

I have a trainer… I'm someone's partner…

The notion was foreign to me. I'm lazy, antisocial and not all that great at fighting anyway. Everyone else in my starting class wanted to get trainers so bad and worked so hard for it, doing well in all their lessons. Meanwhile, I just sort of scraped by in the hopes of improving my situation.

Really in the slim chance that I imagined getting a trainer I figured they'd have a shorter fuse, but Topaz is surprisingly patient and complimentary. Everything I did seemed to genuinely please him which I didn't expect. I'm really nothing special, it was just the basics of what Leader Volkner taught us.

I couldn't even perform a simple Charge, I basically attacked my own trainer and I refused to battle. Better we didn't battle and disappoint him even further though…

Honestly I thought all these things would make him a little mad at me, but the meanest thing he's done is call out that other trainer. I trusted my instincts before when I chose him and it looks like I was right about them.

I… hope he feels the same way about me.

It didn't take too long before I felt the ball expand and I was summoned back into the real world.

"Welcome to your new home, Pichu," Trainer Topaz gestured forwards, showcasing a living room to the right with Leader Roland meditating alone. "Hm, if Roland's here then Volkner must be in his room. You go make yourself comfortable, I'm gonna wash up and make us some food!"

With that statement my trainer made his way to the kitchen and a kick in his step. I took the chance to take in my surroundings.

So this is my new home?

I sniffed around me and while I could detect other scents it was all very familiar to Topaz's which comforted me a bit. I've never really left the gym area or been in any normal human houses. I've seen the rec area that the humans use when they are on breaks and the various other rooms at the gym, but none of the humans live there.

One thing I did appreciate was the quiet. It's really hard to get that sometimes with all the bzzzts and zaps going on at the gym. Usually it's just white noise and doesn't bother me, but sometimes I would like to know what silence feels like outside of a pokeball.

I still felt a bit awkward in the place, so I took a few hesitant steps looking above me as everything was much higher. I hopped onto a cabinet to see some pictures of Topaz, Volkner, Roland and some other older humans I believe are Volkner's parents. They come to the gym very rarely for one reason or another.

I wasn't really sure what to make of all this, which made me wonder how wild Pokemon feel once they become trainer Pokemon.

How long does it take them to adjust if I'm having trouble?

"Pichu," Said the gruff voice to the right of me. "Come."

I quickly turned over to see Roland still meditating both eyes closed, his twin tails swinging slowly in tandem to whatever beat he's got within his head. The authority in his voice and my instincts pushed me towards him.

I stood in front of the giant seasoned electric type anxiously. He's huge, gruff, stoic and powerful, but he was never mean to us. Strong, silent type albeit still very intimidating and strict.

To exemplify that fact we began to speak via electricity. To other types it's just random crackling, but to electric types it's easy and convenient.

"How is Zio?" He asked with his eyes still closed. "Sufficient?"

"Zio? I thought his name was Topaz."

"It is merely a little nickname I have for the human. The one he calls Jade refers to him as such often, though he tends to shorten even further to Z," He explained.

So even my trainer has a nickname? Hm.

"He's really nice and it sounds like he knows what he's doing. I haven't had to do anything I didn't want to do and he's not been mean at all. To me anyway."
Roland seemed to smile at that before continuing.

"As you know, he is Volkner's nephew, he's been living here for years and has been studying Pokemon for as long. He's been training for this day a long time and it's finally come. He wants to make you as comfortable and happy as possible as his new partner. Yet it seems you still have your doubts?" Roland opened his eyes and looked down at me. "Sit and tell me, tiny mouse."

I obeyed sitting down on a small pillow on the ground as I took a moment to figure out what I wanted to say to him.

"I… I feel like I don't deserve this. To have been chosen, to have agreed, to be his partner or anyone's partner… I thought with all this training I could be of use to someone, but I didn't expect to be anyone's first pick. Especially our gym leader's kin… I'm afraid I'll let him down, Roland…"

"Explain."

I sighed deeply and recounted everything we did today. How going into my pokeball seems to upset him, how I refused a nickname, how I tickled him too hard, failed to learn Charge and rejected his first battle. And he just… accepted it.

"He's nice to me, but so flippant to that other trainer. Why is that? Will he be like that way with me if I keep going on like this?" I asked with slight desperation.

"No, he won't," Roland answered without hesitation. "As Zio said when you two first met, he knows your isolation and understands your need to adjust. You just met this young human and are now bound for life with him. It'll take a moment to adjust to this information and figure out how you truly feel and what you want. It's okay to be unsure and distant. Just trust your instincts, heart and soul and it shall guide you. Also, he's just abrasive towards kids his own age, but has always worked well with Pokemon."

Roland paused a moment before continuing.

"Volkner is not an expressive or particularly happy human. He has his moods, high and low which may either be beneficial or detrimental, but that's just a part of who he is and we all have flaws. My communication skills aren't the most adept, yet he can still tell what I desire or need without words to be exchanged. It was not always like this, but during our travels it seems we observed each other more closely than we realized."

He looked at me once again.

"Today is only the first day, tiny mouse. Allow yourself time to adjust and he will do the same. Feel each other out as partners and break out of your comfort zone. Soon you will be in real battles, so you two must have faith in each other so you can carry on as a unit. I am positive Topaz can bring out the best in you, just remember to bring out the best in him as well."

I watched the sagely older electric type. I've seen him in fights and he's a complete battle hungry savage similar to Volkner, but outside of battle he was really… mellow. And nice.

"Now that you are the Pokemon of my trainer's kin, that means we are kin as well. I welcome you, tiny mouse. Make yourself comfortable."

Roland is super nice and chill. He's also right. Topaz and I are partners and he's taken all the steps, I should be able to meet him halfway.

"I will! Can you teach me some tricks on how to learn Charge?"

"Mm. Gladly," And for a moment I thought I saw the smallest smile, but it went as quick as it came. Roland gave me some helpful tips on how to channel electricity while Topaz came to provide us some snacks. The rest of the day went by smoothly as we elected to stay home and watch TV. Well, I did. Topaz was on his Pokedex most of the time scrolling through one thing or another, but I didn't mind. Research is important after all and sometimes he'd ask me some questions.

That same day I met his grandparents who seemed like nice people. I know the grandfather's Electivire is mostly retired from battling, but he helps us out at the gym often. Something about keeping his old bones spry or something.

Eventually, the sun set and night came. Topaz got into his pajamas and showed me into his room. There were lots of posters of famous Pokemon, league stuff and Sunyshore merchandise decorating it. At his desk there was a computer and some complex machinery that reminded me of Volkner's work station in the gym. Nearby on the shelf were older looking toys of a Blitzle and Munchlax that looked well taken care of. His bookshelf was much larger than I expected which made me realize that reading was of great interest for him.

"Hey um, Pichu," Topaz called me. "I know you like sleeping in your Pokeball, but… do you wanna try sleeping in this bed tonight?"

Topaz took out a smaller end Pokemon bed, large enough for most 1st stage Pokemon to sleep in comfortably. I gave it a tentative sniff, pondering.

It's obviously new, but it doesn't smell bad. Hmmm, he's giving me an expectant look. This time I won't disappoint, time to take a step.

I got into the Pokemon bed and stepped in it to make sure it was comfy enough. My exhaustion coming up and the comfort of the bed me quickly curl up and relax. I could sense his pleasure as he excitedly got into bed.

"Good night, Pichu," He said turning off the lamp.

"Good night, Topaz," I replied.

~Topaz~

It's been a week since Pichu and I became a team. There hasn't been all that much progress as we didn't spend every day training, but I feel like it was good bonding time. I've been showing him more and more of the city on our daily walks so he can get a better idea of where we live. I also spent a lot of time on my Pokedex taking it out on occasion to scan a Pokemon to record their data.

We went to the Munchlax rock where he got to play with some very friendly Munchlax. Then we went to the top of the local lighthouse to observe the sea from up high. I've taken him on walks on the beach and after he got used to walking through the sand he took an interest in the water which I noted for later.

Taking the opportunity at the time I asked him if he wished to learn how to swim and after he splashed his hand in the water a few times and a larger wave nearly slapped him in the face (I picked him up before it could), he seemed less keen on learning at the moment. It was fair though as he was very tiny and the last thing I wanted was to lose him in the ocean.

At the same time though he seemed vaguely interested in the water and all the other Pokemon swimming. In the distance we could see Mantyke playing in the water, Finneon couples talking to each other at the surface and in the distance a very aggressive Remoraid fighting a Mantine. And winning.

To appease my little mouse buddy, I told him once he was a bit stronger I could teach him how to swim in a kiddy pool which got his attention. I would be elated to teach him right now, but I also want him to get a better hang of his electric powers so he doesn't electrocute everything while in the water.

During this week I introduced him to Jade as well, who swore I was going to choose a Shinx or Elekid. I told him Pichu is like us in the fact he doesn't vibe with losers and his respect for the tiny mouse grew. Other than that we've been practicing some moves on our own. Pichu was getting a much better handle on Charge actually being able to maintain it more, but not too many charges. A vast improvement from before.

Today we were once again trying to learn some new moves. Still no battles yet which has made me a wee bit antsy, but I suppose it's better to go in prepared. Also Pichu doesn't strike me as the type who enjoys taking unnecessary damage in battle. For now we were trying to work on his agility at the same training spot.

"Good jump, Pichu! Remember to roll if you're unsure about landing on your feet. You can learn to cover more ground this way!" I shouted as Pichu was working through a small obstacle course I made testing his jumps through hoops and hurdles. How a Pichu moves is everything in battle as they are incredibly speedy, so I wanted this skill to be honed quickly.

"You got Defense Curl down pretty quickly, but with enough practice we can turn it into Rollout! Just keep working on your flips!" It's not a commonly known move in the species, but it is possible. It's useful for now as he can't learn Quick Attack or Agility yet, so having more movement options will be good when he has to dash out of the way.

"Pichu!" He shouted as he jumped over the hurdles before flipping through one of the hoops. When he landed he began to roll, but it seems he lost his energy and sprawled out. Immediately I ran over to tend to him, but he seemed fine, just a bit tired.

"Good run, let's take a break."
"Pi… chu," He said gratefully. I carried him over to the sidelines where I handed him his own water bottle to take ample drinks from as he took a moment to catch his breath. He's been getting more motivated each day making progress smooth, he just lacks stamina, but that can be trained.

"You're moving well today, Pichu. Glad to see you're taking to training well."

He smiled eagerly at my compliment, truly encouraged by my words. That is until his ears perked and he looked past me. I turned around to see the kid from the other day and his Buizel.

"Oh wow, the mouse is awake! Guess we caught them at a pretty good time, huh Buizel?"

"Buihee."

I groaned loudly. "Looks like the jackass is back, Pichu. Maybe if we sit very quietly he'll find someone else to annoy." My little comment brought a chuckle from Pichu and an angry squeal from Buizel.

"Don't think I'm letting you get away with that! We are battling today! We finally get to put you in your place."

"How can you put me in my place when obviously you don't know your own?" I asked genuinely. "Do you even bother to train or do you just roam the streets looking for fights like a baby gangsta?"

"Shut up! How about this, we'll bet money! 500 pokedollars! I could go for some extra cash and you've got the type advantage! Easy right? Unless… you're a coward?"

Before I answered I turned to Pichu. It was ultimately his decision, although I was fairly ready to just punch this guy in the face and be done with it. Pichu gave me a surprisingly determined look before he nodded with an adamant 'Pichu pichu'.

"And the tiny mouse has spoken, you two are getting your crap kicked in," I stood up and dusted off my pants. "There's a battlefield right over there, come on."

I led us all to a simple dirt field that was currently unoccupied. I stood at the opposite end of the battlefield taking in a deep breath.

My first battle… but I know what I'm doing. I can- no. We can win this, just need to stay calm, keep cool and provide backup.

"Alright, Buizel, I choose you!" The youngster pointed forward and Buizel made his way to the battlefield. While I was already quite familiar with what Buizel did I took out my Pokedex and scanned him anyway.

'Buizel the Sea Weasel Pokemon.

Regional Number 056 (National 418)

Typing: Water

Gender: Male

Average Height: 2'0"

Average Weight: 65 lbs

Entry: Buizel use their flotation sacs to float above the water and their twin tails to swim quickly. On land they are still quite adept due to their deceptively strong limbs. Be wary of underwater combat and agility.

Data Updated.'

So since I am battling a trainer's Pokemon the Pokedex just gave me data on how to combat them in the moment. It didn't give me their exact height and weight, but it gave me enough to work with. He can't make use of any water as we aren't close to any and despite Buizel's higher speed, Pichu is small enough where he can supplement that with skillful dodging.

"Are you done yet? Don't you know what a Buizel is, come on," The youngster groaned.

I actually was done, but now I'm going to take even longer.

I took a few extra seconds to look at some irrelevant information.

Let's see what's down here. Yup, that flotation sac is indeed yellow. Like Pichu. Prolly very bouncy too. I wonder if it feels like rubber. Doot de doo, wasting his time.

Once he had a sufficiently annoyed facial expression I painstakingly put my Pokedex away out of spite.

"Alright Pichu this is our first battle, let's make it a win! Stand tall!" I shouted pointing at the field where Pichu nervously bounded over.

He's shaking, hmmm. No need to worry, just needs some encouragement.

"Pichu, your opponent is a fast water type!" Pichu turned to me at the warning. "You have the type advantage, but stay on your toes, he can keep up with you! ...you already know how to deal with this."

Pichu stared at me a moment before realization dawned on his face and he nodded.

Good, message received.

"We're ready! We'll give you and Buizel the first move!"

"Finally, Buizel use Water Gun!"

Buizel took in a deep gulp and shot an intense Water Gun at Pichu who dodged to the side, but not completely. He dipped an electrically charged hand within it and shot the Thundershock down the Buizel spooking him a bit.

"Nice one! Thundershock again!" I shouted. Pichu jumped into the air and launched yet another Thundershock at the dazed Buizel. He managed to roll out of the way, but that wouldn't save him. "Target the water!"

Pichu kept up the continuous stream of electricity leading into the water and shocking the Buizel nonetheless.

"Cheap shot, use Quick Attack!" Buizel shook off the damage and made his way over to Pichu who was still slowly landing in midair. Before I could shout for him to dodge Pichu was knocked out of the air, but rather than slam onto the ground painfully I noticed him correct his landing and roll out properly minimizing the damage.

"Pursuit!"

"Defend with Headbutt!"

Buizel turned towards the tiny Pichu charging up dark energy in his hand before he made his way to Pichu rearing up a black fist. Pichu didn't hesitate to jump head first colliding with his hand causing both to recoil and land back on the ground painfully. Unfortunately it looked like Pichu took a bit more damage, but he got up just the same.

"Quick Attack again!"

"Be wary and dodge him, then Maneuver!"

Buizel's body pulsed as white energy surrounded him before he made a beeline towards Pichu, his tails propelling him forward. We both knew Pichu couldn't outrun him, but he could avoid him. Pichu got on all fours in preparation to dodge the first strike by barrel rolling to the side.

Buizel managed to maneuver through the air using his tail as a propeller turning around for part two. Luckily, Pichu dodged once again with a swift jump.

"Come on Buizel, hit him! Use Water Gun with Quick Attack!"

Buizel obeyed his command as he turned once again, this time spouting powerful jets of water as he made his way over, as a pseudo Aqua Jet.

Pichu looks uneasy, but we don't have time for second guesses!

"This changes nothing! Stick to the plan!" I shouted to get Pichu's head back into the game causing him to refocus. My eyes widened as I studied Buziel's movements causing me to look over at Pichu.

Pichu take advantage of their mistake, please.

Pichu tensed his whole body watching the Buizel launch towards him, but I could see in his eyes how hard he was thinking about getting the timing right. Right when Buizel was about to strike, he crouched, slipped through the water jets and latched onto Buizel's belly before he began to relentlessly Tickle him. The sudden assault caused Buizel to lose any semblance of control as he half laughed and half screamed as he crashed into the muddy dirt while Pichu jumped out before he joined him.

Perfect! Yes! YES!

"How the hell did you do that!?" The youngster gripped his hair in disbelief.

I merely fixed my scarf and smirked. "How could you not see your openings? Pichu, Thunder Wave now!"

Pichu spun in midair throwing a lance of electricity at the groggy Buizel causing immediate paralysis.

"It was a cute strategy, but it's plain to see you haven't mastered it considering how much Buizel slowed down while using it! You gave Pichu more than enough time to strike, so lament in your ineptitude as a trainer. Pichu, his defense and attack are lowered, use Covet!"

"Don't give up, Buizel, Fury Cutter!" It was plain to see Buizel was not enjoying his thrashing, I could only suspect he figured he could win with paltry strategies, but not with us. His hands began to glow with bug type energy turning them into small blades. Meanwhile Pichu made his way over with his paws covered in normal type energy.

The clash was electric. Buizel was able to defend himself through a few strikes and I admit I could see Fury Cutter's second effect making it difficult for Pichu to keep up. At the same time when he lost momentum due to paralysis, Pichu did not let up.

"Pichu pichu pichu pichu pichu pichu pichu pichu!" What once had been a pretty even fight had turned into Pichu basically slapping and punching the crap out of Buizel mercilessly. All Buizel could do was block when his body allowed, but even when he did Pichu would simply move to a vulnerable spot.

"No more games, full power Thundershock!"

Pichu gave him one last smack in the snout before he bounced on his head, flipped into the air and skydived with a painful Headbutt right on top of Buizel's noggin' before he let loose an intense Thundershock. I covered my eyes, but when the attack ended Pichu jumped off looking tired, but mostly unharmed. Buizel on the other hand looked… fried, collapsing onto the ground unconscious.

"B-Buizel!?" The youngster ran over to his Pokemon panicking. Pichu sat down seemingly exhausted and I can't blame him considering the pummeling he dished out. Nonetheless I quickly ran over and picked him up.

"We did it Pichu! We won our first battle, you used everything we learned, good on ya!" I snuggled up against him and he actually snuggled back letting out some cheerful squeaks. "You exceeded every expectation and pulled out the win!"

"T-that was dirty! Tickling isn't fair!" The kid recalled his Buizel only to get up and yell at me more.

"Look in the Pokedex, it's a valid move. Plus, we didn't fight dirtily or cheap. Just better, ain't that right Pichu?"

"Pichu!" He squeaked happily.

"Nope! I don't believe it, so I'm not paying you. Plus you're an ass," He stuck his tongue out at me.

Now this isn't right.

I frowned. "Uh no, we had a deal. We bet 500, so I am gonna get 500."

"Hell no, asshat! Oh wait, I know you! You're Volkner's nephew right? I heard you got no friends because you think you're better than everyone else! Do you think you're better than me?"

I mean I know I am, but that's not the point here.

"That doesn't matter, you just need to uphold your end of the deal or no one will want to bet with you," I attempted to reason with him.

"Screw you and your cheating rat! I'm not giving you anything!" The fool turned around while all I could do was scoff at his foolish mistake.

"You're right, you're right. You won't give me anything," I raised my hands in defeat as Pichu sat on my head. "Oh wait, you forgot something."

The poor sap turned around giving me the perfect opportunity to sock him in the face. I stretched out my hand and watched as he collapsed onto the ground in pain. I leaned down to search his pants and found his wallet taking out the 500 he owed me until I found…

I'll just take what is owed.

"Hm, you've got enough. I'll take an extra 250 for trying to jip me," I said, taking out the cash as he groaned. "Thanks for the battle, might wanna get your Buizel to a center… and you got a little blood by your nose there. You should get that checked out. Come along, Pichu, it's snack time!"

"Pichu? Pichu!" He seemed surprised at my violence, but the promise of eating erased any concern he once had.

"No one gets to insult my partner and not pay for it. Literally in this case."

On the way back home I was still riding the high from winning two battles. Pichu vs Buizel and me vs the youngster. Two wins in a row! Pichu and I had proven ourselves capable in a fight and judging by Pichu satisfyingly sitting on my shoulder for once, that battle had done wonders for his mood.

Luckily he didn't need any healing. At most he needed a snack and some rest would be good. He looked pretty exhausted after the battle despite his excellent performance and it took a lot of attacks to take down Buizel.

Pichu has got the skill so far, but he needs to gain more power so he expends less stamina. The Buizel was a bit higher level than I expected, but we can work on that. I can check tomorrow to see how much extra experience Pichu got from that fight, but we really need to work on his oomph. Mega Punch would be a viable option even for his size, better than Covet and more diverse than Headbutt. Choices, choices.

"Pichu, pichu!" I was stirred from my thoughts by Pichu's call. When I turned my head he pointed to a donut stand displaying a fresh batch of new donuts.

"Hm, well we do have the extra cash," I hummed. I made my way over and paid for half a dozen donuts to share between Pichu and I. Well, he's got a pretty small stomach so who knows how many he can actually eat.

We found a bench on a bridge overlooking the city, with a beautiful view of the beach. Wingull soared through the sky I assume getting ready to nest for the day and the city itself was quite calm as the sun began its descension.

I opened up the box and pulled out a glazed donut for Pichu. "This is a glazed donut. They are a classic and by far the best. Give it a whirl."

It's just one donut for a job well done. It won't hurt to give him one.

Pichu's eyes were locked onto the donut. I gave him a napkin so the sugar wouldn't get all over his fur before handing him the large donut. He took one big whiff before he put the whole thing in his mouth.

Wait, no! Bad!

"Pichu, baby bites!" But it was too late.

~Pichu (3rd Person)~

The effects were instantaneous. Pichu's entire body crackled with electricity as the sugar passed through his system. His body accepted the donut and its entire essence. In that moment his mind was enlightened in a way he didn't believe possible. The saccharine, glazy texture of the donut. Its delicious, salacious scent was intoxicating. Topaz's attempts to stop him from consuming the donuts were lost, he had become one with the donut and desired further consumption.

His body moved on its own. There was nothing and no one else in the world besides him and the donuts. Pichu had always had a good relationship with food, with a fondness for sweets, but this was a new level of heaven. No, this was his Nirvana. Arceus' ambrosia was on this planet and it was circular pastry.

What felt like eternity only truly lasted a few seconds as Pichu awoke from his daze to see that the donut box was empty and he was quite full. His body was charged with electricity and extra energy, but all he wanted to do was discharge it and then take a long nap. He turned to Topaz who appeared speechless and tilted his head in confusion.

~Topaz~

I'm not really sure if I am capable of describing what just happened, so I honestly won't even bother. I'll leave what happened to you, your imagination and whatever god you believe in. Let's just say Pichu has a passion for sweets and donuts (the Pokedex so kindly decided to record that data) and ate them all in what I think were seconds. Time may have been skipped.

All I can say is that # $^*!# and that's why Arceus looks like a deer.

He looked at me all innocent like as if I didn't just consume every single donut in mere seconds, somehow.

To regain my senses I slapped my face twice to comprehend the reality I was in once again. Pichu looked so pleased and innocent now, he was just too adorable.

"So… I can't feed you donuts all the time, but they'll be a good treat every now and again. What do you say?" I asked the little fluffer.

"Pichu pi chu chu!" He excitedly got up at the prospect. It warmed my heart to see him so ecstatic about anything really. He was so closed off up until we had that first battle and now I feel like we've got a good rhythm going on.

This is a good opportunity actually.

"Hey Pichu, what if your name was Donut?" I offered.

Pichu gave me a look before he began sounding out the name to himself. It didn't sound all that different to me, but it's important for him to actually like the name. He nodded enthusiastically when he was finished.

Not the sort of nickname I ever expected to choose for a Pokemon, but if he likes it.

I took out the Pokedex and officially changed his name.

"There we go. Nice to meet you, Donut the Pichu!" I extended my finger once again for a handshake, but Donut actually hug tackled me.

Don't you dare cry, eyes.

They didn't listen.

I hugged him back softly. He was a tiny bundle of fur, but he was warm and full of life. My happiness was immeasurable.

Later that night I was getting ready for bed with a huge smile on my face when I heard a curious squeak from Donut. I looked over my bed to see a card on his bed.

"Did you pick that up?"

He shook his head in denial and turned it over curiously.

On it there was a vague depiction of a lackadaisical boy with a bag and his Pichu following behind him, both heading over a cliff. Upon closer inspection the boy looked vaguely similar to me complete with the color scheme and eyes, while the Pichu had the same shade of yellow fur as Donut. At the bottom it read 'The Fool 0'.

"Pichu?" He asked curiously.

"Ah I know what this is all about, I read about it once. This is a Tarot card, they are used to read fortunes. I don't remember all the details, but this card is the first in the deck, The Fool."

Donut seemed to frown at the implication.

"Oh it's not as bad as you think, The Fool represents new beginnings, openness to learn, originality, spontaneity, innocence. Basically it means we are at the start of a journey and are ready and willing to learn with a carefree heart," I explained.

Donut seemed to like the explanation more.

"I wonder who and why put this card here?" I pondered a second before yawning. "Ah, too tired to really care. I'm sure it was grandma or something, a little gift she got commissioned. Let's just go to sleep, alright?"

"Pichu pichu!"

I looked at the card closely. It felt… different than a normal card. Alive almost. I couldn't put my finger on it. I found a deck case I used for trading cards I used to own and placed it inside for safe keeping. It just felt right.

"Sweet dreams, Donut."

"Pichu pi."

~Chapter 6 Fin~

Chapter Text

Topaz has turned 10 years old, meaning he has finally come of age to receive his very own starter. Adorned in his new trainer gear and scarf, the time has finally come for our young lad to meet the pokemon partner that'll be by his side every step of the journey. Arriving early our young lad encountered his uncle, Volkner as well as Roland the Electivire and the 5 electric starters. While all had their merits, it was Pichu who was ultimately chosen, the two forming a fast kinship.

Albeit, the anxious Pichu had his own bevy of concerns about his own worth on the battle and as a pokemon partner, but both were dissuaded after his first victory! Afterwards he donned the name Donut and discovered a mysterious card marking the true beginning of their partnership.

It has been one month since then and the two are still going strong. While Topaz still must attend his normal classes at school, afterwards he spends his time with Donut and Jade, realizing while he had a new friend, his routine was mostly the same. They separated their time into training, leisurely and battle days to keep themselves on their toes.

Topaz approaches Volkner for more optimal advice if he's willing, but otherwise he manages raising Donut on his own. It's a simple, but comfortable routine. Alas in this world, there's always a new conflict right around the corner.

~Topaz~

"Donut, dodge and use Thundershock!"

Donut tripped up Tyrogue's Tackle and used his imbalance to let loose a swift Thundershock directly into his back. The Tyrogue recovered faster than expected and retaliated with a swift Brick Break to the face. Donut flew a bit, but managed to recover in midair landing on all fours.

"Tyrogue, be careful Pichu has Static as his ability. Use Swift!" The enemy trainer advised. Tyrogue nodded and began throwing a bevy of ninja stars at Donut.

This guy knows his stuff, but…

"Charge up a Thunder Wave and drill right past them!"

Donut charged up electricity in his tail and with perfect timing lobbed an extra large Thunder Wave lance straight through most of the stars, hitting a vulnerable Tyrogue. Unfortunately a few still hit Donut, but he shook off the damage.

"Dangit, you got paralyzed anyway… but that means Guts is activated! Use Mach Punch!"

Tyrogue shook his legs, drew in orange energy to his hand and dashed over to Donut.

"Maneuver!"

Right as his fist was about to strike, Donut jumped onto Tyrogue's arm before skittering to his stomach and began tickling. Before he could retaliate he fell over laughing as I his attack and defense fell.

"Donut, Thundershock and Mega Punch!"

Donut obeyed my commands immediately, ceasing tickling and zapping the poor Tyrogue, but not without giving him a painful punch to the face when he tried to grab him.

Tyrogue got up slowly, but he wasn't done yet.

"You're pretty good, Topaz. You're more than just talk," Our opponent, one of my classmates scoffed.

I can't say the same for you.

"I'm enjoying myself more than I expected, but we've got places to be. Donut, head first!"

Donut began to make a mad dash for Tyrogue who held up his hands to catch him.

"Are you crazy? You think we can't catch you?"

"No, I know you can't catch him!"

Right as when Tyrogue was about to grab Donut, Donut stopped on a dime and flipped perfectly above Tyrogue. Before he could even register what was happening Donut smashed into his back with a Headbutt.

"Tyrogue, get up he's not done!"

"Finish it with Thundershock!" I shouted as Donut jumped into the air and let loose a scorching Thundershock.

"PI-CHU!" And that was that. Tyrogue fell to the ground, toasted. Donut landed looking pleased and leaving myself proud.

"Awesome job, Donut," I knelt down to scratch his ears causing him to hum in delight. My classmate returned his Tyrogue, thanked them for his hardwork and walked over to us. I couldn't remember his name at the moment, but I have an iota of respect for him so I don't have a demeaning nickname for him.

"Can't believe you're already stronger than us and we started training before you," He sighed in defeat.

Hmmm, I already won, so no need to really rub it in.

"We aren't stronger, just better. You had some idea of what you were doing and head on Donut can't beat your Tyrogue's strength. No biggie, just keep working on it."

I don't think he took my advice well judging by his facial expression.

"No need to rub it in. Fine, next time I'll be the winner and we can bet money on it!" He huffed and made his way to the pokemon center.

Huh. Oops? Should I give him a nickname now? The one who can't take a compliment? The sore loser?

"Think I made another social faux pas. Ah well, you okay Donut? Need to go to the Pokemon Center?"

Donut looked over his body and shrugged. He was a bit scuffed and dirty, but otherwise appeared okay. A bit of lunch, oran berries and some cleaning should do for now.

"Well done you two." I turned around to find a familiar black haired friend approaching giving us a slow applause. "That was quite a show."

"Jade… how long have you been here?"

"Long enough to watch you two thrash him. I didn't say anything so you two could focus," He rolled his neck. "I was also taking notes on how to deal with you two when we finally battle. My birthday is coming up so you better be prepared!"

Ah right, he's only a month or so younger than me. It's almost time for both of us to be trainers!

"You may know how to deal with us, but your partner won't… that is if you get one. They might run away in fear once you open your mouth and your forked tongue pops out," I joked.

"Haha very funny, but this garden snake has got plans! Hey Donut, you don't mind if I kick your butt with my starter right?"

"Pi… chu?" Donut just gave him a look and returned to munching the oran berry I fed him.

"He's not amused, but you might as well stay awhile, I've got sandwiches!" I opened up my bag revealing the sandwiches and drinks I had prepared for myself and Donut.

"Don't mind if I do!" Jade eagerly reached into the bag for one.

We found a table close by to the beach so we could enjoy the sea air as we ate. I had finished my sandwich quickly and took to brushing Donut clean from all the scuff marks he got in battle, making sure he needn't go to the center. Even after all these years of watching vicious Pokemon battles I still got a bit anxious whenever Donut took a big hit and didn't go to the Pokemon Center.

I'm not usually like this, Volkner has told me stories of missions where Roland and the others leave them bloody, bruised and sometimes in need of intensive care yet they all fight just the same today. It might be because Donut is still a baby Pokemon, one of the weakest types of Pokemon as their abilities are exceedingly limited at this point making them a tad more vulnerable than most first stage Pokemon. Albeit, I may be underestimating them a tad.

"Pichu?" Donut was looking up at my face with slight concern while he was holding his Donut.

"Oh is it my face? Sorry, I'm just thinking," Laughing off my thoughts. Jade didn't say anything, but he did give an unreadable look before biting back into his sandwich.

I continued brushing Donut pondering what to do next. While we don't train or battle everyday we are doing pretty well for ourselves at the moment. A steady routine.

But what if?

I shook my head quickly at the thought.

Am I ready? I need to self evaluate first.

"Blimey. Your face is in a right tizzy, Z," Jade commented in his own unique way. "Do you need to go to the loo?"

"What? Loo? No, I'm fine, there's just a lot on my mind." I was just going through the motions brushing Donut's very short fur. I've been told to focus more, but I've found getting lost in my mind really relaxing nowadays. Hearing a shuffle I look up to see Jade standing up picking up his bag.

"Whatever's on your mind it must be really distracting for you not to notice I ate your spare sandwich."

I stared at him in vague shock before I looked into my bento box. "Excuse me-"

"You're excused."

"And you're not. You owe me lunch!"

"I'll make it up for you at school! Or maybe I'll call it compensation for my lost freetime. Either way, Donut make sure he doesn't walk into the ocean. Cheerio!" And with that Jade took his leave.

I sighed deeply at his departure and began packing my stuff. "Good time as any to go home," I shrugged. "I've got homework anyway."

Donut got up to stretch before jumping off my lap and onto the table. Once everything was in the bag I got up and put in on my back leaving a pocket open. Just like clockwork Donut hopped into his special pocket space and made himself very comfortable.

"Pi!" It was his little signal that he was ready to go. I learned fairly quickly that if I didn't listen he'd shock me lightly in annoyance. I nodded and began to make our way back home before it got dark.

Ever since Donut and I truly connected when he got his nickname he's taken to riding inside my bag rather than my shoulder like most Pichu. He's a bit on the lazy side and I suppose it does free up my shoulder a bit so I can't complain. It also must be super comfortable there since he tends to fall asleep midwalk.

At the very least he's stopped going into his Pokeball when he didn't need to which was what I truly wanted, bonding is a lot easier when we can actually interact. We can bring our partners to school, but they have to be quiet. The other option was to stay home or at the gym, but despite his standoffish nature at times we each noticed we didn't like to be separated.

To make it a bit more comfortable I added some extra blankets so he could ease in better and moved some capsules so they wouldn't be in his way. Overall neither of our conveniences were disturbed and I enjoyed having a rear lookout… when he was awake. He sleeps a lot. Even when he is awake it's not for long before he requires another break or acts like he needs one.

Now if he were a newborn I could understand, but he wasn't super young. So I am chalking it up to just being his personality. Luckily he has enough energy to get through training and win battles so I don't bother him too much about it. Donuts are amazing incentives to get him to start working though. Luckily he stopped doing that weird… indescribable ascension mumbo jumbo so I was more comfortable feeding him donuts for treats.

"Pichu!"

"No. You already had a donut today. You shouldn't be having so much, your body is like the size of one," I chastised.

Even in my brain the mention of the cursed confection is enough to draw his attention.

Nonetheless, we made it home with no silly or confectionery detours. Volkner and my grandparents didn't seem to be home yet from their respective jobs, so I got cleaned up and headed to my room to do some light homework. After becoming a trainer I now had to take these new classes from a Ranger teacher as how to properly be a good one.

Close to our 15th birthday we are allowed to take the Trainer license exam to officially graduate from Junior trainers. To prepare for that eventual test we junior trainers take more specialized classes often having our Pokemon partners assist us. Spending most of my freetime at a gym, having a fairly obedient Pokemon and just being well, me, made the class rather easy, but ah well.

After finishing up with that I spent most of the night playing with Donut. He took an interest in my action figures so we've actually begun playing with them nearly every night. Sometimes he even refused training or battling to just go play and honestly I didn't mind that. While I couldn't understand what we were playing all the time, I got the gist. Donut was surprisingly fond of toy battles, but also just rolling around toy trains all over the room. I tend to enjoy a good plot to my toy stories, but I've learned to accept that sometimes a happy train is just a happy train. We had fun regardless before we both went to bed.

It was a Saturday morning meaning no school. Donut was watching morning cartoons in the living room while I sat on the couch going through my Pokedex. Over the course of the month Donut was able to learn Mega Punch after he gained enough experience with Covet. It wasn't perfect so we couldn't ditch the move completely, but I could start using it in battle with little concern till he mastered it. I had considered teaching him Mega Kick, but I didn't see the point when we had other avenues to go down.

He's gotten better at maneuvering out of opponent attacks via Tickle, finding new creative ways to take advantage of their openings, but after one very difficult battle with a Slugma we were hit with the abrupt reminder that we cannot Tickle everything. So to counteract that I've been pondering moves that can affect sturdy or more dangerous foes as well as boosting his electric capabilities.

The Pichu's electric sacs are located on their colored cheeks, going from pink, to red to yellow as they evolve. Right now due to their small size and his tiny body Donut had trouble storing and releasing large amounts of electricity at a time. To exercise the sacs a bit more I had him learn Nuzzle to really work them to the bone.

By continuously rubbing his cheeks and discharging I'm hoping it'll slowly increase the size which will help immensely once he evolves. Personally, I don't think we'll use it too much in battle, but I enjoy the option.

Now Iron Tail is a move I really want him to learn to hit rock and ground types. While he can gather the steel energy needed into his very tiny tail, the metal slows him down and the forming of the move is too slow to my liking as of right now. More practice is required.

Hmmm. Even if it does make him heavier I'm sure we can find a use for that. I'll jot that down for later.

Due to the importance of Iron Tail I've put the training for Rollout on hiatus. The electric storage training and Iron Tail formulations were our main priorities and I didn't want to pull him in 20 different directions trying to learn 6 moves at the same time.

Most of the moves I want him to learn are in the 'Wait until he's a Pikachu' section, so I'm not in a rush anyway. The best trainers know how to pace their pokemon, one step at a time.

While he could not learn 6 moves at the same time I could think of future strategies whenever I wished. We've discussed a few so far and I've had some success, but we just need to solidify them.

I rubbed the bridge of my nose and put my Pokedex down before yawning.

Ugh, my brain, too much thinking. Maybe we should take this Saturday a bit easier? I do have ideas.

"Oi Donut… don't sit so close to the TV."

Donut turned to me innocently as he was sitting on the TV stand seemingly absorbing electricity from it causing the screen to act wonky. He swiftly pulled his hand back and bounded up to me.

"How about we go hang out somewhere new today?"

The tiny mouse tilted his head in confusion, curious as to where I had in mind.

"It's a place I've been eager to go to for a while, but Sunyshore has so much ample space that I figured it was fine to train here. Today? I've got plans."

Donut looked vaguely interested before he pointed back to the TV as a new episode of our favorite anime, Dragoniteball Z, had begun to play.

I practically threw my Pokedex away and began to pay close attention to the television. "After this episode I have plans," I compromised.

~Route 222~

After getting into my trainer gear Donut and I made our way to the entrance of Route 222. This would actually mark our first time leaving the city as a team which is kind of crazy when I think about it because back in the day new trainers would be long gone from their hometown. It's a lot calmer than Sunyshore City, despite the close distance, but that may be due to its size.

The Grand Lake Hotel is also nearby, but from what I know the guests who stay there tend to flock to Route 218 or relax on the beach. It can be a busy route during certain sections of the year, but Sinnoh is a very large region so the routes have a lot more space than most. It's also far from densely populated especially in places like Snowpoint which is supposed to be a major city, when in actuality it's rather small compared to what other regions would consider major.

I took in a deep breath as Donut stepped out of the bag to see what I was looking at.

"Welcome to Route 222, Donut. For most trainers this route symbolizes the end of their journey before they acquire the final gym badge. For us? This is only the beginning."

Donut squeaked an affirmation before gesturing to me to press on.

And away we go.

The path on Route 222 is adjacent to another beach which is always a nice sight to see, so rather than travel on the path Donut and I elected to walk through the beach. I took off my shoes to avoid getting sand all over them as we casually walked by. At some point Donut began to wander off closer to the ocean. Suddenly obtaining the feeling of a worried mother, I slowly made my way over to make sure he wasn't taken in by the sea.

"Pichu…" He stuck his paw into the water tentative, allowing it to wash over him.

Donut has seen the sea basically everyday in Sunyshore, but he's never really expressed an interest in being near the water until today. No idea why it was suddenly so attractive on the route, but I could only theorize it was due to its calmer vibes. There's less Pokemon blatantly swimming around and it's been proven that Pokemon grow more when they experience a wide variety of environments.

It's why despite being with their starters for 5 years that any new Pokemon a trainer obtains during their journey are able to catch up in a decent amount of time. Training in one location is fine and all, but Pokemon grow most through experiences and tense situations. At the same time while on the road younger Pokemon tend to evolve or grow much faster than is typical which can cause some early growth plateaus, but those tend to fix themselves.

This gives me an idea though.

"Are you interested in learning how to swim?"

"Chuuu," He hummed to himself, continuing to splash the water in thought. I watched as he moved with the waves whenever it got too close to his feet.

"I'm a great swimmer, most kids in Sunyshore are. It's the greatest being able to just swim in the ocean on a hot summer's day. You thinkin' about learning how to swim?"

Before he could reply in the corner of my eye I saw a much larger wave approach us. Electing to not have my starter Pokemon be kidnapped by the water I swiftly picked him up and took several steps back as the water gobbled up where he once stood.

"Pichu!" He squeaked in distress before looking at me gratefully.

Okay, so we are not doing that yet.

"You're a bit too small to go swimming around in the ocean and we absolutely need to get you a life jacket, but I think when you're ready I can get a kiddy pool prepared for you," I smiled at my little buddy. "While the water can be dangerous, learning how to swim can make it a little less scary. How 'bout that?"

"Pi… pichu pi," He nodded at that. He gave the ocean one last look before he hopped out of my arms and we continued walking back onto the path. I took out my Pokedex to check what was in the area even though I was already pretty confident.

Another day, ocean. Another day.

"I'm still just a junior trainer, a Youngster, so I can only catch 2 more Pokemon. Understand? So we have to make these two count."

He nodded quickly so I continued.

"It'll be like this for 5 more years and we'll have to live with them as they are a member of the team, so we've got to pick carefully. Someone we'll like and want to have around all the time. You've got to pay attention too or I'll catch a Pokemon that you'd hate to live with and I wouldn't have a clue."

That got his attention quick as his eyes widened before his ears slacked in annoyance at the thought.

"I was going to wait a bit longer to catch a new Pokemon, but I think you'd do well with a partner to train alongside and you need more friends. Well. Any friends," I sassed.

That remark earned me a tiny spark on the cheek causing me to squeak on my own.

"I earned that one," I chuckled. "The diversity is pretty good here, but just in case I want to check Route 214 as well. Let's explore deeper in these woods as well because I've heard from some of the Rangers that some rare Pokemon might be migrating here for a bit. If we meet a good Pokemon try to convince them to join our team, okay?"

Donut gave me a lax salute before falling back into my bag. I smiled and turned towards the thicket, off the recommended path. All in the hopes of meeting our first recruit.

~Grubbin~

"And now, we feast! Dig in Soldiers!"

"Sir yes sir!"

Grubbin and his militia of bugs began to feast on their meal of berries and leaves. Grubbin, Male Burmy and Clover the Combee all began nibbling upon their banquet with a great fervor while their newly evolved Cascoon compatriot watched cordially from afar, as he had obtained enough sustenance for evolution whenever that may occur.

"Look at this Sir, the Kricketune from the eastern thickets gifted me some Tanga berries! Do you want to try some? They are delicious!" Clover offered.

"No thank you, but much appreciated Clover. You earned that bounty," Grubbin declined graciously.

"It used to be a lot of work patrolling around the forest helping Pokemon, but I've gotten used to crawling the long distances," Burmy piped up mid bite. "The rewards are more than worth it!"

"Upupup! Remember Private Burmy, we do not fight for compensation, but for the betterment of the bugs of Route 222! If we stand united as a community we will survive the next wave of enemy forces!" Grubbin chastised.

"Of course, Sir! My apologies, Sir!" Burmy saluted.

"At ease, return to your meal."

The Route 222 militia was at it as usual. Protecting fellow bug types from the wretched harpies that soar through the sky. As a benefit for protecting them fellow Bug types have begun to give them small gifts, almost exclusively food, but it made their jobs easier after especially difficult hustles.

Grubbin had little interest in reward, but it puts the group a bit more at ease when they have to worry less about foraging and focus on fending off the enemy. He also quite enjoyed eating with his fellow soldiers. They fought, ate, lived and slept as a unit. It was a simple, ideal life for him. Alola was but a faint memory to him by this point, though he wished he had been able to impart his wisdom onto some of his brethren before he departed aboard the metal bird that flew him to Sinnoh.

Grubbin's pleasant thoughts were interrupted when a familiar face crawled over to them in a hurry. Grubbin recognized her as the Burmy he saved from the Chatot all those months ago. She was quite fond of the group and while not an official member, she on occasion came to watch or just socialize with them.

"Sergeant Grubbin, it's bad! It's real bad!" She squirmed in panic.

"Calm down and report, Burmy!" Grubbin asserted himself, quickly easing Burmy's nerves only a bit.

"The three Starly you all defeated months ago… they're back! They've been attacking every bug in the forest trying to lure you guys in! They want a rematch!"

Burmy did not need to utter another word as all 4 members of the militia got up from their food pile into formation ready to fight.

"Lead us to them," Grubbin asked darkly. These birds are tenacious for Starly, they should've learned their lesson.

Female Burmy led through the forest for a bit in the general area where they should be before she paused at a cry piercing through the landscape increasing her desire to simply hide in her grassy cloak. It took only a few seconds for the 3 Starly to fly in, coming face to face with the militia.

In the middle was the Leader Starly, who had the most grief with the militia and desired revenge.

To his right was the Command Starly, whose pride forbade him from losing to mere prey.

The final one, named Aiko by one of the rangers, put on a brave face for his friends. He wasn't too keen on being here as he had been bonding well with the local Rangers and would rather be with them, but his loyalty to his friends won out.

"So you showed up, good. Didn't have to waste anymore time with the small fry," Leader sneered. "We won't forgive you for what you did to us. You attacked us out of the blue last orange leaf season!"

"Your existence offends us, Starly. Avaricious birds flying through a forest filled with bug types? We knew of your intentions before your stomachs could grumble. A preemptive strike was our method last time, but now a full frontal assault should be enough to knock you bogies out the sky!" Grubbin retorted.

"Now you listen here you little-!" Command squawked angrily at Grubbin before the Leader raised a wing.

"Save your words, my friend. There's nothing more we need to say to prey," And with that obvious declaration of war the Leader jetted towards the group of bugs knocking them all over with a swift Quick Attack.

Command's wings began to glow before he made his stand. "We've gotten stronger since last time thanks to those nice humans! We'll get you this time!" Command flew in madly with a Wing Attack clashing with Grubbin's reactory Vice Grip.

"Guess we're doing this…" Aiko sighed before assisting Command with a powerful Quick Attack knocking Grubbin into a tree. He slid down the tree fighting through the pain before he shouted commands.

"Cascoon, web'em!"

"Affirmative!" Both Cascoon and Grubbin let loose several shots of string at their opponents, but they dodged their attempts with minimal effort.

Clover tried to use Gust to blow them away, but the Leader used Whirlwind to cancel out the effects and even blow Clover into a tree before Aiko smashed into her with a Wing Attack of his own.

"Like our new strategies? The Rangers' Pokemon make great teachers!" The Command boasted before flying towards Burmy who quickly brought a Protect to shield himself while Grubbin used the opportunity to slash across his chest.

He recoiled a bit, but not as badly as he did months before allowing him to regain his composure and knock them both over with a Wing Attack.

Annoyed that her Sweet Scent and Gust were simply blown away, Clover attempted to get in close for a Bug Bite, but Aiko's superior flight capabilities were too much for her to keep up. At best Cascoon was able to get off a few Poison Stings onto him due to her distraction, but it did not take long before she was slammed into the ground with a vicious Wing Attack.

Cascoon, unaccustomed to fighting in his new body, was left totally unaware when Command picked him up with his talons and threw him into a thorny thicket bush. While the grassy thorns did little against his bug type exterior, the Take Down that followed left him dazed.

Grubbin was dazed, but still able to fight. He looked around his fallen comrades, but did not falter in the face of such adversity. These were his comrades and he was their sergeant. He could not afford to lose.

We must survive! Our fate can't be to lose to the birds no matter how hard we try!

Aiko and Command both began their rapid descent onto Grubbin with dual Quick Attacks. Unable to dodge quickly enough Grubbin braced himself for impact… that is until a green orb surrounded his entire body and the birds splattered against it.

"Why do these freaking bugs know Protect!?" Command screeched while Aiko simply rubbed his beak.

"A-Are you okay, Sergeant Grubbin?" Grubbin turned around to see it was Female Burmy who had warded them off. He had never seen her fight, but her bravery was enough for her to earn all of his respect.

"I am. Thank you, Burmy."

Burmy squeaked in delight, at least until Leader smacked her out of his way with an Aerial Ace that she was not prepared for as her second attempt at Protect failed.

"Burmy!" Grubbin shouted before he was cut off by another Wing Attack knocking him down. "Soldiers, retreat! Now!"

His entire crew hesitated at the order. While they weren't down for the count entirely yet they all doubted they could escape their enemies. Even if they wanted to, they absolutely refused to just leave him alone. The Leader landed before Grubbin and slowly sauntered over as his friends stayed airborne.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" Grubbin ordered again.

"We won't abandon you, Sergeant!" They all cried in unison.

Damnit. Their loyalty touches the deepest depths of my soul, but this is not a battle we can win, not as we are… but I won't go down without leaving a few scars! If I die here, this feathered devil will fall into Distortion with me!

Grubbin gathered as much energy as he could muster before slashing Leader with his sharp mandibles. Blood was drawn and the Starly staggered in pain with his friends rushing to aid him. His allies gasped at the sight with Female Burmy letting loose a quiet 'Yesss'.

Was it enough?

The Leader gave Grubbin one last manic look before he was engulfed in a bright light.

Shit.

The Starly's body slowly began to increase in size. His wingspan lengthened, feather curl extended and plume feather count increased before he appeared before them as an enraged Staravia with 2 slashes across his chest.

"Big mistake, Maggot," Staravia taunted (in a derogatory tone) before he flew up into the air clumsily with his larger wings before diving at Grubbin with everything he had.

Can't… move… any… longer… Everyone you must… survive…

"Donut, Mega Punch!"

A human voice stirred Grubbin back into complete consciousness before a small, round Pichu came barreling into Staravia with a white fist straight into his back sending him spiraling through the air, through several tree branches and into the dirt. Before his friends could rush to his aid 2 rocks bonked each of them on the head smacking them out of the sky.

The Pichu landed before striking a pose in front of Grubbin. "You just got Donuted!"

Reinforcements?

"And now the mice are attacking us!?" Command looked like he wanted to quit the fight altogether at the introduction of another enemy.

"Perfect timing, Donut. If I were to grade you on heroic entrances, I'd give you a solid A+! The pose is new though. I dig it."

The Pichu nodded at his trainer before the human knelt down next to Grubbin. After a few seconds a sitrus berry brushed against his mouth and his instincts kicked in allowing him to use his remaining energy to eat it, allowing him to see straight.

"You alright, Grubbin?" The human asked.

All Grubbin could do was nod at the sight. He's never had to interact with humans much at all in either Alola or Sinnoh so he had not expected one to rescue him out of the blue. He looked around to see the Pichu sharing more berries with the rest of his allies.

Why are you doing this for us?

"You've got quite the unit going on here. It's like your own mini army of bug type Pokemon and most of you aren't even the same species. Actually, you're not even native to this region," The human noted.

So he understands we are at war. This human catches on fast.

"This is a fascinating predicament you've gotten yourselves into, but it's looking a bit imbalanced. Follow my orders and I'll get all your pals out here alive," The human took a defensive stance beside Grubbin with focused eyes analyzing every Pokemon rapidly in his head. "Can you relay that to your pals? I've got plans, but I need you to listen to me and work with Donut, the pichu, in order for them to work."

Grubbin stared at the trainer in a way he has never looked at anyone before. There was authority, confidence and intelligence in this young human's eye. Grubbin never gave much stock to stories or legends, he only cared for his squad. But if this was a gift from Arceus…

No, this is a test. A trial. And we will surpass it! It's do or die, but I must place my faith in this human and the one known as Donut. This is our last chance to survive.

"Donut, look alive, the enemy is regaining their wits!" The trainer took out an odd machine from his pocket before giving out orders. "They are just Starly; the Staravia will be trouble, but he looks a bit clumsy. If we can slow down the Starly and assault the Staravia we can win this!"

The Staravia finally got off the ground, reeling from the surprise attack. His two allies flew close to him glaring at their enemies.

"A human? That isn't a Ranger!? With a Pichu too… Should we go?" Aiko asked.

"No! We just chase them out of here and deal with these bugs right after! Move it!" Staravia shrieked at them causing Command and Aiko to fly over.

"Grubbin, Cascoon use a wide spread String Shot in the air! Donut find a vantage point!" The trainer commanded. Donut nodded in understanding before climbing a nearby tree.

Without missing a beat Grubbin began spewing a wider net of string than before. Seeing his leader do so without a second guess prompted Cascoon to follow up as well causing a large web of string to float through the air.

The two Starly quickly began to ascend at the sight of the nearing net when the trainer made another order.

"Combee, blow the net upwards into the Starly!"

It took Clover a millisecond to recall that he was referring to her species' name before she began flapping her wings building up a swift Gust which was able to blow the string all over the bird's wings causing them to fidget in the sky.

"I-I can't move! We got caught!"

"Just break out with Wing Attack, Aiko!"

"It feels so gross and why is it so tough!?"

"Aiko, focus!"

"I wanna go home!" Aiko began flapping his wings in panic attempting to escape shaking the web vigorously, but growing more entangled, interrupting Command's attempt at creating a Wing Attack.

"Aiko, calm the flock down!" Command was anything but calm.
"Hey." The two birds turned to the sly Pichu lounging on a nearby tree branch casually. "How ya doin'?"

"Screw you, rodent!" Command retorted. Donut merely sighed before his body began cackling with electricity. "I can see why the bugs wanna beat you guys up so bad."

Donut let loose a mighty Thundershock causing the birds to contort in pain which worsened as they grew more entangled in the net that handled the attack surprisingly well. "You birds are nasty."

Grubbin couldn't help but be a tad envious of his electric capabilities.

After witnessing their blunder the Staravia managed to fly his way over and cut his friends out of the net causing them to fall to the forest floor, defeated. He immediately turned his attention to the sheepish Pichu who merely gave him a false smile before he charged after the Tiny Mouse Pokemon, breaking every branch on his way.

"Burmys get ready!" The trainer ordered.

Donut scurried his way out the tree with an angry Staravia squawking behind him.

"Donut hide behind the female Burmy!"

What is the meaning of this?

Donut made his behind Female Burmy who looked terribly confused as to why she was the Poke Shield of the day as the Staravia flew towards them with frightening ferocity.

"Now use Protect!"

Female Burmy erected a wall partially out of obedience, mostly out of reaction. Staravia, having fallen for this trick multiple times, attempted to backpedal.

"Combee, Gust!"

Clover made sure to blow Staravia straight into the green wall, interrupting his attempt to escape. Behind it the Burmy breathed a sigh of relief while Donut simply yawned.

"Male Burmy, sandwich him in with another Protect!"

Before Staravia could remove himself the other Burmy trapped him on the other side of the wall effectively making him stuck. The trainer looked at Grubbin with absolute faith.

"I dunno everything you can do, but let's hope you know a cool finishing move like Donut! End it Grubbin!"

"Sir yes Sir!" Grubbin saluted before jumping high into the air before his body began to become engulfed in a similar shine to Donut. It surrounded his entire body before he began to spin in the air like a raging frisbee. His electrically charged mandibles slammed down onto Staravia's restricted body, shoving them deep within the ground.

The Burmy's dispelled their Protects to look down upon the Staravia to note his beaten body as one of his wings were bent and the wound inflicted on him before had opened up.

"Grubbin, Cascoon use String Shot to bind them so they can't attack anyone else. Otherwise… great job everyone! You all were amazing!" The trainer clicked his device again and took a deep breath before he began to speak into it. "Hello, I'm calling within Route 222. I've found knocked out Starly and a hostile Staravia in need of medical attention. Thanks!"

Medical attention? For the enemy? Never!
Grubbin began to make his way over to finish the job, but Donut stopped him.

"Don't worry, Zio and the Rangers will deal with them. The battle is over and everyone survived. Let's keep it that way."

Zio? Is that the human's name? Hmmm. So he believes in mercy… that is only a luxury for the strong. Anything otherwise would be foolish. They have proven themselves competent, so I shall submit to their wisdom.

The one known as Zio made his way over to Staravia and began spraying strange substances on them that seemed to stop some of the bleeding. He did the same for the two other Starly.

"That'll keep them stable till the Rangers arrive. As for all of you, you should cooperate with the Rangers too. You'll wanna be looked after a battle like that," He knelt back down to comfort Grubbin, but his eyes were still focused on Staravia. "You can relax. We've won this war of birds and bugs, remember to show mercy after a valiant win. The Rangers will make sure they won't bother you again."

The particular vernacular Topaz had chosen simply felt fitting for him at the time, but to Grubbin he resonated immediately. He had met no other individual who understood him and his military mindset upon meeting and this human could not even comprehend his language. Also as promised he got them all out alive which added to his favor.

"Sergeant, we did it!" Male Burmy scurried over along with the others. Donut made his way back over to his trainer in order to receive a nice ruffle of his fur. Thanks to all the assistance it was a rather easy battle for him, but he appreciated the affection regardless.

"It was a bit scary, but we did it!" Female Burmy spoke up.

"You did fantastically! This trainer had a lot of good plans, I'm glad I was able to keep up," Clover sighed gratefully.

"I wasn't sure about following his orders, but I'm glad I did. Your final attack was spectacular, Sir!" Cascoon cheered Grubbin on.

"Thank you, thank you. With the aid of our new allies we were able to defeat our old enemies! Three cheers for the Route 222 militia!"

The bugs gathered in a circle to begin their cheers. Topaz and Donut stood on the sidelines in confusion watching the strange ritual as they began cheering. That is until they all began to glow. All of the bugs' bodies began to metamorphose into their next stages. When the light cleared there was a Mothim, Wormadam, Vespiquen, Dustox and… Grubbin standing before them. Grubbin had closed his eyes during the whole affair to open them to realize he hadn't changed in the slightest. At all. Meanwhile his comrades were either flying through the air or testing out their new bodies.

What? How could this be? I have the most battle experience!

"That was… something, wow," Topaz didn't really have the words to describe what he just saw so he took out his Pokedex and began scanning all the new Pokemon registering their data. "Huh, Grubbin didn't evolve."

Before Grubbin could even register his confusion several Rangers appeared from the thicket to address the Starly and Staravia. One exasperated Ranger picked up Aiko, seemingly knowing them, while other Rangers dealt with the other two. One of the Rangers began talking to Topaz, while another tended to all the bug Pokemon. It didn't take long for all them to depart and for Topaz to focus again on the bugs.

~Topaz~

Today has been eventful. Donut and I went on Route 222 for the first time, tested out the waters, and won a turf war or something between bug and bird Pokemon. Next I'll find a Legendary and unlock the meaning of the Universe.

After I spoke with all the Rangers and explained what I knew about the situation I turned back to the bugs. They seemed to be comforting their leader, Grubbin, due to his failure to evolve alongside them as Donut and I watched.

I was honestly still reeling from the whole situation. I've never commanded any Pokemon besides Donut so I was a bit nervous instructing 6 Pokemon at the same time, but luckily Bug type movesets are exceedingly tiny at the beginning.

What I really didn't understand was why a Grubbin was in Sinnoh of all places. I've never heard of any being native to the region and as far as I knew they were only found in Alola. I remember watching them loads with Kukui and he told me they were first discovered there, but maybe I was wrong. While they were relatively common in Alola they were practically unheard of in other regions which made me a bit excited. From what I could remember they weren't like most early bug type Pokemon either, they evolved into exceedingly powerful special attackers.

I don't know too much about this Grubbin, but he seems like an ornery Pokemon. At the same time he rallied all these bug Pokemon together to fend off those Starly. Even after evolving they all defer to him, so he also has excellent leadership skills. He seems to respect our strength and my authority, so his loyalty is practically a given. Hmmm, if Donut approves this could be our first teammate! I can't pass up this chance!

"Hey Donut? Think he'd fit on our team?" I looked down at my partner. "I won't ask him if you don't like him. He's certainly a lot more… active, than you, so I doubt you'll like him, but I want your opinion."

Donut looked at Grubbin and all the other Pokemon a moment before turning to me with a nod. I was legitimately surprised.

"Really? You sure?" I asked once more just to be positive. Donut rolled his eyes before replying with his Pichu version of a 'Yes'.

"Guess he made an impact on both of us. Thanks, Donut," I smiled at my partner who looked away in embarrassment. "Yo Grubbin!" I called him out.

He turned to me in confusion before slowly approaching with his friends close behind.

"I think I know why you couldn't evolve. As tough as those Starly were they weren't anything special compared to most trainer Pokemon. Even the Staravia was a bit lacking and untested. It was enough for your friends to evolve, but I think your heights are higher than that. You're… you're a trooper!"

At that his eyes brightened and he became hyper focused on my explanation.

"You were meant for more rigorous and intense battles, but it'll take a long time for you to get them here. Pokemon with vast potential tend to have trouble evolving in environments where they aren't being tested enough. You need a new array of challenges and someone to guide you through them. I want to be that guide, your trainer," I said rummaging through my bag taking out a Luxury Ball I had bought for just this occasion. "Join my team and be the best you can be."

Grubbin gave the ball, me and Donut long looks before he turned to his allies and muttered something. After which he seemingly gestured to us to follow him deeper into the woods. Naturally we followed him and his parade of large bugs.

After a while he ceased walking to reveal a small clearing with some logs and a large boulder charged with electricity. Nearby was a pile of leaves and berries so all I could gather was that this was their nest of sorts. In the background there were some large honeycombs I assume were made by the Vespiquen and large spider webs. This was the definition of a bug type's habitat.

Grubbin grumbled at me a bit before waddling a bit aways getting into a battle position. Donut turned to me, waiting for me to connect the dots.

"So you're testing us first right? After we win we can catch you?"

Grubbin nodded quickly, appreciative of my quick uptake.

"Good. This'll be way more fun than I expected," I said, smirking.

I should be honest with him though.

"Grubbin, I'm gonna be forward with you. I've only been a trainer a month and Donut is my only Pokemon. We won't be able to journey until I'm 15 and that may be boring for a fighter like you. At the same time though I don't think you'll grow any stronger here and I've got bright ambitions. With a trainer you have access to the whole world, so this isn't a chance you want to pass up even if it will take awhile. How does that make you feel?"

Grubbin huffed. He was not a Pokemon to make decisions lightly and I swear I could feel his adamant soul resonate with my own. Grubbin had made his decision and knows what trainers are about. And he wants in. I nodded satisfied and gripped the Luxury Ball to prepare for capture.

The other bug types watched from the sidelines with expectant expressions. Donut ignored them and focused on the opponent ahead.

Let's give them a show!

"Thundershock!" I bellowed. Immediately Donut jumped into the air and let loose a jolt of electricity. Grubbin's mandibles shined a bright white before he slashed through it and charged knocking Donut out of the sky and into the dirt.

Donut braced for impact and rolled onto his feet just like I taught him avoiding Grubbin's second strike before widening the distance with a Mega Punch to his back.

He's experienced. Gotta be careful.

Grubbin's mandibles glowed a wicked green as he got back up to strike with Bug Bite.

"Maneuver!" I shouted. Donut got into the stance and as Grubbin was about to bite down Donut jumped onto his back and began to tickle. Due to their similar sizes there wasn't much for him to move around on, but his fingers got to work. Except… contrary to most of our opponents who would lose control while laughing this seemed to just enrage Grubbin more and more as his eyes became furious as he tried to snap at whatever he could in order to get Donut off.

The downsides of having no arms.

He began to roll in the dirt forcing Donut to begin running on him. It was like watching a kid roll on a log. Due to my curiosity to see how long Donut could keep this up, Grubbin was able to dig into the ground and slap mud all over Donut's face, knocking him off.

Grubbin took in a deep breath seemingly to calm down from our assault before shooting a String Shot at Donut who was too busy cleaning his eyes.

"Jump now and spread Thunder Wave!" Donut heeded my words jumping blindly through the air to avoid the String Shot and let loose a new technique we've been trying that I've yet to name.

Before Grubbin could adjust his aim Donut pulsed with electricity launching a shock wave of paralysis around him. When it caught Grubbin it managed to paralyze him enough to stop his attack.

While weaker than normal Thunder Wave it is able to hit all around Donut without him having to aim. Thanks to Grubbin's small body the weakened effect didn't matter either.

"Mega Punch uppercut followed with a Thundershock!" Donut finally managed to wipe the mud from his eyes before responding with a squeak. He ran on all fours to the paralyzed Grubbin. He attempted to slice at Donut with a desperate Vice Grip, but Donut skirted right behind him before it could connect. Turning around for his second attempt allowed Donut to punch him right in the face launching him into the air.

"Pi… Chu!" Donut let out a battle cry before summoning his electricity, shocking Grubbin. Adamant on not being outdone he seemed to channel the electricity into his own attack creating his own sort of make-shift Spark. Two can play this game.

"Channel your Thundershock into your hand and punch up!" Donut realized it would be a waste of time to argue that he hadn't ever done that and got to it without delay. It was a bit slow, but he was fast enough to launch his ranged punch into Grubbin before he collided into him, knocking him out of the sky.

Grubbin was a bit charred, but still eager to continue fighting. I on the other hand knew it was time to end this as I reached back to prepare to throw the Luxury Ball.

"Luxury Ball, go!" I shouted, mainly for dramatics, before throwing the Pokeball. It curved through the air before bonking Grubbin's body and sucking him into the ball. Donut and I waited with bated breaths as the ball shook more violently than I had ever seen before. All his Pokemon friends looked curious as to whether he would break out or give in. The ball shook for a solid 30 seconds which I hadn't even known was possible until finally it stopped.

"Yesss! We did it, Donut! We caught Grubbin!" Donut jumped into my open arms and I spun him around in excitement before I got up to check the Pokeball. "Never seen anyone fight so hard in a Pokeball, I'm impressed."

I clicked the Pokeball and Grubbin popped out of the Pokeball a bit dazed, but quickly regained his composure before he looked at me and Donut who was by my feet. We shared eye contact a moment before he grunted in approval and said some words to Donut who responded positively.

"You're the first Pokemon we've ever caught Grubbin, welcome to the team," I smiled at him and Donut gave him a simple wave. "Hm, we ought to head back home soon so it's time to say goodbye to your buddies. You lead them well, but they're all grown up now and can fend for themselves. They can protect the bug types of Route 222 now, you've got a different path to go down."

Grubbin turned to his compatriots. They all seemed to be a mix of happy, sad and proud of him while Grubbin shed not a single tear. He made another weird bug noise causing all the bugs to sit up straight. Several more weird squeaks later and I realized he was giving them a sendoff speech.

He's putting a lot of faith into me, a brand new trainer and he's obviously not some half wit Pokemon. I don't need to look at my Pokedex or know the basics of his species to know that this Grubbin has potential far beyond normal. I can't wait to release it!

Mothim, Vespiquen, Dustox and Wormadam all saluted him or bowed before him once he was done. They did one last cheer before Grubbin made his way towards Donut and I. He was ready.

"Glad to have you. We'll take good care of him, be safe you four!" I waved at the bugs. Donut gave a sleepier wave than usual so he must be tired. They waved back in their own way before we all turned around to head back to the main path. With Donut relaxing in my bag and Grubbin walking alongside us.

It was quiet and isolated with the sunsetting in the horizon. We all stopped alongside the path to watch it dip into the ocean for a few moments before I remember something.

"Hey Grubbin, now that you're on the team, do you want a name? New life, new you, right? I already have some ideas," I offered.

He nodded with a bit more readiness than I expected with Donut popping out of the bag to listen to what I had got.

"My idea was to name you after Lugh, the Celtic God of many skills and one of the most powerful in the pantheon. So, I was thinking we could name you Lou. It's similar, but I feel like it's a bit more like you. You'll make your own legacy with your own name. Thoughts?"

He nodded immediately at the name and seemed to try it out himself a few times as well. Lou the Grubbin, has a nice ring to it.

"Heh, nice to meet you, Lou."

~Chapter 7 Fin~

Chapter Text

Topaz and Donut have added a new friend and ally to their group, the fearless and reckless Lou, a Grubbin. He has come a long way from his home in Alola to join them in Sinnoh, snatched away from death’s door. Some say would call this luck, others the work of fate. The trio care for neither as there are more important topics to focus on. We resume on Route 222 right after the recruitment of their new ally.

~Topaz~

Watching Lou revel in his new name was refreshing so while he did that I decided to take out my Pokedex and evaluate his data. What appeared though was a bit troubling.

“New Pokemon discovered, congratulations! Grubbin the Larva Pokemon, registered!”

‘Regional Number N/A (National ? )

Typing: Bug

Gender: Male

Height: 1’06” (Average ?)

Weight: 8.4 lbs. (Average ?)

Egg Group: Bug

Ability: Swarm - Increases Bug type attacks when low on health.

Moves: Vice Grip, String Shot, Mud Slap, Bug Bite, Spark, Dig.

Entry: ~ Data Not Found ~

Evolution: ~ Data Not Found ~

Data Updated.’

How is it going to say ‘Data Updated’ when it just said it could not find data? Ugh, there’s barely anything here to read in the Pokedex about them either. I guess it makes sense, Alola doesn’t have an official Pokedex and Professor Rowan hasn’t even added the Unova Dex to the National Dex yet. I wonder if there is information I just need to update this thing or get clearance. At least it was able to get the barebones… until I fill it in!

I began typing away at my screen to fill in their entry. Apparently at Professor Rowan’s lab he and his associates scan the data of Pokemon all over Sinnoh. There are some tidbits they are not privy to due to privacy laws, but they did read the uncensored data. While I could write what I know about Lou, it’s obvious he’s not the general norm so for this I had to write something less biased.

“Written Entry: When attacked by enemies they use their sharp mandibles to strike back. When agitated they can become aggressive and on rare occasions leave their underground hovels to chase away pests.

-Would you like to submit this data to Rowan Labs?”

“And… sent,” I smiled as I updated Grubbin’s data file. I don’t know if Professor Rowan will see it as he most likely sees Pokemon caught all over the world, but at least Unova and Kalos Pokemon showed up in the dex with something. Pretty sure the Dex managed to hodgepodge information from an old textbook in order to give me what little it gave me.

“Grub?” Lou poked my pant leg curiously causing me to lean down to talk to him more equally.

“I’m updating your data into the Pokedex. It’s a machine that tells us all about Pokemon so we can raise them to our very best. It doesn’t have much on Grubbin, but I’ll change that soon enough. Anyway, it’s getting late and you two should go to the Pokemon Center. You look wiped out, Lou.”

Lou would never admit it, but I could see after all this conflict he was ready to sleep. Of course since I caught him it would also be nice for a check up. Luckily the Pokedex didn’t pick up any diseases on him, but I was worried it might have missed some. I held out my Pokeball to return him and he gave it a dirty look.

“Come on now don’t be like that, this is a Luxury Ball, it has the most comfortable interior. Plus it’s only for a little bit, you have to get healed. Not to be mean, but you look like you’ve been hit by a plane.”

He stopped scowling, wait no. He never truly stops scowling, I noticed. The Grubbin in Alola tended to have lax expressions, but Lou’s face was stuck in angry mode and I wasn’t sure how okay that was for him. At least he seemed a bit relaxed at my statement and allowed himself to be recalled without issue. That or his exhaustion was begging for a reprieve in any form. 

I clipped his Pokeball onto the first lot of the left side of my belt, adjacent to Donut’s ball on the right. I smiled at the sight before putting away my Pokedex and making my way to the center.

Once I had gotten to the center I was greeted by the usual cheerful Nurse Joy with a Happiny dozing off in a stroller in the background. While I was a bit surprised she could sleep in such an active environment she didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Welcome, how may I help you- Oh, hello Topaz, good to see you!” Nurse Joy stated happily. Volkner worked closely with her to improve the equipment in the main Sunyshore Center. There’s multiple as it’s a city, but the primary one is where the most trainers go to after their battles against him or to stay the night. Safe to say they needed a bit more than the typical care. I remember when she came to the gym herself, stopped him mid battle and demanded more for the Pokemon Center. Judging by her serene expression and the holographic monitors her demands were satiated.

“Hello Nurse Joy, good to see you too. I just caught a new Pokemon and he’s… a bit odd. He’s native to the Alola region and I just wanted to make sure he was doing well here. He’s also had some rough battles-” he was nearly eaten alive “-today so can you make sure he’s alright ( not going to die from some random trauma) please?”

“My pleasure, please place them in the tray,” She asked, offering me a ball tray. I placed them inside, I let her scan my Trainer ID and watched as her eyes scanned Lou’s icon a moment before nodding and turning to a Chansey who eagerly took the ball tray.

“Fortunately Lou’s species is not uncommon in other regions so our medical data on them is well equipped. He’s in safe hands. As for Donut, is he still eating an exorbitant amount of sweets?”

“If I try to stop him he shocks me,” I answered honestly. “He has two weaknesses: Mud and pastries.”

“Of course he is, the little mouse. He’s fortunate to have a trainer who ensures he gets enough snacks and enough training. It sounds like he’s doing well, but a checkup on this one never hurts.”
“Thanks Nurse Joy,” I smiled as I made my way to the waiting area except before I sat down I went to one of the calling stations. It took a few seconds for Kukui to reply, but he did. It looked like he was at his house judging by all the books behind him.

“Alola cousin, how ya doin’ with the trainer life?” Kukui waved cheerily wearing his favorite hat and glasses. Still an aversion to wearing shirts normally though.

“Alola. I’m living my best life, but I do have a question. I caught a Grubbin in Sinnoh. Do you have data for my Pokedex you can send to me?”

“You caught a Grubbin!? In Sinnoh!?” Explanation time. I gave him the gist of what happened before he just stroked his chin. “This Lou definitely doesn’t sound ordinary at all. I’ve gotta say, I’m invested. If you want more data I can give you more data. I’ve been working on my own Pokedex for a while now and luckily I’ve got most of the initial data I want recorded. The local professor is helping me out with it since he thought it was such a good idea, so even though this is beta information your Dex AI should update properly with Vikavolt line DNA. You’re at a Pokemon Center right? Input your Pokedex into the machine and I’ll upload the data.”

“Will do,” I said as I took out my Pokedex and inputted it into the machine. On the other end Kukui was typing away at something I couldn’t see before my Pokedex glowed a bit and dinged. “That’s it?”

“It’s all done! Check it out!” He leaned in eagerly. I’m guessing this is his first time doing this. He must be honored to have his work within a Pokedex.

“New update registered for Grubbin the Larva Pokemon!”

‘National Number 736 (Alola)

Typing: Bug

Gender: Male

Height: 1’06” (Average 1’04”)

Weight: 8.4 lbs. (Average 9.7 lbs)

Egg Group: Bug

Ability: Swarm - Increases Bug type attacks when low on health. Grubbin’s only known ability causes them to become much more aggressive when near the brink of collapse. Beware their dangerous Bug Bites if you wish to keep your hands.

Moves: String Shot, Mud Slap, Bug Bite, Spark, Dig.

Entry: Their strong jaw enables them to scrape trees and slurp out the sap. They typically live underground. They often gather near places frequented by electric type Pokemon in order to avoid being attacked by bird Pokemon.

When handling Grubbin be sure to avoid getting too close to their mandibles until suitable trust has been formed. While it is important to keep a watchful eye out for their predators in the wild, this species is actually quite capable of defending themselves and escaping from threats.

Evolution: Charjabug (Natural Growth)

Data Updated.”

“Now this actually tells me something, you rock, Kukui,” I smiled back at the screen. He looked exceedingly pleased. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m just glad to see my work in action already! Not many Grubbin have ever been found in Sinnoh so we don’t have a regional number for them, but I’ve been able to get national numbers for all the Alola Pokemon before any other region decided to add their Pokemon to the Dex! It’s important to do as many as you can at the same time or you’ll end like Kanto with evolutions all over the place.”

I was honestly really proud of Kukui. He’d been working a long time to do this and sure Alola is just a tourist destination to some, but to me it’s so much more than that. It made me proud to see my Alolan heritage gradually develop and to eventually become more open to the world. Now I could represent them with their Pokemon.

“I’m glad to hear it. I’ll be sure to live up to my Alolan blood and train Lou to be the best he can be. No, even better than that,” I pounded my chest in pride.

“I would love to meet him and your starter one day. I have total faith in you, cousin. Until then, good luck.”

“Good luck to you too. Can’t wait to see the Alola dex added in,” I smiled before we ended the call. 

He’s always in a good mood. It’s contagious.

Shortly after Nurse Joy informed me that my Pokemon were good to go. She told me that she gave Lou all initial check-ups just to be absolutely sure as well as some vaccines just in case. He’s a bit underweight, but that seems to be due to his former aggressive lifestyle in the wild. Lou didn’t strike me as the type to gorge on food all day if he could help it.

Over time he will begin to fill out and should gradually adapt to a more domestic life due to living inside a human home, but every Pokemon reacts differently and some never truly adjust. Lou seemed adamant on living and training and part of me wondered if it was because I made it sound like he’d just suffer in stagnation for the rest of his life living in Route 222. 

Huh. When I say it like that I sound like Jade. Or Volkner when he’s being jaded. Heh. Jaded.

For a while now I’ve been wondering if the way I’ve been recruiting Donut to my team was a bit manipulative and I went and did the same thing to Lou. I asked Donut about it some time ago and he brushed me off as being overly sensitive, but Lou is harder to get a read on. 

I’d prefer to not be one of those trainers that has to release a rare Pokemon because they were inept. It’s a pride thing. If I am going to catch a Pokemon, it’s because we see the potential in our bonds. I don’t make these decisions lightly, I’m playing the long game. It worked with Donut and Lou I have high hopes for.

Regardless after collecting them both I released Donut from his Pokeball and he launched himself right into my backpack as usual. I decided to save Lou till we got to the gym. Didn’t want anyone harassing me because I’ve got a ‘rare’ Pokemon even though they are everywhere on Melemele Island. 

I suppose you could call it rare like how wild Glameow is only found in Sinnoh near Canalave, but they aren’t exactly uncommon.

Once I got to the gym I had to wait for Volkner to finish a battle. Judging by the trainer’s defeated expression as they left it was another win for Sunyshore Gym. I made my way to the lounge area where I found Volkner tuning one of his guitars on the sofa with Froberge lying close by on the ground. Froberge looked up and gave a greeting purr which Donut returned with a wave and a cheerful ‘Pichu’. I on the other hand went to my belt and showed Volkner a Pokeball.

“Guess who caught a rare Pokemon today. You get 3 guesses and if it takes you more than one I am disowning you as my uncle.”

“Tempting.” He asked nonchalantly, vaguely paying attention as he tested out a string.

This’ll grip his focus.

I pressed the button and out popped Lou. He looked around confused a moment, but he wasn’t hostile. When his eyes fell upon the watchful Froberge he immediately took a battle position, but Donut squeaked something at him and he calmed down. Froberge just continued staring, but made no move to attack. 

“A Grubbin? In Sinnoh? Did you trade someone for him?” Volkner’s attention was caught completely. 

He can tell he’s a boy just with a glance? 

He put down his guitar to marvel at Lou who looked up at him with his angry eyes. “I don’t remember them always looking so angry. If he bites my fingers off you’re doing all my paperwork.”

“Oh that’s just his face. This is Lou, he was leading a bug group in the forests of Route 222. He wasn’t getting any stronger back there so he’s here to train with us. Lou, this is my uncle Volkner and Froberge the Luxray. Volkner is the strongest gym leader in Sinnoh and an electric type user. Your primary typing is bug, but electricity is a major part of your line.”

Lou seemed exceedingly interested in that and chirped a greeting at Volkner and Froberge. Well, I say chirp, it sounded like one. Bug type sounds were always hard for me to put a name to.

“Yo,” Was all Volkner said while Froberge gave him an equally simple greeting. “So Topaz, are you planning on becoming an electric specialist or is this just a tease? You’ve got a Pichu and now a Grubbin who evolves into one. I figured you were a bit more independent than that, but I can’t say I’m disappointed.”

“You’re jumping to conclusions. It was fated for me, an Alolan, to catch an Alola Pokemon as my first even when I live in Sinnoh! He just happens to be a future electric type as well.”

“Hmmm, well you can think about it. Maybe I’d let you become a Gym Trainer if you became an electric specialist,” He nonchalantly stated.

“...seriously?” This had me invested. To be a gym trainer I’d be able to help Volkner on missions and take care of the Pokemon here. It’d also be a consistent way to make money without having to fight all the time, even if I lose against challengers.

“Lucian said I should make the gym more accessible, so I’ve started taking on junior gym trainers to train as electric specialists,” He groaned in annoyance. “You’re still a bit too green for me to let you take on challengers since most people fight us last. If you get to a decent level and past the entrance exam then I’ll let you become one.”

Lou looked a bit lost, but Froberge spoke up to give him a quick rundown I assume and immediately he was looking up at me in expectation. He was all for it. Donut simply yawned, it was his typical ambivalent answer. In other words it was my choice and he’d be down for it. 

“That settles it. I’ll be a gym trainer then! It’ll give me a major head start when I begin training other Pokemon too. Can we still hang out at the gym though even if I don’t technically work here?”

“As if anyone could stop you. There’s a lot of work to do around here as you already know, but you should focus on raising your own Pokemon first before others. Get used to your team, grow up a bit and eventually you’ll be able to help around for real,” Volkner said as he went back to tuning his guitar. “There’s also the Little Cup Tournament coming up at your school right? It’s cute they have little events like that for you rookies. Be prepared for that as well. Until then, I’m thirsty, can you get me a soda?”

“Grrr,” Froberge grunted.

“Froberge wants milk,” Volkner translated. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the fridge and got them their beverages. 

The Little Cup… I had forgotten about that. By the time that comes around Jade would have his starter and be able to put up a challenge. Hmmm.

Little Cup matches are battles using only first stage Pokemon. They tend to be smaller scale and for rookies mainly, but if you prepare for it properly it can be just as complex as grown fights. Little Cup tournaments are good ways for lots of Pokemon on the same level to spar with each other and people find them less difficult to watch than the more extreme high level battles. I am confident in Donut’s and Lou’s skills, but I shouldn’t get complacent. I do want to win after all.

It’s not for a while though. I shouldn’t start overthinking it now when I haven’t even known Lou for a day. Introductions first. 

We spent the rest of our time at the gym introducing Lou to Zachary and the other gym trainers. Lou was slowly becoming more accustomed to people, but the complexities of the gym were lost to him. The rotating gears simply angered him causing him to gnaw on one till I pulled him off.

Some of the gym Pokemon took an interest in him. While he was smaller than most of them he made sure they knew he was not some bug to be stepped on or not taken seriously. I have no clue what he said to the Pokemon, but half of them looked inspired to do better and the other half looked afraid. 

Donut was invaluable in reining him though. He seemed to have ample respect for his teammate. It may also be because Donut left him on a very long leash; only until he was about to attack someone would he speak up.

When it was finally time to go home I was able to introduce Lou to my grandparents. Granddad was proud of me and began talking about how another member of the Beacon family was walking down the path of electricity meanwhile Grandma wanted to take pictures of us and send them to my family in Alola (we relented). Lou was initially apprehensive of them, but once I explained who they were and that we’d be living with them he calmed down quickly. As the day went on I noticed how quickly he adopted Volkner and my grandparents as friendlies meanwhile everyone else he was still a bit on edge with. 

I checked the Pokedex for information on Bug types and apparently it might be due to their hive minds. Grubbin isn’t necessarily a hive Pokemon, but he was used to being in groups. By stating them as my kin he deemed them non threats or at the very least decent people. Others had to earn that right.

Another interesting thing to watch was how marvelled he got by human environments. He didn’t know what to make of the carpets, the counters, television or anything. He was a 100% wild Pokemon which would take a while to train out of him, but since we aren’t traveling I wasn’t too concerned. 

Some Pokemon never get used to domestic life, but I’m hoping due to his small size he will even though he’s anything, but domestic. I’m not sure how old he is, but I had a feeling his personality was not going to change even via evolution.

Watching him eat his Pokemon dinner was funny too. Grandma made it for him and he was hesitant to touch it. When I told him Donut ate it fine it didn’t seem to help him at all. Course Donut has broad tastes so I can’t say I blamed him. I actually had to command  him to eat which felt weird, but he did dutifully and enjoyed himself. 

Eventually came nighttime. Donut and I went through our routines as usual, informing Lou along the way of how we got ready. When we entered my room he was obviously intrigued, but looked comfortable and very tired.

“Welcome to the General’s quarters, Lou. It’s been a long day. I’m surprised you haven’t collapsed already,” I said pulling over the covers. “Tomorrow we can start your training though. I know you’re looking forward to that, Lou.”

Lou nodded vigorously at the mention of training while Donut yawned even louder. 

“Donut tomorrow we’ll be focusing on Lou, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be helping. One extra member of the team won’t suddenly mean you can just lounge around and do nothing.”

Donut did not seem to get the memo till now because he groaned in annoyance before sighing in surrender. He crawled into his bed and got comfortable which caused me to realize I didn’t have another bed. Lou was looking at the ground with dangerous curiosity.

If my memory recalls, Lou’s species sleeps in the- oh he better not dig a hole in the floor!

“Lou, buddy, friend, pal, little soldier bug, do NOT dig a hole in the floor. If you want you can sleep in your ball, on my bed or with Donut. Just don’t dig in the house.”

Lou took a second to think before Donut huffed and positioned himself to allow ample space for Lou to fit in. 

That was highly unexpected. I figured he’d fight tooth and nail to sleep alone… maybe he’s finally accessing his social Pichu instincts.

Lou saw the signal and crawled into the Pokemon bed as well. They were about the same size and weight and the bed was made to handle slightly heavier Pokemon than that so they were still quite comfortable. It was a touching sight to see my two Pokemon all cozy, sleeping. 

Donut wouldn’t even ride my shoulder a month ago. He’s changed a lot in the past month. With Lou we can grow even more.

As I reached to turn off the lamp I remembered something. I reached into my bag lying by the side of my bed and took out The Fool card I had gotten a month ago. Lou and Donut stared at me curiously before I showed it to them. 

“Lou, this is The Fool tarot card. Donut and I found it the day he got his nickname and we became a true team and it’s been sort of like our team’s good luck charm. I wouldn’t call it an initiation per say, but I felt like you should see it.”

Lou stared at with huge eyes of wonder before gently touching it with one of his mandibles. He cooed (?) softly afterwards, seeming pleased to be included in our little secret. I smiled before putting the card safely away and turning off the lights. 

“Good night, team.”

I had sweet dreams that night.

~Chapter 8 Fin~

Question: If you were a gym trainer who would you want to work for?

Trainer: Topaz Heart

Age: 10

Class: Youngster

Gear: Pokedex (001-493), 4 Luxury Balls, 3 Potions, Escape Rope, Phone, The Fool card.

Funds: ¥3,500.

Team: Donut (Pichu), Lou (Grubbin).

x

Donut (Pichu♂) 

Moves: Thundershock, Thunder Wave, Mega Punch, Tickle, Headbutt, Defense Curl.

Ability: Static > Chance to paralyze opponent upon physical contact.

Likes: Sweets, naps, relaxing, quiet.

Dislikes: Bitter food, stress.

Tactics: Maneuver (Feints taking in hits in order to get in close and tickle).

x

Lou (Grubbin♂)

Moves: Vice Grip, String Shot, Mud Slap, Bug Bite, Dig, Spark.

Ability: Swarm > Powers up bug type moves when at low health.

Likes: Bugs, war, battling.

Dislikes: Birds, bullies, condescension.

Tactics: Anti Bird (His sheer hatred of birds has caused him to perform reckless acts few would dare).

Chapter Text

Topaz has a new goal in sight. To become a Gym Trainer of Sunyshore City Gym. While our young lad isn't completely dedicated to the idea of becoming an electric specialist he does not deny the value of training under his Uncle's experienced eye.

Until he is ready in both mind and body to take the Gym Trainer test, Topaz has found other avenues of entertainment to keep him preoccupied. As well as a new rival to contend with.

~Topaz~

It's been about a week since Lou joined the party. During that time I've successfully been able to take him to school for a solid 2 hours before he got so bored he began to gnaw on the chairs. Needless to say, whenever I go he either stays in his ball, attacks his chew toy or chills in the playground. Donut doesn't seem to understand why he's so antsy, but contrary to his beliefs not everyone can sleep in a bag all day and be okay.

With Lou in my roster my routine hasn't changed too much so far. I attend to both his and Donut's needs. They get their exercise with some training and battles, then we go home and I'm able to do what I've gotta do like my homework or chores. My classmates were naturally jealous of my rare catch, even one of them offering to trade, but I had to let them know I had absolutely no interest in trading Pokemon. My friends aren't trading cards to be replaced.

Jade on the other hand looked a bit… envious I'd say. I don't see why considering his birthday is literally tomorrow, but all I could guess is that maybe he was tired of watching me bond with my Pokemon when he could be doing it himself.

We haven't talked that much over the last few days. Apparently he's been busy preparing for his starter and I didn't want to intrude since I understand the importance. He's got his neighbor helping him out I think since he already knows what starter he's going to pick and has absolute confidence in who's it gonna be. I think they are a grass type since he told me he contacted Gardenia about it, but he can be fickle.

Today there was nothing special going on, so I was just at the gym watching Volkner's Octillery, Ganelon, mentor Donut and Lou. He was eager to teach them both on how to manipulate electricity. Lou theoretically could use Spark, but the time it took for it to manifest was too long for anything short of a finisher move on an immobile opponent. Ganelon was teaching him how to channel that in a more productive manner.

Now you're probably asking why and how is a water type teaching a bug and electric type how to use electric moves? When Volkner decided to devote himself to electric Pokemon he knew he needed suitable answers to ground types. Ganelon is that answer. While the only electric moves he knew were Charge Beam and Thunder Wave, he was extremely adept at using both and more than comfortable teaching them about it as well.

He's kind of similar to Lou in that he's something of a drill sergeant and Lou loves it. I dunno how to explain it, but from my perspective, it looks like an angry octopus is yelling moral support at an angry bug while a tiny mouse watches with complete ambivalence. It's a very strange scene which is why I am not intervening much and letting it play out. It's fun.

Donut was still building up his electric reserves. Whatever advice Ganelon gave him seemed to be working as he was able to build up more without getting tired. Though he could do without the yelling, albeit Ganelon is loud regardless. When he wasn't charging he was running laps to build up stamina. To appease him during those times I ran the laps along with him, just so he couldn't say I never do anything either.

It was a typical day until I heard a familiar voice say my name.

"Topaz!" Cynthia called out, grinning from ear to ear, "Congratulations on your starter!" She looked quickly to Lou, brightened even more and hugged me. "And your second partner! How have you been, I'm sorry I've been busy and I made a discovery but first things first!" She stood with me, more jubilant than I'd seen her… ever, really. "How have you been, how're your partners, what've you been up to?" Reginleif was just standing behind her looking amused.

Is this what I sound like to her when I'm excited?

"We've been alright so far and it's okay, you're the champion after all. The Pichu over there is Donut, my starter. The Grubbin is Lou, our first catch. We met about a week ago, so it's all been good and right now we're just doing some light training."

Donut and Lou stopped their training to wander over to me curiously. Donut hopped onto my shoulder, snuggling into my scarf. Lou stood by my side eyeing Reginleif with a dangerous look. I nudged him with my foot catching his attention before shaking my head.

No, bad Lou, bad. Behave.

He didn't exactly relax, but he began to look less blatantly hostile which is a plus for him.

She extended a hand to Donut. "It's a pleasure to meet you Donut. I'm Cynthia," she looked to Lou, "and I'm more than happy to shake your pincer if you want."

Donut leaned over to cautiously sniff her hand before giving her finger a shake, a sign of approval. After watching Donut shake her hand Lou almost seemed convinced she wasn't a threat, but I could tell the giant dragon towering behind her wasn't encouraging.

No one can say that his instincts are out of order. He's on high alert.

In the end he actually did extend a pincer, but before he could shake her hand I quietly warned him.

"If you attempt to do what you're thinking, even I can't help you, ya know."

He acknowledged that warning quickly and gave her a brief handshake while eyeing Reginleif the whole time.

So he does have self-preservation skills. Good.

"You're oddly excited, Cynthia. I don't think I've ever seen you so…"

What's the right word to describe the champion right now…?

"Giddy."

That's the best I've got.

Reginleif was almost… Laughing? I think that's laughing. It's like amused roaring in short bursts. She did that before saying something to Lou while Cynthia kept smiling brightly at me.

"Of course! I made a discovery recently which is what kept me from being here when you and Donut first met, but past that you've taken more than just your first real step to being a wonderful trainer. You've taken at least eight or nine and I'm excited to meet your new partners. To see how you've been and say hello." She looked like she wanted to go for a hug but wasn't about to knock off Donut, so she stood there smiling.

I bashfully rubbed the back of my head at that. It was always so strange for me to be doted on, seeing her smiling like this made me feel shy and small, but not even in a bad way. I can't really describe it, but it felt… nostalgic.

I looked towards Donut and Lou. "Heh, I wouldn't say we've done all that much, but we're pretty close already. Thanks though. Um, what was the discovery you made?"

Her smile faltered just a tad before it came right back. "I can't tell you just yet, since it relates to something that's not my secret to tell. I can give you a hint though if you want that?"

Classified champion information and I get a hint? Heck yeah I'm taking that!

"Absolutely!"

She nodded. "Some stories that we humans think are just crazy ramblings? They're far more true than you'd think." She paused a moment. "I suppose that's two hints in one if you look at it the right way, but nonetheless. I know you're a fan of research and stories, so I'm sure you'll come across the ones I mean eventually. Past that? It's up to you."

That's vague, but intriguing. The Pokedex has entire sections dedicated to mythos, lore and old entries that were bunked (Maccargo in fact cannot melt the ecosystem by existing). There's lots of crazy stories, but Pokemon have crazy abilities and even humans can do some weird stuff, so I'm guessing one of them is right. Granted this is Sinnoh and there's too many to count, ugh, I can see why she was willing to give a hint. It's Joltik in a haystack.

"Guess I have something to look into now. I needed a good reason to take it easy and dive into the books again. Whatever it is, it sounds like it's got your attention. Hmmm," I began to smirk mischievously. "Does Volkner happen to know?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. I'm going to tell him some of it later, but that comes after seeing you. And I'd say more, but I know you're going to try and get me to play twenty questions until you work it out." She smirked right back. "I've seen you and Jade enough to know random queries aren't idle curiosity."

...I won't deny that statement. Who can blame us? Sinnoh is full of secrets and we're bored kids who can't travel yet. Might as well spend our free time learning the regions' secrets.

"Speaking of Jade, tomorrow he gets his starter Pokemon from Gardenia, I think. She's just gonna send the starters to Sunyshore Gym so he doesn't have to go all the way to Eterna City though. He hasn't told me who he wants, but considering how much time he spends with his neighbor and their Sunflora gardening I've got a good guess on who it could be," I stated with full confidence.

A small spark flashed through her eyes, but it was gone before I even could figure out if I'd imagined it or not. "Perhaps, but you never know. You're both ones to surprise, and I'd wager you both surprise each other fairly often. There's a lot of grass types in Sinnoh. Speaking of…" She looked to Lou. "Unless I've pulled a Byron or fallen behind on my talks with Rowan, I don't think I've seen many of the Grubbin line in Sinnoh. Are you getting along alright? The weather treating you fine?"

Lou nodded adamantly before looking back at me as though to elaborate.

"I'm not sure when or how Lou came to Sinnoh, but he was wild when I met him with a whole lot of bug type friends with him. He seemed fine and Nurse Joy gave him the a-okay, so I try not to worry too much. Though I did have to update my Pokedex to add their line since like you said, no one has ever seen a Grubbin in Sinnoh."

She gave a sigh of relief before looking to Donut. "And I take it someone has a favorite snack for it to be their name?"

Donut smirked with pride and stood on my shoulder before pounding his chest. "Donut has a sweet tooth. Or more like a sweet jaw. It's like his main motivation."

Donut looked like he wanted to deny, but he shrugged and went back to lying on my shoulder with a comfortable expression.

"Well you certainly seem to be getting along well if he's ready to fall asleep on your shoulder. Would you two like to meet the other members of my team? They're not all as intimidating as Reginleif is, I assure you."

Reginleif gave a small snort of amusement and looked to me.

"Absolutely! Guys, you'll love them. They protect the region, like Ganelon and the others."

Donut had the courtesy to look attentive at that and Lou waited patiently for them to be sent out. Cynthia took the time to introduce each member one by one for the three of us to meet. It was so amazing to see her team in full glory and interesting to see them outside of battle. They are the strongest Pokemon in the region, but outside of it while they obviously exuded power they were a likable bunch. A lot like Reginleif.

They could be intimidating if they wanted, but there's no need to be some untouchable deity of power every time you're in the presence of others. I figured they were just beyond those notions of power flexing like Cynthia. They knew who they are and have complete confidence, no need to be extra about it. It's admirable. Lou seemed to respect it and even Donut paid proper attention to each one.

After we'd gotten through introducing everyone, she looked back to me. "By the way, Topaz. I heard you've been to Alola before. How was it? I've been thinking about going myself, and I'd be more than happy to take advice on what to see there."

I could practically feel my eyes light up when she said that. The champion of Sinnoh wants to visit my father's region? I had to take advantage.

"It's fantastic! Imagine Sunyshore, but it's the entire region and hotter. The Pokemon and humans coexist peacefully since while humans catch Pokemon, they don't really train them all that much. They all just live together like big happy families, only using Pokeballs when they have to. There's 4 islands with completely different Pokemon on each one, lots never seen before in other regions, but most trainers don't go there since there's not as much for them to do. Melemele is where my family is from and my friend Kukui who's dreaming of becoming a professor. Poni Island is where the strongest Pokemon are, but I don't really know all that much about it… oh yeah, they've got these Pokemon called regional variants! Kukui showed me a snow white Vulpix one time and some psychedelic Grimer that eats trash. There's just SO much more to it than a vacation destination."

Lou contributed to the discussion with what I can assume were his own opinions on Alola at the end considering how much he was chittering by the end. Cynthia looked thoughtful about my spiel.

No one really asks about Alola… did I get carried away? Heh.

"So what I'm getting from this is I should've gone yesterday." She smiled. "Well, it'll take me a moment to find the time to properly go there given the railway is going to enter the construction phase soon, but when I can I'll head over to Alola. I might even make a new friend while there." She looked to Lou. "And I'll say hello to your friends there alright?"

Lou simply grunted in response. I wonder if he ever wants to go back? Doesn't seem like it, but I think he appreciates her gesture.

"I think you'll enjoy it, but um… you might want to wear something… lighter," I said gesturing to her latest black coat. The magazines really like to hype it up every year if Cynthia's new coat will be anything but black. They are wrong every year.

She just shrugged, a cheeky grin across her face. "Maybe, but I've got an aesthetic to keep up. I can't just not wear my coat." Her face brightened. "Oooh, maybe that'll be a good excuse for ice cream…"

That got a good laugh from me and even Donut seemed to respect her more at that shameless statement. They share a kinship via sweets. During my whole laughing fit the door from the gym's breakroom opened revealing Volkner looking at something on a tablet before looking up to see Cynthia.

"Cynthia, glad you could make it," Volkner nodded at her with his usual bored expression.

She smiled back at him. "Hello to you too Volkner. I've actually something I'd like to talk about with you if you've got the time?"

"Me too. I've got some reports I wanted to run by you or Lucian if you guys had the time," He looked at me before turning to Cynthia. "You guys busy?"

I perked up before looking at Cynthia. She had already spent a lot of time talking to me and my team so… it's only fair I let her get back to business.

"Nah, it's alright. These two have got to get back to training anyway," I said ignoring the subsequent groans and cheers from my two allies.

She gave me one last careful hug so as to not knock off Donut before waving. "I'll see you later!" She walked off, Reginleif following after along with the rest of her team. Only Heimdall, with slight blue fire coming from where his eyes would be behind the band, looked back.

"Be well, young ones."

And then he walked after Cynthia.

...excuse me? What did he just do? Did Heimdall, a blind Lucario, just speak? Lucario can talk?

Sometime after Roland and Heimdall had their match he was blinded in a fight against Team Galactic. Cynthia isn't liberal with the details, but ever since then he's been wearing an expert belt over his eyes and apparently using his Aura to see. In essence this actually improved his abilities rather than hampered them. I guess the ability to use telepathy was part of it?

"But was that telepathy? You heard that too, right Donut?"

"Pi-chu chu," He nodded slowly.

"Guess that's just what you expect from a champion level Lucario… wow."

It was all I could think before Ganelon reached over my shoulder and plucked Donut off of it. I looked down to see he had taken Lou as well and placed them back on the battlefield.

Oh right, training.

"Alright guys, back to it! Let's try to get Spark down, Lou. Donut, let's see how many laps you can run after a break!"

~The Next Day~

"Are you finished?" I asked, tapping my foot impatiently as I watched Donut sit on my desk, gorging on the cookies one of my classmates made for class. He gave me a dirty look before putting another cookie in his mouth.

"You're just going to regret eating them all when you're hungry later and then you'll whine about wanting more when you know you won't get more."

"Chu!" He squeaked before eating another cookie. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the cookie bag, closing it and placing it in my backpack. Donut gave an annoyed huff followed by a pleading look, but I returned it with a firm one of my own.

Lou managed to crawl onto the desk and chittered something at Donut which simply made him pout.

"You'll thank us for this later. Someone has to be your superego after all," I sighed a bit more dramatically than usual. Another perk of Lou joining our party is that he balances out Donut's laziness and gluttony with his own hardcore, aggressive personality. Donut keeps him mellow and Lou keeps him from getting diabetes. Balanced as all things should be… unlike the Steel type. How come they get 10 resistances and an immunity while Bug types are not very effective against 7 types? Hmm could be worse. Could be an Ice type.

Leaving those thoughts alone, I offered Donut my hand and he practically instinctively hopped onto my arm and jumped into my bag. I offered my left arm for Lou to crawl onto so he could chill on either my shoulder or my head (only if I was wearing a hat). Today he elected head as I was wearing my black cap today.

"Now that we're finally ready, let's go see Jade."

While I was at school, Jade was celebrating his birthday. Specifically his 10th. The most important one of all, the day he becomes a trainer and obtains his starter Pokemon. He met them in the morning like I did and he said to meet him at his place after school so I wanted to get a move on fast. From this day forward we could finally train together, be trainers together and fight together. All I could do was wonder what sort of Pokemon Jade would choose partner… but I already know the species.

It took awhile to finally reach his house. It was more Victorian than most of the houses in Sunyshore with its green paint, eerie black roof and ominous, vine covered fencing. There were even some gargoyle statues close amidst the garden. I always asked him whenever I came over if he found his place to be a bit… unique and he simply told me it's just his family's style.

The Old Chateau style, I swear to Arceus that statue just blinked.

He lived close by to Route 222 so this area of the city was nestled in nature and a bit more isolated. Further from most of the stores and port, that could be convenient if you didn't want to deal with the usual hustle and bustle of the city.

I began making my way to his front door after accessing his house's unnerving exterior for the umpteenth time when I heard water splashing from next door. I looked over and my breath immediately hitched.

Next door was a Sunflora watering their own garden with a Wailmer watering can, but unlike most Sunflora their petals were incredibly jagged and a bit duller than what I've seen. There were also burn marks on their body, but they appeared to be several years old. None of this seemed to inhibit their movements as they peacefully went about watering the plants humming a tune to themselves.

When they noticed me staring they turned to wave and gave me a pleasant smile. Stunned I returned their gesture with one of my own, Donut poked out of the bag to wave as well. The Sunflora nodded contentedly before returning to their work.

I turned back to the ground and began to wonder what had happened to them in the past. Abuse? The expression they gave me didn't imply that. Battles? They could sometimes leave permanent scars in the worst battles, but there was something about these wounds that made me wonder.

Donut poked my cheek bringing me back to reality when I realized I was just standing in the middle of the yard looking down. I turned to face him and he had a look of vague worry, which I eased by stroking his chin.

"It's alright, just lost in my thoughts. Let's go see Jade," I said walking forward and pressing the doorbell. We waited a few moments before I could hear someone running to the door from the inside and the door opened revealing an excited Jade with a pompous smirk.

"Z! You're finally here, good! Let's head to the backyard," Was all he said before he grabbed my arm and dragged me to the backyard leading me to witness an even more extravagant garden than I remember.

Someone has been busy, how many flowers has he planted since the last time I was here? Is this how he prepared?

I looked around to see there were roses, carnations, sunflowers, tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, lilies and more all over his backyard, I thought I had entered a fairy garden for a moment. There was a bird bath and large fountain with Finneon spouts in the corner.

It was a large backyard with a tall tree with several of its branches holding various instruments you'd see at a playground such as a swing or tire swing. In the corner I spotted a singular Budew sniffing a black rose before turning to us. Donut and Lou each jumped off my body as they marveled at our surroundings.

"This is my starter, Flax the Budew. He's a guy by the way," Jade added on at the end. "Flax, this Topaz, Donut and Lou. My friends."

Budew… I knew it. Considering his love for nature I knew he'd choose a grass type, but he also has an affinity for flowers. Budew evolves into the rose Pokemon, it's only fitting. Not to mention he got his Pokemon from Gardenia whose ace is a Roserade. Heh, I could be called an ace detective.

I knelt down to properly greet Flax who walked up to us hesitantly. He seemed a bit timid, but he was willing to greet us. Donut sniffed him cautiously, but a small whiff caused him to sneeze slight jolts.

Flax stepped back nervously, but after Donut finished rubbing his nose he apologized quickly. Lou's greetings was much more straightforward, he simply chittered a few words at him and Flax just looked at him bewildered.

"Your Pokemon are weirding Flax out," Jade sighed hands at his hips.

"Well excuse them for having dynamic personalities, sheesh," I retorted back at Jade jokingly. "So as expected you chose a Budew, at least your tastes are consistent."

"Of course, Roserade are beautiful Pokemon with deadly hidden thorns. That's the exact image I want to convey when I become a true trainer, which is why Flax is my partner. When Volkner showed me all the starters Gardenia sent over I went straight for Flax, it was destined we'd work together and naturally he believed so as well considering he chose me too."

Jade finished his dramatic explanation with a flourish that Flax copied eagerly in his own way despite lacking arms. He seemed to revere Jade a tad which piqued my curiosity.

"So all of this was for Flax?" I said gesturing to the fey garden he'd made here.

"Unfortunately not all of us live with the electric gym leader, so I had to make my own accommodations. Luckily my neighbor, Garland, is a gardner and helped me arrange all the flowers, bushes and fertilizer. Budew is a Pokemon that grows best not by training, but by living in a clean and vibrant environment, at least until they evolve into Roselia. I created this place to be as hospitable to him as possible, so he may achieve the beauty I know we are capable of one day."

"You certainly outdid yourself with all this. Any Pokemon thief with pollen allergies who comes near this place will go into anaphylactic shock," I noted stifling a sniffle. "I'm impressed though, I'll have to let Volkner know you're not such a slacker after all."

"Haha, we can't have that though! We can't get too predictable, I'll have to figure out some sort of scheme to keep him on his toes," Jade joked once again.

We spent a while playing with all 3 of our Pokemon in his backyard. His backyard had ample space for tag as long as we didn't step on any flowers. We swung on the swings, climbed the tree, raced with our Pokemon and just had the time of our lives. Even Lou seemed to be having fun although tag was a bit difficult for him and Donut warmed up to playing with Flax rather well. After a bit we all went inside to rest up and get refreshments. As I was drinking my ginger ale Jade asked me an interesting question.

"So, Z, ready for our battle?" He asked with full confidence.

All I could do was give him a confused look as I swallowed my drink. "Ready to kick your butt? Was that what you said since that's all I heard."

"Cute, but seriously, I wanna see how Flax stacks up," He replied. "Come on, it'll be a light battle, no one will get seriously hurt."

I turned towards Donut and Lou who were enjoying their juice alongside Flax before turning back to Jade.

"It's only fair, let's give it a go. Donut, you're up! Lou come on," I said as I got up from my seat making my way outside. Donut and Lou followed Jade and Flax to the street in front of his house. It was isolated and large enough so a quick battle wouldn't do any harm.

We each took our respective places across from each other. Flax looked at Jade nervously, but he walked onto the battlefield regardless. Donut tried to get Lou to fight for him, but Lou, bless him, pushed him onto the field anyway.

In the corner of my eye I could see the Sunflora was accompanied by a man who I assume was the trainer. His condition was similar to the Sunflora as he walked with a limp, at the edges of his sleeves I could see old burn scars, he wore a large hoodie to cover most of his face, but I could notice some of his fluffy blonde hair.

Despite the way he limped I could still feel like there was a sort of strength to his demeanor. I ignored them and turned back to Jade before I got lost in my thoughts again.

"First battle, first move, show us what you've got Jade," I commanded.

"We'll gladly accept it, here we go, Flax use Absorb!" Jade shouted with an elated gusto. Flax opened up his bud releasing long green tendrils desperate to absorb energy. Donut got on all fours and easily dodged the slow attack.

"Try again, Jade!"

He ignored my taunt and ordered Flax once again this time releasing a bevy of small Poison Stings from his bud. Donut skillfully dodged each one using the evasive techniques we'd been working on including simply rolling out of the way before he got close enough to deliver a Mega Punch straight to Flax's face.

"You good to keep going, Flax?" Jade asked, surprisingly calm about the whole situation. Flax jumped back up and nodded. "Good. Remember to keep a level head, try Pin Missile!"

Flax opened up his bud for the third time releasing sharp missiles with decent tracking. Donut began to run headfirst into the missiles flipping, twisting and turning to avoid them causing many to crash into each other.

"Stop and use Spikes!" Jade commanded once Donut was about to land. It took Flax a moment to switch gears as he had to close his bud and open it again, but this time he sent out small caltrops close to where Donut was going to land.

"Thundershock and Defense Curl! See if you can destroy them!" I shouted as Donut began to let loose electricity while curling into a ball to increase his defense. Many of the Spikes were eliminated by the attack, but not all though the defensive roll mitigated some of the damage. When he stopped rolling on the ground he released himself looking annoyed, but upon seeing Flax charge up another Poison Sting he retaliated with a Thundershock easily blowing back Flax's attempt.

"Hmmm," Was all Jade had to say as Flax was knocked back.

"Finish this with Headbutt," I said and Donut immediately acted. Fueled by his annoyance at the spikes in his fur he leapt forward before Flax could even waddle out of the way before he was launched straight into Jade's arms causing him to fall over as well. Donut landed gracefully before pulling out a spike and licking his fur.

"That's a wrap, thank you Donut. Good job you two. I see the potential already, but Donut is kind of a big deal. He wouldn't lose to a rookie," I boasted.

Ignore the fact I've only been a trainer for less than 2 months.

Jade didn't look bothered, more like contemplative. He pulled out a potion and sprayed Flax who got up albeit a bit groggily before looking sad. Jade sideyed the man with the Sunflora who I assume is Garland who simply nodded. Jade focused back on Flax and rubbed his back.

"No worries, Flax, that was just a test and you passed. You've got skills, I just needed to see how you'd do against someone a bit more experienced," He praised.

I made my way over with Lou in tow who oh so kindly removed a spike from Donut's rear. Jade got up proper with Flax in his arms smirking at me.

"That was exhilarating albeit a bit shorter than I hoped. At the same time I learned something valuable, so it was well worth it."

"Oho and what is that?" I just had to know.

He pointed at me in an obnoxious manner. "That the gap between us is negligible at best. I now know that we can definitely beat you by the time the Little Cup Tournament begins."

I stared at him as though he were crazy. "I don't know if you've heard J, but my team has been pretty effective at taking down fellow rookies. You haven't seen Lou fight and you're already saying you can beat us? All that pollen must be affecting your brain, try taking your head out of the roses for a bit and breathe in the pure air everyone else is sniffing."

"It's alright, Z, I know you're scared of my plans. I would be too, but I'm sure you'll put up a decent fight. Right Flax?" Jade said looking down at Flax who looked confused, but a bit emboldened by his trainer's unwavering confidence. Lou simply scoffed at their hubris. He wasn't a fan of losers boasting. Donut had lost interest which for once I couldn't blame him.

"Hmmm, denial is dangerous indeed. Ah well, this was a fun little bout, but I should prolly head back," I announced.

"Oh right, well thanks for this, truly. It was fun," He gave me a half smile, a genuine one. "There's a lot I need to think about now that I've got my own Pokemon partner. I can see why you kept to yourself for so long when you met Donut."

"Course, it's a lot to think about, but it looks like you're more than ready," I commended him. "See ya later Jade and by the way, you're not winning the Little Cup."

"We'll see," He smirked, causing his emerald eyes to glint mischievously in the light. The Pokemon made their own goodbyes before we took off. Once we had made it a bit down the street I turned around to see what Jade was doing. I noticed him talking adamantly with Garland and his Sunflora who I can only guess was giving him and Flax tips.

I wonder what their story is…

I began to realize I had stayed at Jade's house much longer than I had intended when I noticed the sun slowly beginning to set into the sea as it does every night. The locals were beginning to wrap up the day, either heading home from work or closing up shop. I passed by some tired Elekid with sagging arms who must've spent the entire day training in hopes to one day evolve.

Some Aipom were fleeing the scene of their crime with someone's stolen hat. Lou sat snuggly on my own hat, so its safety was secured when one of the Aipom eyed it mischievously.

Surprisingly enough I noticed a Purrloin quietly observing passersby within the window of their trainer's home. Their eyes lingered on me more than any other person walking past, but they did not bother trying to pursue staring at me once I was out of eyesight.

A few Lillipup puppies ran ahead of their older Herdier caretaker right in front of me. Herdier looked at their wit's end trying to deal with all these puppies, but they nodded apologies to me before running off again.

Donut was poking outside of the bag watching the world from his little spot and waved goodbye to Herdier as they chased their pups down the street. I couldn't see Lou's reaction, but that may be because he didn't really have strong opinions about scenes like that. He was less prone to playing compared to Donut.

I wonder if he had siblings of his own. I wonder if Donut has any siblings, he doesn't seem to show any particular closeness to anyone at the gym and he was born there.

It took awhile since I was walking rather slowly, not in any particular rush to go home since it felt so nice today, when I spotted a familiar face who seemed to be coming from the path close to the gym.

One of the electricians who work with Volkner, Vika I believe is her name. Unlike most of them she's not a gym trainer so I don't see her too often around the gym, but occasionally I see her among the rest of them at meetings in the gym.

When she spotted me she waved emphatically, so I waved back because that was the nice thing to do. Unfortunately she seemed to take that as an invitation to come talk to me, when I really just wanted to lie down and eat, but I can still walk and talk.

"Hey, Topaz! How ya holding up?"

I turned to her proper and slowed my pace. "Same old. You?"

Keep it simple. Courteous.

She just gave a smile and beckoned to where I was going. "C'mon, don't let me keep you. I was just finishing up some maintenance on the gym, and me and Proton figured why not say hi?"

Vika is… big. Like. Really big. She's as big as her Electivire, muscles and all. Blue jeans that have clearly been through a lot, heavy duty boots, thick gloves, a wool sweater to help make sure she doesn't get shocked, she works with heavy electrical equipment all day and she looks it. Her very short yellow hair has black stripes in it, it spikes up like she's got antennae, she's even got red eyes like her Electivire Proton.

No wonder they're her partner, she definitely looks the part.

"I noticed the lights were flickering lately," I noted. Meanwhile Donut popped out of the bag to shake Proton's finger and Lou grunted a greeting in response. I looked at Proton proper. He was large, as expected from an Electivire, but there were also deep scars all over his body where his fur doesn't grow. I had been wanting to ask, but even I had some tact.

She just smiled. "It's fine, just took a little bit of work. Whatcha been up to today? Jade met his starter today right? How'd that go?"

"Mm. He chose a Budew from Gardenia. He created this Garden of Eden in his backyard just for them with his nextdoor neighbor and his Sunflora."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, Garland! They're getting along well then? It's nice for them both to have a fellow grass type lover around."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "You know him?"

"Yeah," grimacing slightly, "we didn't have the greatest time together but he's good people. We see each other every so often. The guy insists I have flowers around my house, says it's for my mental health." She grinned again. "He's right."

"How do you two know each other?"

She just raised an eyebrow. "You sure you want the answer to that? You definitely know it already."

The tone of her voice changed dramatically. The atmosphere got slightly heavier and each step felt as though it carried more weight. I knew exactly what she was talking about, I had figured for a while now, but it didn't seem my place to ask.

Not a single survivor spoke up about their experiences 4 years ago and it had remained till this day. Out of courtesy, news reporters let them be and for all we know they eventually integrated themselves back into society.

"You both were victims of Helheim, right?"

I thought I could feel a pang of actual pain before it quickly vanished. Photon bristled and growled a bit, Vika just patting his shoulder with a deliberately calm expression. "It's okay, we're here now." He nodded, grunting something before he pulled her into a hug. She returned it before looking back to me. "Yeah, but let's change the subject. Yeah?"

"Mm, alright," I nodded quickly and I could feel the tension leave my body. What exactly happened to them was never revealed, but judging by their injuries both trainer and Pokemon suffered. Before I could try to steer the convo elsewhere I noticed that Donut had hopped out of my bag and was perched on Proton's head, casually observing the world as we walked.

Vika glanced to Lou and her smile came back. "I'm glad you respect their line. They're what I'm named after actually."

"Their line…? Oh, Vika as in Vikavolt? Did your parents just have a thing for Vikavolt? Did they save their life? Local celebrity? Was it a threat to name their first born after Vikavolt?" Some of my questions were jokes. I'll let you decide which ones.

"Nah," she laughed heartily, "they just really like 'em. And who wouldn't? They're ffffffffvvvvvery cool."

I frowned at her attempt to not curse. At least she tried. Really I've heard enough trainers to scream obscenities after losing that I feel like I've heard them all. It's funniest when they are from other regions and it's something in a totally different language. I can't wait to elicit that type of response from my opponents.

Lou, who had somehow found himself crawling on Proton as well, beamed proudly at the mention of his line. While he was a far ways away from Vikavolt, he would take the compliment and its validation.

"Do you have a Vikavolt?"

"Back at home yeah. I'm sure she'd be glad to show your new buddy the ropes if he wants. He seems like he knows plenty but there's always something new to learn right?"

Lou quickly exclaimed something I can only guess was a declaration to accept the offer. "It sounds like he'd want that. We've been training bit by bit for the Little Cup tournament coming up, so a few pointers would be great."

She cracked her knuckles and grinned. "Awesome! Ask Volkner where to find me whenever you wanna, we're always ready." Her face scrunched up a bit. "Almost always ready. Everyone has bad days. But besides those."

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you, we'll be sure to take you up on that. Jade thinks he can beat me for some reason, but considering who's on my side, I just don't see that happening."

She laughed. "Don't get cocky now. I've seen bigger upsets. Our Champion is a walking upset. But I'll be rootin' for you."

"No worries, we've got this!" I proudly stated as Donut began to swing from Proton's tails and Lou chittered away at Proton about one thing or the other.

We had a surprisingly nice conversation all the way until it was time for us to separate. We said our farewells and I went inside to finally get something to eat, but also figured since I didn't have homework I ought to check one of my myth books.

It's common knowledge is an expert on myths and archaeology particularly the ones of Sinnoh. If she found something of interest it'd be in a myth she read and was able to learn was plausible. Now which story could that be…?

I changed out of my school clothes, devoured a bento box and sat on my bed with a new mythos book I had borrowed from the school library. Donut was on the floor playing with trains while Lou was gnawing on a chew toy contentedly. Since both were left to their own devices I felt comfortable searching for answers at my own pace.

I began to speed read through the book, looking for anything of note until I came across a few myths of interest. They were familiar, the more well known myths with the official documents being kept in Canalave library.

'Long ago, when Sinnoh had just been made, Pokémon and humans led separate lives. That is not to say they did not help each other. No, indeed they did. They supplied each other with goods, and supported each other. A Pokémon proposed to the others to always be ready to help humans. It asked that Pokémon be ready to appear before humans always. Thus, to this day, Pokémon appear to us if we venture into tall grass.'

"Mmmm," I audibly groaned. This was anything, but plausible. It sounded more like propaganda to make it seem as though Pokemon were eager to assist humans at a moment's notice. The creation of Pokeballs may have implied this, but nowadays if a Pokemon doesn't want to help you, it's unlikely they'll change their mind because you walked into their grass patch.

I turned the page.

'Three Pokémon there were. Into the lakes they dove. Deep, deep, drawing no breath. Deeper, deeper they dove. Into suffocating depths they dove. Deeper, then deepest they alight. From the lake floor they rise. Bearing with them the power to make vast lands, they rise again.'

"Hm," I stroked my chin. This has to be about the Lake Guardians, but there's not exactly much to it that we don't already know.

I turned the page.

'In the beginning, there was only a churning turmoil of chaos. At the heart of chaos, where all things became one, appeared an Egg. Having tumbled from the vortex, the Egg gave rise to the Original One. From itself, two beings the Original One did make. Time started to spin. Space began to expand. From itself again, three living things the Original One did make. The two beings wished, and from them, matter came to three living things wished, and from them, spirit came to be. The world created, the Original One took to unyielding sleep…'

"Arceus…" I said slowly. There's no way to prove how much of this story is fiction or fact since as far as I know Arceus hasn't visited humans in centuries. Unless Cynthia met them then that'd be something… If they were going to appear it would most likely be Sinnoh so it wouldn't be too farfetch'd…

I sighed and put a pin on that thought. If she had met Arceus she likely would've asked them about their lore and edited to be more factual.

Turning even more pages I found some more recently discovered myths of interest. According to the little blurbs they had only transported the official documents to museums in Hearthome and the library at Canalave recently. I turned to the first one that caught my eye.

'Dark, darker, darker still,

Listen to my voice, if you will.

To the noises that go bump at night,

To the howls causing so much fright.

Broken down, my Old Chateau,

What a wonderful place to go.

Here I am across from thee,

And nothing but a wall you see.

And over there a laughing Ghastly,

But is that breath on your neck them, or me?'

"Yeesh," I frowned. I can't say I care much for ghosts. The Old Chateau has been abandoned for ages, but no one dares tear it down as ghosts began inhabiting it exceedingly fast. The place is open to trainers, but it's not for the faint of heart or unprepared. Ghosts are highly unpredictable and even to this day we have trouble treating ghost related injuries and the ghosts themselves.

I turned the page.

'Long ago, humans didn't have Pokeballs to fend off Pokemon. They used to live in fear, boarding up homes and hoping to not be noticed. That is, until a select few Pokemon closer to the humans felt bad and tried to show them how to defend themselves. While unable to use their moves, some humans gained the ability to use Pokemon abilities themselves. Never speaking their language, but accomplishing great feats that an ordinary human never could.'

Now this was an interesting retelling as it seemed to have some degree of accuracy. Humans have been able to survive for so long due to relying on each other and Pokemon, but there are also those with special abilities. Folks with ESP can mentally tango with the best of psychics with enough training and even the few skilled in aura could punch holes straight through solid steel. At the same time this didn't feel like anything we don't already know unless I was missing something. I noted the story before turning the page again.

'There was a girl who lived by the ocean. She swam as much as she possibly could, to the point some joked about her being a water Pokemon. A Finneon took a liking to her, and the two were often seen playing together. One day though, the girl was gone. No matter how much looking was done, no one could find her. The mother however saw two Finneon, swimming side by side happy as can be.'

"Isn't there a dex entry like this," I said to myself as I reached over to my night table to skim through my Pokedex until I landed on the Kadabra page. There have been many folktales about young, intelligent boys turning into Kadabra out of nowhere and this looked very similar to those stories.

Were they true? I can't say for certain, but it seemed to be a running theme. I kept on reading the book until my eyes grew tired and I finally had to close it. I wasn't any closer to discovering what Cynthia's secret was, but I had a bevy of stories that I could bring up later in the hopes I guessed the right answer.

I stared into the ceiling and I began to think about recent events. Cynthia and her mysterious secret. The cocky Jade and his eager to please Budew. Garland the gardener and his burnt Sunflora. Vika and the pain she still retained despite Team Galactic having been defeated years ago.

Well for now anyway.

I rolled onto my side, exhausted. I could feel the pit pat of the bed as Donut scurried his way to my chest to fall asleep. As soon as he did the thoughts swirling through my mind began to dissipate and I entered a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

~Several Months Later~

Volkner, Roland, Donut, Lou and I made our way to the school battlegrounds. Donut was comfortable in my bag, while Lou sat eagerly on my head. Volkner looked down at me and asked.

"You ready for today?"

I practically scoffed at the question. "Ready and willing."

Donut and Lou squeaked and chirped in agreement. In the distance I could spy my fellow classmates meeting up with the officiates of the whole ordeal. Jade turned around and smirked when he saw me, which I returned in kind.

Today was the day of the Little Cup Tournament.

~Chapter 9 Fin~

Chapter Text

The school year has ended and summer has begun. Topaz, Donut and Lou have grown closer, smarter and stronger over the last few months and are excited to show far they have come. The Little Cup Tournament is finally here and Topaz has made a vow to face Jade off in the finals. Will his team prevail or will their light be snuffed out? Let's see shall we?

~x~

Location: Sunyshore Elementary School Field.

It was a hot midsummer's day and there was a large crowd at the elementary school battlefield. Humans and Pokemon alike sat with interest as they absorbed the announcer's every word.

At the podium stood the school principal, Beachstreet, wiped his brow every few words as he spoke enthusiastically despite the heat. Personally, I found the heat perfect and the weather divine. I took in my surroundings admiring the various colorful trees and wild Starly flitting from one to the other.

The new rose garden the school had recently planted glistened with dew from its early morning watering. The grass was a vivid, healthy green and the wind blew through my hair calming my thoughts.

Truly a Sunyshore day.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming today! The school year has ended for now, but we all must remember to stay vigilant and diligent. It is always a refreshing sight to see my students begin training Pokemon and so we hold this tournament to commemorate and showcase their efforts in a controlled space. I have no doubts all of our participants will grow up to be exceptional battlers and strategists!" The crowd applauded Principal Beachstreet as he continued on with his speech about the Little Cup tournament.

There were more people than I expected around, but I suppose it makes sense as families want to see how their kids handle themselves in official trainer settings, even in something as juvenile as a Little Cup.

I sat next to Volkner and Roland who stuck out a bit as no one else amongst the crowd carried so much presence… except well Vika. She and her Electivire cast large shadows as well, but in a different light. Volkner is a gym leader, the strongest in the region, and he's come to watch me fight.

I won't lie. I'm a bit giddy to show him how much I've improved these past months with Donut and Lou. His team helps them train a little bit when they are free and he gives me tips, but as we are right now we wouldn't be able to handle his training. We have to show we're worth it and decimating the competition should be able to prove that.

Donut has gotten the hang of charging his electricity which means his electric attacks are much more potent and he's also mastered the premise of Rollout meaning he's got another highly useful physical move at his disposal.

Lou on the other hand has become an adept user of Spark and has grown a bit in size since I had caught him. Lou, while strong when I had first caught him, had a lot of hidden strength to be unlocked, but I believe he just needed a stable home life for a bit and he was able to grow in the way he desired.

Donut was vaguely paying attention to the speech inside my bag. Even though it was a hot summer's day he still didn't mind sitting inside it. I checked and the insulation is decent, but with all that fur he must be a little hot right? Either way, there was where he remained while Lou was by my feet.

I've had to warn people about him due to his small stature most people tend to not notice he's even there. I really do not want to deal with an angry Lou who had just been stepped on, but luckily he prefers to stay close to me. On the way over most trainers gave Roland a wide berth anyway, not necessarily out of fear… well that very well could be a factor, but I'd like to think respect as well.

Even if Donut became the strongest Raichu in the world I don't think he could exude that kind of presence unless he tried with all his might. Not like he'd care though.

"Today we have 8 participants in this Little Cup. They have all passed the examinations needed to compete and all have at least two Pokemon. We will have 3 rounds. The first round is a simple 1v1. The second round is a double battle. The finals are a 2v2. Your opponents will be chosen by random lottery," Principal Beachstreet stated as his assistant ran up behind him to hand him a box. He quickly thanked them before turning back to us with the box with a large enough hole at the top to stick your hand in.

"We have 4 pairs of color coded sticks. If you have the same color as someone else then that will be your opponent. Understood? If not, no worries I can explain again! If you do, please come on down and get your sticks!"

All 8 of us among the crowd got up. In the corner of my eye I spotted Jade's jet black hair in the background. He turned towards me and gave a cocky smirk that I returned in kind. Silently telling the other to not make a fool of himself before we could face off.

"Do what ya gotta do, Nephew," Volkner stated with a neutral expression while Roland simply grunted.

"Always," I smiled as I recalled Lou before heading down.

We all made our way to the box. I had gotten there 5th and every person before me had gotten a different color stick: Green, red, blue or yellow.

Well if those are the colors we've got access to…

I stuck my hand in the box and just as I thought I pulled out the yellow one. Jade went right after me and pulled out the green one.

Even the universe wants us to maintain our aesthetics.

"Now let's not waste any time! After meeting your opponent and offering your good sportsmanship, wait on the sidelines for your turn to battle. The order will be Green, Red, Blue and finally Yellow!"

I looked around for whoever had gotten the other yellow stick until the plain looking girl with brown hair came up to me holding up the yellow stick in question.

"Looks like you're my first victim, Topaz," She bragged pointing the stick at me.

I simply looked at the stick and her with vague confusion.

"Ummm… you are?" I could hear Donut chuckle a bit at my question.

"T-this is a joke right? We were in the 4th grade together! The very grade we just finished like a month ago! We sat next to each other during the last quarter!"

We did? I'm sure I would've remembered that. Right? I'll wing it.

"Oh yeah, I remember, yeah. You were the girl who uhhh you borrowed my pencil and never gave it back!"

She cringed and facepalmed. "No. You actually took my pencil and never gave it back after you lent yours to Leah," The girl whose name still escapes me said as she pointed to who I assume is Leah. An equally plain girl except with green hair who was talking to her opponent.

"Oh," Was all I could say. They didn't even look alike yet I got them mixed up. After some thinking they both seem familiar, but at the same time I really don't care.

"Since I'm guessing you forgot, the name's Maisy, by the way."
"Yeah yeah, good for you, I didn't come here to learn-"

"Relearn."

"Reforget your name. So how about we just fight it out and maybe I'll remember your name if you impress me," I compromised.

She simply scoffed and made her way to the sidelines where we were meant to wait in pairs. Jade was already standing on the battlefield staring down his opponent yawning as though he had not gotten enough sleep. Naturally his opponent (who is also a classmate whose name I cannot remember) looked pretty miffed about Jade's casual disinterest in what's supposed to be their first organized fight.

Hope they haven't amped up unsportsmanlike conduct penalties specifically for us or we'd have already lost.

The referee stood in their spot with their flags before announcing the rules.

"The rules are simple. This will be a 1v1 battle. Due to the rules of the Little Cup you are not permitted to use any Pokemon that has already evolved nor Pokemon with no known evolution. Victory is secured when the opponent surrenders or is knocked out. Understood?"

The referee looked at both sides who each nodded. "Then commence the battle between Tony Radworth and Jade Forest!"

Oh so his name is Tony.

"Snorunt, I believe in you!" Tony tossed his ball shouting (with a slight voice crack) and emerged a small, but confident looking Snorunt. Jade gave a quick chuckle before taking out a Pokeball.

"Shizu, make a scene!"

Emerging from the Pokeball was the new Pokemon he had acquired after our battle. An ebon black canine with a red underbelly and skeletal protrusions emerging from her body, Shizu the Houndour.

I frowned. I wasn't there when he caught her, but apparently he went to Route 214 where Houndour are commonly found in the hopes of finding one that could be easily convinced to join his team. Somehow, he managed to find a starving Shizu, fed her and promised a much more comfortable life if he joined her. Needless to say she leaped at the option.

Strange Jade of all people would offer the option at all.

Jade loves grass types and nature, so for him to willingly choose a fire type with cursed abilities seems… counterproductive. Especially as he still only has just Flax as his grass type. When I asked him why he simply said: "Come now Z, my tastes aren't so limited. We all have our preferences, but I intend to not limit my Pokemon choices by them."

I wonder how many accidental fires he's had to put out before his house and garden burned down after he told me all that.

"I leave the first move to you, MonoTony!" Jade mocked as Shizu growled at the Snorunt whose confidence waned in the face of the ferocious fire mutt. Shizu gave Snorunt a deep threatening growl.

I know she's still a bit wild, but I hope she doesn't maul them, yeesh.

"Shut up! Snorunt, show them your Powder Snow!" Despite their obvious apprehension Snorunt obeyed and let loose a standard Powder Snow.

"Hmmm, you're gonna be basic, then so shall we. Why show our cards so early into the day, right Shizu? Flame Charge through it," Jade nonchalantly stated.

Shizu obeyed without hesitation, stomping the ground quickly before becoming engulfed in flames and charging through the Powder Snow as though it were regular snow.

Snorunt rolled out of the way at the last second before they were hit by the brunt of the attack, but as soon as she stopped Shizu turned around and spat a large cloud of Smog straight into Snorunt's face. The Icy Wind they were building quickly turned into a coughing fit before Shizu slammed into Snorunt with another Flame Charge.

"S-snorunt, you're okay right?" Tony asked shakily as Snorunt got up a bit burned.

The speed boost is already apparent.

"Good, then use Headbutt!"

"Are you sure about that?" Jade questioned as Snorunt launched himself at Shizu, but they merely fell through an illusion. Snorunt landed face first and before they could get up a dark energy laced paw came down upon their head slamming them into the ground.

Feint Attack, hm.

Shizu smashed down on Snorunt a few more times before picking them up in her teeth, breathing a slight Smog onto him and throwing back to his side of the field. Snorunt bounced several times before he landed on his feet, but judging by his wobbly movements the Smog had disoriented him greatly as well as his battle damage.

After a few more strained wobbles Tony simply recalled him out of mercy.

"Tony has surrendered, so Jade is the winner of the first match! Good showing everyone," The referee said as he waved his flags.

Jade knelt by Shizu and began to scratch underneath her chin. "Good girl, just like we practiced. I told you you were a natural at fighting."

Shizu's face had calmed drastically from her previous violent expressions to a more puppy dog look, panting excitedly. Houndour can be a bit more aggressive than more traditional canine pokemon such as Rockruff or Lillipup, but they are just as fiercely loyal, maybe even moreso.

Jade is her pack leader and she is eager to please him, they've formed a solid bond over the last few months. I couldn't help, but smile. The moment was cute and all, but my excitement was building up even more.

Can't wait to fight her. I hope Flax will be as much fun to face off against.

Jade recalled Shizu and made his way back to the sidelines. He gave me a satisfied smile which I returned with a quick nod. His opponent, Thomas the Tank Engine or something I already forgot, made his way to the Nurse Joy accompanied by a Happiny.

The next match was to begin immediately after some applause from the audience. Volkner simply looked amused by the show, but not really entertained. One sided beatdowns are more pitiful than anything. Not worth getting excited over.

Now I could tell you about the 2 other matches before mine, but let's be honest, we've had enough filler and I can't care enough to recall what even happened, so let's get back to what's important: Me!

I made my way to the battlefield, facing off against Maisy who stood confidently on the other side, as though she wasn't fighting the gym leader's nephew. Donut meanwhile sat in my bag watching from the sidelines.

Looks like I need to hammer in that living with a trained professional does have its perks. Time to show her what's what.

"Trainers release your Pokemon!"

"Lou, stand strong!"

"Let's go, Ducklett!"

We each tossed our pokeballs out at the same time and upon hearing her choice I immediately knew this was going to be quick. Before there was a 99% chance it was going to be quick, but now it's 100%.

Why would she choose a flying water type against the electric type user?

"Sksksk!"

I looked down at Lou who was already riled up. It's easy to imagine what he's saying judging by Ducklett's stunned face. Or do they always look like that? Either way it's prolly something incredibly profane due to his anti bird nature. Except finally he can act on it.

"Fly and then use Water Gun!" Ducklett took to the skies before taking a deep breath and letting loose a fierce jet of water at my little grub. Lou was so used to fighting aerial opponents that to give him orders as how to deal with this felt insulting.

"Handle it," Was all I said and handled it he did. I watched as he quickly dug beneath the ground to avoid the Water Gun. Ducklett remained in the sky searching for movement, but I knew it was a fruitless endeavor.

"What do you think you're doing? Guess your weird Alola bug succumbed to his instincts and fled," Maisy teased obnoxiously. "Ground moves don't work on Flying types! Plus if we really wanted to, we could flush him out."

"Lou's primary instinct is to attack any bird on sight and that is exactly what he's about to do. If you wanted to flush him out, you should've done so from the start! Now it's too late." Just as I finished speaking a String Shot burst from the ground and wrapped itself around Ducklett's wings, grounding them before they could realize what had happened.

"W-what!?" Maisy stared in shock in an attempt to figure out where the string had come from and how she had missed Lou.

Just as expected.

Lou had dug through the ground, but he had no intention of emerging from a new hole. Ducklett was searching for new openings in the ground, but they had neglected to think about him simply reemerging from the already established one.

"Spark!" Lou's body charged with electricity as soon as the word left my lips. No longer did he need practice with this move, no he had mastered it. Like a Sharpedo in water he dashed through the dirt blazing with electricity as Ducklett attempted to break out of his string shot.

Unfortunately, while they did not completely succeed they managed to create a wall of feathers to soften the blow a fair bit. Upon contact they rolled through the ground, but managed to untangle the string and launch another Water Gun.

Feather Dance? Smart, but not enough.

"Grapple onto Ducklett and use Spark again!"

Lou jumped directly over the Water Gun and with pinpoint accuracy fired a String Shot straight into their mouth ending the attack. Not stopping there he began to reel himself in with the string as though he was retracting from a grappling hook.

"Cut him off with Wing Attack!" Ducklett quickly severed the string keeping them together and moved out of the way as Lou launched straight for them. What they did not expect was for Lou to simply drill his way into the earth once he made contact.

"He's going to attack again, ascend!"

"End it here, catch them!" I had full confidence in his digging abilities. Ducklett flew quite a bit into the air, but Lou shot out of the ground like a bullet, soared through the sky and caught Ducklett within his mandibles.

Ducklett tried to manifest a Wing Attack or Feather Dance to escape, but Lou simply squeezed harder and made sure as they descended that Ducklett took the brunt of the damage, ceasing the attempts at once. His tiny body charged with electricity one more time, frying the blue duck Pokemon without mercy.

Once he let go, Ducklett fell to the ground without any resistance, knocked out completely. Lou simply scoffed and looked into the sky as though this victory wasn't worthy of praise. This was just a part of his mission.

"Ducklett is unable to battle! Lou and Topaz are the winners!"

"Woo. That was a great battle, Maisy. Thanks," I complimented my opponent.

She simply gave me a stunned expression as she cradled her Ducklett before recalling them and nodding at me in acknowledgement. She didn't look happy about the loss, but she did look surprised I hadn't taunted her as usual.

Finally got a name right.

Putting that thought aside, I looked up to Volkner in the crowd who simply crossed his arms and blinked.

'That was a good start.'

That's what that look meant. That battle hadn't tested us enough, but nonetheless it was worthy of some praise. Lou made his way over to me and I smiled at him in thanks. He simply grunted in response before I recalled him.

We aren't done yet, there's 2 more battles left.

"With that concludes the 1st round! We'd like to thank the 4 other participants for trying so hard today! No worries there'll be other chances for victory on another day. Now we move onto the second round, double battles!" The crowd cheered after the principal made another one of his speeches. We got a 5 minute break to refresh our Pokemon before it was back into the fray.

Jade and the girl known as Margaret fought first after a riveting game of rock-paper-scissors to decide the battle order. Flax and Shizu worked in tandem to take her team down and move onto the finals. I on the other hand still had Leah to contend with.

"Challengers take your positions!" The referee called out. "This will be a double battle between Topaz and Leah. You lose when both Pokemon are unable to battle or via surrender. Any questions? Good. Please send out your Pokemon!"

"Donut, Lou, stand together!" I tossed Lou's Pokeball while Donut hopped out of my bag and right onto the battlefield.

"Bonsly, Baltoy, I need you both!"

Across from me appeared a walking bonsai tree and an ancient clay top. Unlike the previous match we were at a severe disadvantage as Baltoy is immune to Donut's electric moves, meanwhile Bonsly's rock moves are super effective against Lou.

The obvious and smart thing to do would be for her Pokemon to hone in on who they are advantageous against, but we can use that mindset to our advantage.

"Baltoy, use Confusion on Donut! Bonsly, Rock Tomb on Lou! Divide and conquer!"

Ugh psychic moves, it'll be harder to dodge that one if he's not careful.

Donut got on all fours as his ears' twitched sensing when the psychic wave from Baltoy was going to strike and dodged. Bonsly managed to summon several large boulders to throw at Lou, but he managed to dig underground at the last second.

"We aren't falling for that! Baltoy, attack the ground with Psybeam!"

"Intervene with Tickle!"

Faster than Baltoy could blink Donut was all over the ancient toy tickling wherever he could. While they weren't a conventional organic Pokemon whatever Donut was tickling caused them to go haywire as they began spinning around letting loose loud distress signals.

Unfortunately, they still had enough sense to use Rapid Spin and knock Donut flying. To make matters worse Bonsly had time to sling a large rock at Donut sending him sprawling into the dirt.

Ouch.

Finally, Lou had reached his target and dug the ground from straight under Bonsly causing them to fall into his trap. It was filled with mud which I knew wasn't pleasant for an armless rock type.

Lou can handle that, but Baltoy…

"Donut, Rollout into Baltoy! Don't let them rescue Bonsly. Lou, use back to back Bug Bites to wear Bonsly down!"

Upon my orders the weary Donut made a mad dash towards Baltoy before he curled into a ball and began spinning towards them with his mastered Rollout. Lou meanwhile within the depths of his mud pit began slashing away at the defenseless Bonsly. Spark would be counterproductive in a mud pit, so this was the next best tactic.

Leah grit her teeth as she had to decide whether to stop Lou or Donut. In the end she decided to preserve her other Pokemon and ordered Baltoy to use Rapid Spin on Lou. I briefly wondered why she didn't just use Confusion to pick him out, but I figured it's likely because they haven't mastered Confusion without line of sight yet.

Either way, Lou was still beating down on Bonsly as they struggled and flailed in his mud pit. They could barely breathe, much less summon rocks to save themselves. Leah held on tight to Bonsly's pokeball with fear in her eyes. Even I was tempted to tell Lou to cease, but I had confidence he wouldn't let them drown in the mud. It seemed they were using Fake Tears to lower his spirit, but even then the mud was a whole problem in itself.

As Baltoy spun closer to rescue their teammate Donut attempted to cross off their path, but while Donut had mastered Rollout, it was hard to outspin a literal top so he had trouble catching up to their natural elegance and deftness. Baltoy was able to jump over the hole Lou and Bonsly were in and by using Confusion they were able to lift Bonsly out.

"Great job, Baltoy!" Leah cheered until she saw Lou jump up to catch his quarry once more. "Bonsly make him stop! Scream!"

Finally able to breathe within mud in their mouth, Bonsly let loose a powerful Uproar right into Lou smacking him back down into his pit. At the same time though, this caused Baltoy to lose their concentration and drop Bonsly haphazardly into Donut's path who smashed into him by pure luck.

Bonsly went flying screaming tears of regret before they face planted into the ground, unconscious. Donut tripped up due to not expecting to hit anything especially something so solid, but upon seeing Baltoy try to gain their bearings he took it upon himself to punch them in the face.

"Uh, great job, Donut! Seize the day," I cheered for him. It was a little messy, but it worked out. Leah recalled Bonsly angrily before she ordered Baltoy to use Mud Slap, gathering large piles of mud and hurling them at Donut who expertly dodged each attempt.

"Hmmmm! Aha! Throw mud where he's going to be and where he's going to land!" Leah offered the advice to Baltoy and they complied immediately, lobbing one mud slap at Donut himself, who dodged naturally, and the next where they predicted he'd land.

In a Double Battle you have to be aware of 4 Pokemon instead of 2 all at the same time. Forgetting that can cost you the match.

Right when they were about to throw, their psychic hold of the mud was interrupted by the ground falling from underneath them. Unlike Bonsly they were fast enough to avoid falling into the hole and tossed an annoyed Mud Slap right into Lou's face, but even if Lou's surprise attack failed this was the end.

"Finish it with Tickle and Mega Punch!"

Donut made use of Lou's distraction to crawl onto Baltoy for a quick Tickle, but just enough to ensure their defense was lowered enough before climbing to the back of their head and punching them straight into the ground. The clay doll pokemon bounced off the dirt several times before skidding to a halt. The referee quickly ran over to the motionless Baltoy before raising a flag.

"Baltoy and Bonsly are unable to battle! Donut and Lou are the victors, Topaz goes onto the final round!"

At the sound of that Donut fell flat on his butt and breathed a sigh of relief while Lou dug out of his hole and shook off all the mud that had gotten onto him… right onto Donut. In retaliation Donut gave him the dirtiest look possible before he kicked him back into his hole, while Lou began screeching in betrayal. I pinched the bridge of my nose while I could practically feel Volkner sigh in disbelief and Roland facepalm.

This is fine. Tantrums are normal in Little Cup. They won and that's what matters.

I take my hand away from my face to see them wrestling in the mud, loudly squeaking and screeching. I could feel my face grow red as I pulled out their Pokeballs and recalled both chastising their balls.

"So even the great Topaz, nephew of Volkner, can't control every action of his Pokemon," Leah noted. It didn't sound like she was bragging. More like a statement of relief that we have some relatable ground.

"Heh, there's only so much you can do after an electric type's fur gets ruined," I placed a hand behind my head and laughed awkwardly. Leah smiled in understanding before she made her way to the nurse. I quickly scampered off stage to do the same rather than face the crowd.

During the short break I handed Donut and Lou over to Nurse Joy and Happiny so they could get a little recuperation before the final battle. During my wait, Jade came up to talk to me.

"And as expected we each made it to the final round. 'bout time, I was hoping for a challenge today,``he boasted, stretching.

I frowned slightly. "I wouldn't call it unchallenging, per say. Leah was pretty good and Maisy's Ducklett was surprisingly durable."

"Yeah yeah, but don't expect 'pretty good' and 'surprisingly durable' from Flax and Shizu. Remember I have to keep my promise from our first battle. I vowed to you I would prevail in our rematch and here I am to show you exactly how I shall."

I smirked in defiance at his bold statement. "So you're actually gonna make me work for the win today? I don't want you crying if things don't go exactly how you wanted."

"I was going to say the same to you," Jade extended a fist and I returned with a bump. "I'll see you on the battlefield then."

"Best of luck to ya."

Jade made his way to the field while I turned to my thoughts.

This is it. Let's make it count.

Chapter Text

It is nearly the end of these childish theatrics. The Little Cup finale approaches as does the true rival battle between Topaz Heart and Jade Forrest. Childhood friends and rivals fight to determine who is stronger. The perfect way to end this arc of Topaz's life.

~x~

"They just needed a quick breather, some cleaning and a potion or two otherwise they are all set for the final match. Good luck!" Nurse Joy smiled her usual warm, polite smile. Her Happiny clapped gleefully in conjunction. I thanked them both and headed off to the final match just in time for the principal to give his pre battle speech.

"This Little Cup has been a thrilling event, but it's time for our final match of the day! I would like to once again applaud all the Pokemon who have worked so hard to make it this far, and I cannot wait to see who will emerge as today's Little Cup champion!" Principal Beachstreet finished his speech proudly which was followed by raucous applause.

In the bleachers Volkner gave a small smile unnoticed by the crowd.

Roland sat with his arms crossed and eyes focused, having no intention of missing a single detail. After everything was said and done he was sure to drill Donut, Lou and even myself on more optimal battle strategies.

Vika sat with her Electivire with great interest in what's to come while Garland and his Sunflora smiled down at Jade, curious to see how far they've truly come. Sunflora looked a bit nervous, but Garland stroked her back to calm her nerves.

My eyes fell upon Jade properly. His green scarf billowed in the wind as if clawing at an invisible threat. His hands floated above his pokeballs craving, hungering for battle. His curly black hair was blown away from his face revealing his piercing emerald green eyes staring directly into my amber eyes.

There was no one else amongst us at that moment. This would be our first true battle. We had grown up together and were the best of friends, but as trainers, no as rivals, we had to put those fond memories behind us and direct our Pokemon with all we've got. We owe it to each other, but most importantly them.

We won't lose.

"The final battle will be between Topaz and Jade. This will be a 2v2 battle, switching between Pokemon is permitted after a knockout. When both Pokemon are knocked out is considered a loss and your opponent will be declared the champion of the Little Cup. Any questions?" The referee asked.

Jade raised his hand as though he were in class and just like in class, began speaking before the referee could call on him. "By the way, this is our first official rival battle! Is there a special prize there for me when I win?"

This presumptuous little-

"This is your first rival battle? Oh, congratulations on your official declaration. The establishment of your first rival is always a touching moment."

So the first battle at his house doesn't count? Okay then. Guess we aren't mentioning that today.

"Nonetheless, there is a prize for winning the tournament, but I am not permitted to disclose that information until a winner has been declared. I assure you both, it will be worth it," The referee finished.

I rolled my eyes impatiently. "Excellent, you have your incentive. Can we fight now?"

"Yeah yeah, cheerio old chap! Ring the gong, ref!" Jade called out to the referee.

"...we don't have the budget for a gong- I mean, battle begin!"

"Donut, stand strong!"

"Flax, make a scene!"

We tossed out our Pokeballs at the same time revealing my lax Pichu and his spry Budew. They gave each other their greetings before Jade decided to start things off.

"Spikes!"

"Blow it all back with AoE Thunder Wave!"

Flax began spewing dozens of tiny, sharp caltrops into the air, but we had entered the fight expecting this. Donut jumped into the air and let loose his Thunder Wave sphere catching the caltrops before they hit the ground and sending them off the field.

"Pin Missile!"

"Maneuver!"

After unleashing one last attempt at Spikes they switched to full on assault with large needles filling the sky. Donut surrounded himself in a much smaller sphere of electricity before making his way over to Flax.

The Pichu line already have incredibly sensitive ears, but by constantly producing a thin layer of electricity he could be aware of attacks before they hit him properly and deal with them accordingly. When we first started training he had to rely on his instincts and ears alone, but he's grown far beyond that.

Each time a missile entered his perimeter Donut would shift his body ever so slightly to dodge, or for slightly larger missiles he would simply force out with increased output. Although closer up it would be dangerous to approach such a wild attack, there's always an opening…

Just as I had predicted Flax's missile output began to slow down before he had to stop to reload.

That's it!

"Charged Rollout!"

Upon my request Donut condensed his electric barrier back within his body, jumped and began front flipped into an electrically charged Rollout. The slow Budew could do little dodge before Donut slammed into him. The look on Flax's face was enough evidence that he wasn't used to taking hard hits yet.

Sorry Flax, but we're on a roll!... Get it? Okay, I'll stop before I spin out. Wait, don't leave, keep reading!

"That was perfect, Donut! Keep going!" I cheered as Donut began to roll around for a second hit.

"Was it really though? Add another layer!" Jade ordered. Flax got up surprisingly quickly for an armless Pokemon as he spread more caltrops onto the field, this time more around himself rather than my side of the field.

"Donut, jump and use Thundershock!" Donut flipped out of his rollout and jumped into the air to fire his Thundershock at Flax, but the real shock to us was the sudden tendril emerging from his bud. It looked similar to a vine except it was glowing a vivid green. It looped around Donut during his attack causing him to take another hit, but he still held on strong.

Is this Absorb? I thought it was a red beam while Giga Drain were the energy absorption vines. Guess every move manifests differently, which is why we need to adapt!

"He's trying to drain your energy so let's give him some more, Thundershock-"

"Slam him into the ground," Jade stated, plainly cutting me off. Rather than drain any energy Flax took a firm step forward and slammed Donut into the ground as he shocked him. I couldn't even give my next set of counterattacks as Donut screamed in pain.

My face immediately contorted in fear at the sound as I called out his name. "D-donut!" I yelled in slight panic as my heart skipped a beat when I saw that he had slammed Donut right into where he had left a layer of his Spikes, leaving several of the caltrops stuck to my little Pichu's body. "Use Thunder Wave to get rid of them!"

"Now drag him through the spikes," Jade stated once again. Flax complied, albeit with a mixed expression, dragging Donut through more spikes. I couldn't do anything but watch as Flax strengthened his hold on Donut and used the time he had to drag the tiny mouse through the spikes available closest to him.

Donut's squeaks of pain echoed throughout the field, an unpleasant noise that caused some of the audience to look away, but I wouldn't dare. My heart and soul screamed for Donut in those moments and my body ached in the need to help him. I watched as each caltrop dug into his little body and then was pushed in deeper by the dirt.

I watched Flax focusing more on upholding the Absorb vine as he continued to torment my partner.

My eyes fell upon Jade who observed Flax with an aloof, serious expression. Keeping an eye on when to stop before the Absorb vine dissipated or until I gave in.

Except I won't. Donut isn't done yet. I have faith in him, I know his likes, dislikes, when he likes to sleep and who he even bothers to talk to. But I also know his limits. He acts like he doesn't care, but he's not letting Flax go without a parting gift. I'm sorry this hurts Donut, but believe in my words. You can endure this!

My chest surged with energy as my eyes honed in on the slightest waver in Flax's fortitude and I screamed.

"THUNDERBOLT!"

Whatever power I had was in Donut's paws now as he took advantage of Flax's moment of weakness by overcoming his pain, crackling a Thunder Wave on himself to get out of Flax's grip. Even all the Spikes in his vicinity and on himself went flying before he let loose the strongest Thundershock- no, Thunderbolt I had ever seen from him.

Flax wasn't prepared in the slightest as he reeled in his vine and was electrocuted from bud to toe, charring some of his leaves. Flax staggered, but refused to fall, his innate electric resistance coming in handy, but that's all that allowed him to remain upwards.

Just because Jade taught him a few strategies to employ and raised him in a comfy garden doesn't mean he's accustomed to battles yet. Experience breeds growth and fortitude and he lacks both. Granted he's doing incredibly well so far, I can only imagine how he'll be once he's evolved.

Jade cringed at the sight and grit his teeth in quiet rage. I'm not sure over what exactly. Donut fell on all fours, shocking more of the spikes out, but they had done their damage. Despite his size he was surprisingly durable after months of training, but some had broken through his fur and into his skin leaving him a red and yellow mess. What was worse was the sickly way he carried himself causing me to turn to Jade in explanation.

Poison!?

"How?… you had no time to poison him! What did you do, Jade?" I questioned him, desperate to know what he had done.

"Seems your research on Pokemon besides electric types has been lacking of late. Budew can't learn Toxic Spikes yet, but if you give them pristine and clean water to drink their toxicity increases. I've done everything I can to ensure Flax had a clean environment to grow in and I've been rewarded," Jade smirked proudly. "While one spike wouldn't do to poison anyone, several spikes on a Pokemon as small as Donut should be more than enough."

I clicked my teeth in self loathing. I thought I was well read on Sinnoh Pokemon at least, but it looks like some information fell through the cracks.

Was that really in Budew's dex entry or was that a new addition? Maybe I should've scanned him beforehand...

I was taken out of my thoughts as I watched Donut attempt to stay on his two feet.

"Donut… do you want to go on?" I needn't ask if he can go on. What matters is if he wants to. He knows his limits and he always lets me know when he's ready to give in. This choice is up to him.

He turned to me slowly with eyes of determination and I could feel a bit of vengeance come from within him.

"I see… then let's make them pay," I nodded in affirmation.

Donut can't last much longer like this. His injuries are too severe and he's on a clock, but we can make the most of this time. Hmmm, Rollout's natural thickness can go over one layer of Spikes just fine, but two layers would be too much so that's risky. He doesn't have Quick Attack yet, but… no, we can make this work.

"Charge, then Thunder Wave! Spear through it all!"

"Pin Missile once more!"

Donut began rubbing his cheeks charging electricity while Flax gathered himself enough to let loose another volley of pins. Fortunately, Donut didn't need much time as he was fully charged before he jumped, spun, and shot a lance of electricity straight through the Pin Missiles. It cracked Flax right in the face, paralyzing him.

"Show them we never stop trying! Thunderbolt!"

"Whatever they do to you, give it right back to them! Venoshock!"

Donut squeaked valiantly as he let loose an intense Thunderbolt upon the tiny bud Pokemon shocking them intensely again. While he was feeling the effects of paralysis painfully well, he managed to strike Donut with a bolt of odd purple lightning emerging from his bulb. The attack didn't last very long nor was it strong, but it was enough to push him over the edge causing Donut to faint.

As soon as he fell over I ran onto the field to look him over myself. Jade and the referee began shouting about some spikes on the field or whatnot, but I didn't care. I wear shoes and Donut took a lot more than a few spikes today.

I picked off what few remained by wrapping my scarf around my hand. I took a Pecha berry out of my pocket (one of his favorites) and placed it in his mouth which he slowly ate, the poison's effects beginning to decline already.

Smiling softly at my little buddy clenched in my hands I reassured him. "Thank you so much and I'm sorry you got so messed up," I apologized. "Lou and I will wrap this up for you."

"Pi.. chu… pi," Was all he managed to say, but he was able to give me his signature lazy smile.

"Budew?" I looked up to see a guilty Flax had wandered over to see if Donut was alright. Donut turned to him, squeaked a few times and Flax looked a lot better.

"No worries Flax, Donut will be right as rain in no time," I assured him. He smiled at me then back to his trainer in tired glee. I took out Donut's Pokeball and recalled him before standing up to face Jade as I silently made my own promise.

I'll make sure this hurts.

I gingerly ran back to where I was supposed to stand before addressing the referee. "We can continue."

I wasn't going to apologize for wasting anyone's time or holding up the match. If they have a problem they can suck it up. I won't apologize for caring about Donut and Lou. Never.

"Ah, right. Um, will Jade be switching out his Pokemon?" The referee turned to Jade who had an unreadable expression on his face. Flax was on his last legs and didn't have the stamina Donut had accumulated over his months of battling. Flax gave Jade a brief look which he returned with a blink.

He would not be switching his Pokemon.

"I'm ready when Z is."

In the corner of my eye, I swear I could see Garland frown slightly. But I couldn't focus on that right now. Sunflora simply shook her head.

Logically it makes sense to not switch. It's best he does what damage he can to Lou before Shizu takes care of the rest. Flax won't be of much use against a Bug type. Flax isn't denying Jade's request either. This is the strategic move to make. The smart move. They both know this.

Then why does it bother me?

"Lou, rise up!" I tossed Lou's Pokeball specifically in a way so he wouldn't land in any spikes, the grub Pokemon emerged with a valiant battle cry (Yes bugs are capable of that). He eyed the carnage curiously before his eyes met Flax and squinted.

"Flax took out Donut. He went down fighting, but he got hurt bad. Show them how you honor a man down," I ordered.

That was all that needed to be said. Lou knew exactly how much anger would be required now.

What Jade and Flax decide to do is their business, not mine. Jade knows his Pokemon and I know mine. I can't cringe and cry when things get too tough. That's not the type of trainer I want to be. That's not the type of trainer that can stand beside Volkner, Cynthia, and the rest of the League proudly.

I squinted, forcing my attention on the field to make sure Lou didn't go down due to my hubris as Donut had.

We can deal out pain, but we aren't afraid to take it either.

"Do what you can and we'll let Shizu finish up," Jade advised. "Fill the field with Toxic."

Flax began spitting large globs of poison onto the battlefield. Despite the appearance, it actually smelled quite good. The spikes were coated with poison and the toxins seeped into the dirt. It was like a makeshift toxic terrain.

He's prepping the field for Shizu's Smog! Donut lost because I underestimated the type disadvantage. I won't make that mistake again by allowing him to mold the battlefield to their liking. If it's not our turn yet, then we'll push on ahead and make it ours!

"Mud Slap Flax and the field! Dispel that poison!"

Lou dug his pincers into the earth and flicked a giant wall of mud all over Flax. It got rid of some of the poison, but in retaliation he shot a Pin Missile into Lou's face. Rather than take it lying down he began slicing them out of the air with expertly timed Bug Bites.

"Make him come to you, Venoshock!"

"No more games, Jade. Reel him in!"

Flax could not escape Lou's perfect aim with String Shot as he was dragged through the dirt and straight into Lou's pincers. Flax began a Venoshock, but Lou squeezed it right out of him. Jade began shouting orders at Flax to find some way to defend himself managing to latch a weak Absorb onto Lou, but he wasn't budging.

You hurt his comrade. He's not moving easily after that.

Flax's weakened state and Lou's innate resistance to grass moves meant whatever he was gaining back, it was nowhere near enough to replace what he was losing in the process. When Lou began to squeeze the poor Budew even tighter is when Jade recalled him.

"I'm sorry, I went too far. I'll make it up to you," He apologized to Flax's Pokeball before placing it back onto his belt. I noticed his hand shook a bit after putting it away indicating he was ever so slightly nervous, but it was only noticeable for a moment. Once his hand was steady he gripped Shizu's Pokeball. "He did what he could, just as I asked. Now we're tied up, Z, but I'm sure you weren't ready for all of this!"

"I'll admit, I didn't expect this much punishment. I can feel my heart pounding and I'm getting a bit heated, but it's not because of the sun. I think you're finally worth being my rival, Jade."

"Glad I met expectations, now shall we continue? Shizu, it's hunting time," Jade tossed his ball and out growled Shizu. Lou growled right back.

She wasn't a bird, but she was flame and darkness. Predator and prey. Regardless, she stood against us and that was enough reason for Lou to fight her with all his might.

We dispelled the toxins thanks to Mud Slap, but lots of it has seeped into the ground already. Dig may be a bad idea for now, so we'll have to avoid using it in certain areas. Flame Charge is her most dangerous move and without proper speed coordination she could spiral out of control, so best to use Mud Slap to hinder her accuracy as much as possible. Maybe land a lucky Spark and paralyze- why does Lou look sick?

Lou had turned to me in confusion with a toxic purple face. Jade and Shizu gave us wicked smirks in turn.

How did he… Poison Point, Flax's ability. It must've been squeezed out. Once again we're on a timer. Better than a burn I guess. Despite the gap in our experience and power, his poison moves are working well in his favor. We can work past this though.

"Poison Point huh… fine then, Mud Spin!"

Enough reacting, time for action!

Lou dug his pincers into the ground and began spinning wildly, sending mud all over the battlefield. Shizu made sure to dodge the ones that landed too close to her as they'd hinder her Flame Charge, but on occasion she'd step on a spike she didn't notice or too close to toxins. This allowed a few of the mud slaps to actually hit her causing the real damage I needed.

The field looks a lot better, Lou should be able to use Dig now and trap her in a Mud Pit.

Jade wasn't easily fooled though even when Lou was disguised by a dirty tornado. "He's going underground, use Odor Sleuth to keep track of his scent!"

Shizu's nose began to glow a crimson red as her sense of smell intensified, but more importantly she could now discern the discernible, meaning she could find Lou regardless of where he hid.

No point in hiding, time to face them head on.

"Rise and Bug Bite!"

Upon my orders Lou flew out of the ground and noted the Houndour's glowing red nose. Our advantage had been ruined, but we each had had enough of playing around. Lou's pincers glowed with insectoid energy before he charged at Shizu.

She stamped on the ground several times igniting her body before bashing her flaming head right into Lou's attack. There was a large explosion from the different energies clashing, but Jade and I did not avert our eyes. We had to take advantage of the openings our Pokemon provided.

When the smoke cleared I could see Shizu at the very least was still on her feet, but the damage had been done. There was blood dripping from a gash on her forehead. She simply shook her head quickly causing some of it to fall on the ground before she began to snarl.

It looks bad, but I doubt it'll scar. Now, where is Lou?

The smoke cleared enough allowing me to see my bold Grubbin was still fighting fit, but he was panting quite a bit. The fire attack had taken its toll, but he was still good to go.

Actually…

I placed my hand on my chin and began to think.

Lou has grown quite a lot over the last few months. His power has increased and his electric aptitude. This battle may be just what he needs to push himself over the edge, physically and emotionally. His ability is close to activation, just needs that little push.

"Lou!" I called out to my Pokemon. He did not turn his back to the enemy, but he chirped to acknowledge my words. "You've come so far since I met you all those months ago and I'm glad you're in my life. I thank you for that and today it's time I uphold my promise: To further your growth. The question is, do you trust me?"

There was no hesitation between his chirps of affirmation. Lou was a loyal soldier to the end and that loyalty will be rewarded.

"Jade, Shizu!" I turned my attention to them and they each gave me a quizzical look. Volkner raised an eyebrow in curiosity as to what I was planning. "You are both so weak!"

Now that got the crowd talking. There were many hushed discussions amongst the crowd about what I was talking about or if I was just goading him. Shizu snarled at me personally and took a step forward, but Lou blocked her path and glared at her with heat not even a fire type could emulate.

Jade focused on me with a complicated expression. It was not his usual lackadaisical or mocking one. It was a serious look, but there was a thin veil of anger I could see that even he could not hide.

"I am weak? How am I weak? Need I remind you of my successful battles this tournament? How Flax demolished Donut? How Shizu is about to destroy you? I know you like to think better, but type matchups do matter. Are you messing with me, Topaz?"

"You see Jade, I am messing with you because I can afford to," I boldly claimed. "Your level of power, skill and training can't defeat Lou. You two aren't strong enough to break us."

"Then shall we continue the match so Shizu can give your bug a proper wallop?"

"Oh of course, but allow me to give you a handicap. We'll let you beat on Lou for a bit. At this rate even with fire it'll take awhile for you to make any headway, so how about you go crazy and see what happens."

Jade finally lifted his veil. His anger was plain to see to all. "You don't get to look down on me, Z!" Jade gave Shizu a dastardly smile. "Shizu, make them regret underestimating us. My apologies Lou, but you only have your trainer to blame for this pain."

While Shizu began snarling and charging up for her next attack I knelt down to the ground and spoke quietly so only Lou could hear me. "I can sense it, Lou. It's plain to see, you're ready. We're going to use this fight to reach your next step in life and score a win. As you take more damage your ability's effect, Swarm, will grow stronger and stronger. You haven't been able to evolve since you haven't been put under enough stress, but now you're more than capable of taking it. Gather all the energy you can and burst. Even if it hurts, you can preserve, just listen to my voice."

"Grub bin bin," Was all he said, but it was more than enough for me. I could begin to see the energy emanate from his body. He had placed his faith in me and I was going to honor that. He will have his just reward and honor.

Volkner's stare bore into his nephew. His heart was beating fast and fists were clenched. This battle was high stakes, emotional, risky and exhilarating. Topaz was betting it all on Lou and he couldn't wait to see how his gamble would turn out.

"That's it, Shizu, Flame Charge!"

"Gird yourself Lou!"

Shizu had wrapped herself in more intense flames than I had ever seen from her before. The already hot climate went up several degrees simply due to her presence and those closest to her began to sweat. Underneath it all she was panting heavily due to the intensity of the heat affecting even her at this point, but her instincts drove out any discomfort and clung onto Jade's words to guide her to victory.

Lou simply wrapped himself in electrically charged silk. It would better insulate himself from her fire attacks and limit the effectiveness of her dark attacks. He simply closed his eyes and waited for his time to strike.

Shizu took off at speeds even she had trouble controlling and slammed into Lou with breakneck speeds sending him careening through the air. The flames vanished before she herself vanished and appeared above Lou, slamming him down with Feint Attack.

In midair she sent out a thick Smog onto Lou's body which he managed a bit better than the other attacks. Until she let loose an Ember igniting an explosion blasting the poor bug type through the air.

The referee hesitantly raised his flag in Jade's favor when Lou rolled onto the ground once again, not retaliating, but I cut him off quickly.

"We're not knocked out yet! Just like the move we're biding our time. Pay attention and you may learn something," I said leaving the referee dumbfounded.

Shizu landed back on Jade's side panting heavily and slumped. It was obvious she had never exuded so much energy into a combo attack before, but Jade's fervor was hyping her on. He said some comforting words to her, but I could barely pay attention to that.

My entire face was soaked with sweat and my chest hurt. Watching Lou be hurt without resistance clawed at my soul, but he did not dare let loose a single peep that he was undergoing any pain. He conserved all his energy from Swarm and gathered it to the forefront, and it was becoming more obvious with each second as his body radiated with an odd aura.

First of all, there was a buzzing. As though there was a hive of Combee flying by, emanating from where he was standing. Next, if you looked closely you could see that the aura he was releasing from his body at times momentarily looked like various insects flying around a place of interest. Finally, there was the glowing. I felt a pulse emerge from his body and I instinctually clenched my chest.

It's time.

"You're not gonna say anything? Do anything, Topaz?" Jade questioned me, but my eyes were focused on Lou.

"Do what you've got to do, Jade. We're ready," Was all I said in turn.

"Very well then," Jade smirked confidently. "Shizu!"

No commands were needed, she enveloped her body once again in a bright, crimson fire and charged. With each step, I could feel Lou's progression move closer and closer to the breaking point.

It was as though time slowed down when I saw his entire body envelop into a bright light. The silk surrounding his body disappeared into said light. The energy from Swarm returned to his body. Lou had done it.

"Lou!" I shouted with all my might and mid-transition he clashed head-on with Shizu's Flame Charge causing another intense explosion. There were a few shouts of discomfort as an even more disturbing shockwave rocked the area until the dust cleared. Shizu was sprawled several yards away from where she collided against Lou with a deep gash across her body leaving Jade in shock.

Lou the Grubbin, no, Lou the Charjabug, stood proudly, electricity dispersing from his new caterpillar-bus-like body. Despite his small body he was brimming with power and stared down Shizu with tired determination.

He did it! Thank Arceus, this would've been painfully awkward if it hadn't.

The crowd cheered at the sight of the newly evolved bug-electric type. I could even discern Volkner and Roland's cheers from the crowd. The referee poked his head out from the rock he had been hiding from to see what had happened until Jade began yelling at him.

"He evolved! In the Little Cup! Isn't this an unfair advantage?"

"Er um," the referee stammered. "It is not impossible for Pokemon to evolve during Little Cup matches. Since it's so situational though we allow Pokemon to finish the current match, but are disqualified from future ones in order to adhere to the rules. As this is the last match and battle, this rule doesn't mean much in this situation."

Jade let loose a creative curse under his breath before he turned to Shizu. "You're not lookin' good girl. Maybe it's time to call it quits," Jade offered.

Shizu growled and shook her head before rising to her feet properly.

"I figured that'd be the answer," Jade smiled surprisingly softly. "You hurt my girl's pride, but neither side is looking too good and I could just go for some ice cream at this point. Want to finish it now?"

All I could do was laugh at that. Lou, despite evolving, hadn't been healed of his injuries so I had to concur as well. "I'm in the mood for popsicles. Alright Lou, let's end it here and now. Show them what you can do!"

"Max voltage Spark!"

"Full power Flame Charge!"

Our Pokemon gathered their energy equally, causing electricity and fire to fill the field wildly. You could taste the ozone and smell the blazing smoke emitted from the last bursts of power they had remaining, but I felt a weight had been lifted.

This is SO much fun.

Lou wasn't exactly mobile, but that didn't stop him from propelling himself off the ground like a rocket straight into Shizu. She returned that intensity in kind, meeting him head on. Electricity and fire clashed one last time blinding everyone on the field. I had to shield my eyes in fear of damaging them, but part of me wished I had covered my ears too as they rang.

When I was finally able to look at the field, laying in the middle were Lou and Shizu on top of each other unconscious. The referee had fled even farther away than before, but once he realized the exploding had stopped he ran back and raised two white flags.

"Lou and Shizu are both unable to battle thus ending in a draw! It's a tie!"

I let out a breath of air I didn't know I was withholding before running over to Lou as Jade did the same to Shizu. It felt rather… dangerous on the field and the ground was incredibly hot so I just picked him up and ran back to the sidelines.

"Congratulations on the evolution and the tie. You did amazing, I couldn't ask for anything better."

"Char…" He weakly protested.

"The win doesn't matter. What matters is that you evolved. Once you're all healed up you'll be able to appreciate it more. Until then rest," I smiled at Lou. He didn't protest when the Pokeball sucked him in.

Across the field, I noticed Jade looked almost as satisfied as I was, but he was too busy eating up all the cheers from the crowd. I know him well enough to know he will shower his Pokemon with praise, love and pampering when in private.

Principal Beachstreet smiled at us both before he made his way to his podium to address the crowd.

"The Little Cup tournament has finally come to a very explosive end. These two young men and their valiant Pokemon are sure to go very far in the times ahead. It is unusual we have two champions, but I believe that just means we have been blessed with the genesis of two future exemplary trainers. Three cheers for our winners!"

Jade and I made our way to Nurse Joy rather than listen to even more cheers. Her and Happiny congratulated us both as we waited for our Pokemon to be stabilized enough to actually attend the ceremony they worked so hard to win. While we waited Jade punched me in the arm causing me to look at him in surprise.

"You really riled me up, Z. I can't remember the last time someone managed to do me so dirty so easily."

"I know you like to pretend you're above it all, Jade, but I know your weaknesses. It's okay, you can thank me after you've worked on said weakness. Just be glad I exposed it," I nonchalantly stated.

"Shut up," He laughed. "So you did all that just to have Shizu attack Lou more aggressively. Why?"

I pondered my answer before replying. "Lou has a lot of latent potential, but it's hard to really push him over the edge without doing something stupid. We've gotten close, but everytime it looked like he was about to evolve the energy would go away. So I theorized that sure he was physically ready, but he's actually quite an emotional guy. He needed to be in essentially a warzone to attain the adrenaline he needed to evolve. At the same time, I wanted him to use up all the Swarm energy he could to make sure the evolution boosted his power as much as possible."

I closed my eyes and smiled to myself. "Keep in mind, I still wasn't sure if all that would work, but Volkner always said taking risks is a part of battling. This was a risk I could afford to take and the rewards were so, so sweet."

"You daft bastard!" He shoved me again, but this time I shoved back harder. Typical roughhousing. "How about I try that on you next time? See how you feel."

"Well then I'd just win because my Pokemon hit to win," I smugly stated. "Your team wouldn't last long enough."

"Guess we'll just have to evolve too and show you up, right?"

"You better. What kind of rival would you be if you didn't motivate us?"

"Just make sure you're worth my rivalry, alright? By the way, what did Lou turn into exactly? They look familiar, but…"

I opened up my Pokedex so it could answer for me. I've never had a Pokemon evolve before so I wanted to see what it said:

"Congratulations! Lou evolved into Charjabug!"

National Number: 737

Typing: Bug Electric

Gender: Male

Length: 2'02" (Average 1'08")

Weight: 25.6 lbs. (Average 23.6 lbs)

Egg Group: Bug

Ability: Battery Raises the power of allies' special attacks. The signature ability of Charjabug allows them to retain high amounts of electricity for later. Useful for providing emergency electricity to ally electric types, but they tend to only do this to trusted Pokemon.

Moves: Screech, String Shot, Mud Shot, Bug Bite, Dig, Spark.

Entry: They are able to convert the food they eat into electricity which can be used for defensive use when attacked by predators. Humans have found them useful as portable generators as they have a highly efficient electric sac and generator.

While this is a cocoon period, Charjabug have been known to stay in the phase longer than most cocoon pokemon due to their potential and requirements for evolution. Due to this, in the wild this pokemon tends to minimize movement to retain as much electricity as possible.

Evolution: Vikavolt (Powerful magnetic influence/Thunder Stone)

Data Updated."

"Bug electric? That's unusual right?"

"Off the top of my head only Joltik and Galvantula share the typing, so yes you're correct. It's also one of the best typings for bug and electric types, he'll go far! Why did they sound familiar?"

"It's just I recently remembered you could find the Charjabug line in Galar. They got a lot of weird bugs over there."

I stared at him in confusion.

Where the heck is Galar? What is Galar? A region? I just know the main 7 and the others bordering them.

"Where is-," My question was interrupted when Nurse Joy came in with our Pokemon. Jade took their Pokeballs first and I took mine slowly after.

"Bring them back to me after the ceremony and we'll give them a full check-up, but they should be well enough to at least attend the ceremony as they deserve," Nurse Joy said smiling to us.

"Thank you," We said simultaneously.

"Come on, let's get our prize!" Jade ran out to the award ceremony while I was left a bit sour my question would have to be postponed, but I was curious. Principal Beachstreet was talking to Volkner when I approached and all the participants were standing in line with their Pokemon standing beside them. I released mine quickly to join me, Donut materializing on my shoulder looking healed, but exhausted while Lou, now covered in a blocky carapace, crawled on the ground.

"Great work guys, we tied, but we still get a reward. Let's get our prize and you can both go back to sleep," The prospect of going back to sleep pleased Donut, but he gave me a look that implied more. "And of course all you can eat for dinner tonight."

That was exactly what he wanted to hear causing him to snuggle me even more before looking down at Lou in confusion.

"Pichu?"

"Charjabug."

"Lou evolved during his fight with Shizu. He's a Charjabug now."

"Pichu pi. Chu!"

"Bzzt charj. Zzzt."

Donut held out a finger and the two began speaking via electricity for a few moments before Donut smiled at him and turned back to me. Lou seemed a bit giddy after the conversation as well.

Electric types can communicate so fast. I guess Donut congratulated him, how adorable.

We took our places next to Jade. Donut hopped off my shoulder to greet Flax while Lou and Shizu addressed each other with respect. There was no bad blood between them. Jade had let a smile slip watching them, but we were both pulled out of it when Principal Beachstreet began addressing us.

"I just wanted to say you two trained your pokemon exemplarily well and I cannot wait to see what all 6 of you will achieve in the future, but you don't want to hear me ramble on any further. Leader Volkner, will you take over please?"

I raised an eyebrow at Volkner's entrance as he stepped in front of us with a rare smile.

"I've known you two were annoying kids I had to babysit. I still kind of have to, but now you've got Pokemon and the brains to bring out their full potential. If I had to describe your battle in one word it'd be… electric. That's because it's the best type and the kind of battle you two had was the best kind. There was emotion, growth, thrill, power and skill. You've both changed a lot today, but don't ever stop and you'll make it far. Maybe one day you two will be able to beat me, but we won't make it easy," He said gesturing to Roland. "So keep on doing what you're doing, alright. Even if it looks a bit stupid," He said looking directly at me with a cheeky smile.

Is it stupid if it works?

"Anyway, that's all I gotta say. Long speeches aren't my thing, but just know I'm proud of both of you, alright? So… Roland, you've got the prize?" Volkner had turned to Roland who had revealed an odd pink rock. The closer it got I could tell there was something up with it. Volkner took it from him before showing it to us.

"This is-"

"That's an Eviolite!" I interrupted him. "They say they boost the defenses of Pokemon that are still capable of evolution. They were discovered in Unova and ever since then have been an invaluable item for Pokemon that don't want to evolve, but want to keep up with fully evolved Pokemon."

"I knew you'd know the answer. Are you a fossil maniac in the making?"

"We all have our vices, Volkner. Mine just happen to be rock related."

"I'd like to point out an issue. I spy only one stone, where's the other one?" Jade questioned.

"We didn't expect a tie and we could wait to go get another one, but…" He observed the stone in his hand a bit before looking at Donut and Flax. "This Eviolite is already a bit big. Roland?"

"Vire."

Without any warning, Volkner tossed the Eviolite in the air and Roland's tail turned to steel, slashing it in two a moment later. One piece landed in my hands and the other in Jade's.

"Perfect. Here here to our Little Cup champions!" Volkner said before we could even register what just occurred. He simply grabbed our hands and lifted them up as the crowd cheered. I looked up to Volkner in that moment and he turned towards me with a proud look that said all that needed to be said.

'Badass Thunderbolt, Nephew.'

~Some time later~

There were some festivities after the battle for everyone to partake in. The finalist Pokemon needed some extra healing, but they are all pretty tough so they didn't have to spend the night at the center. I had talked to the other participants which was nice and Vika bought my team ice creams. Garland had spoken to Jade mostly, but he had congratulated me as well. Volkner told me he'd let Cynthia know how my team did which made me a bit happier than I expected.

It was nearly sunset when I was getting ready to leave. Donut was eating his… I lost count, but he was eating a donut he shouldn't be eating while Lou was getting used to crawling around as a Charjabug. I was looking for Volkner, but I ceased my search when I found Jade first.

"Jade, wait, I have a question!" I shouted making my way over, grabbing his attention.

"If your question is about how I wake up, the only answer is flawless." I made sure he knew the degree of my doneness by groaning extra loud for him before asking my question.

"You mentioned a Galar earlier. What is that?"

He looked at me like I had 3 heads. Which isn't the most abnormal occurrence in this world, but I still didn't appreciate it until something dawned on him.

"I never bloody told you did I?"

I shook my head slowly.

"Oh sorry, mate. It's a region far, far away from here. It's one of the Western ones, so we don't hear about them as often. Anyway, I was born in Galar. My parents and I moved to Sinnoh due to their jobs. Didn't I ever tell you?"

Did I ever ask? He never brought it up and I don't think he's done anything Galar-ish. That explains his vernacular and accent. I wonder if all Galarians talk so… uniquely?

"No, it's alright though. You've just never mentioned it is all."

He shrugged. "It's been awhile since I've last been there so I'm not the best spokesperson. Oddly enough I've never seen any Galar pokemon in the city before so maybe…"

Really? Even I've seen some Alola Pokemon here over the years. Unless I didn't notice the Pokemon was from Galar, considering I just learned about it today.

"Ruff ruff!" Before I could ask my next question we were interrupted by Shizu's barking for Jade's attention. Flax stood by her friend's side, while in the distance I could see Garland and Sunflora talking to Vika about something.

"It seems my adoring Pokemon require my presence," Jade slightly bowed with an elegant arrogance and flourish at that. "If you wish to speak again, just contact my agent."

I rolled my eyes but decided to play along. "I'll have my people reach out to yours later then," I extended a hand. "Rival."

Jade looked at my hand with visible surprise, then amusement before gripping it. "Likewise. Rival."

He let go of my hand, yet he didn't leave. A slightly pained expression crossed his face. Realizing my grievance during the battle I spoke up. "I'm sorry about what I said in battle, Jade. You, Shizu and Flax are anything, but weak. I just needed to rile Lou up (and tick you off). Without you… I doubt I'd be this strong at all."

My best friend stared at me with eyes of wonder until he smacked both sides of his cheeks and ran his fingers through his hand. "Oh I already knew that of course, no need to cheer me up. Although hearing you say that makes today more than worth it, heh. Thanks…" With that his mood brightened exponentially although he tried to brush it off as usual.

He gave me a 2 finger wave before running off with his team. I smiled to myself before taking out my Pokedex's world map.

Now where the heck is Galar?

I managed to find every other region that I knew of as usual, but just when I was about to close the app I found a long strip of land with Galar written on it.

I swear to Arceus this wasn't here until Jade mentioned it.

I clicked on it for further information, but most of the data was exceedingly limited for reasons I can't comprehend.

Of course they would do this. Fine, be that way.

I closed my Pokedex to put it in my pocket before noticing that Lou was not where I last saw him. I scanned the ground quickly before finding him observing the rose bushes for some reason.

"Lou, those are full of thorns you shouldn't be poking around there. Though, I doubt they'd do much of anything to you anyway," I noted making my way to my Charjabug. He turned to me and made new bug sounds which I'm not even sure how to explain before I looked into the bush noticing something glistening deep within the brush.

With a furrowed brow I carefully reached my hand into the bush to collect the mysterious object as Lou and Donut watched with slight curiosity. Once I had it within my hands I began to slowly pull it out, but just as my hand was almost out of the clear I pricked my hand against one of the thorns causing me to recoil.

"Ouch ouch ouch!" I examined my new puncture, bleeding slightly. "Evil spiky flowers. I've had enough thorns today."

Ignoring the stinging feeling in my hand I looked at my prize, a simple card. It felt oddly familiar as well, but it had an intoxicating aromatic scent, akin to expensive cologne or perfume. The back had a simple, but classy design, nothing especially noteworthy so I turned it over to find a much more detailed artwork.

In the upper center was an intricate Houndoom head with flowery vines and thorns cascading from their horns. In the bottom right-hand corner nestled a peaceful blue rose whilst the left-hand corner depicted a vivid red rose. At the bottom read: The Devil XV.

Donut leaned over my shoulder to get a better look before he pointed at the card and back at my bag. Understanding what he meant immediately I went through my bag to find The Fool card we had obtained months ago. They each appeared to have been made by the same person judging by the art style and the backs were the same as well.

Another card? Here?

I quickly looked around to see if anyone was looking, but no one seemed to be paying us any mind. Donut curiously squeaked into my ear once again asking for an explanation I assume, so I obliged.

"The Devil… it means… hmmm. I think it was something about being free from inhibitions and acting upon your selfish desires?"

"Pichu?"

"Sorry, that's kind of confusing. It's been a while since I last checked and this card felt a bit… inappropriate."

I turned back to where I had last seen Jade and his team were running, but they were nowhere to be seen.

Is this about Jade? Who keeps leaving these cards?

Donut took the card and began showing it off to Lou. They both began sniffing said card excessively until I took it away. They made their protests, but I ignored them.

I know it smells good, but don't eat it guys, yeesh.

Donut kept trying to get the card until I heard someone yell my name. I haphazardly put the cards away before turning to the direction of the voice who just so happened to be Volkner, accompanied by Roland.

"Hey what are you all doing over here? I'm ready to go. You want that celebratory dinner right? Flint says it's his treat for missing out so you 3 can feel free to indulge on his account. I certainly will," Volkner stated with a satisfied expression on his face.

Donut immediately betrayed me and jumped onto Volkner's shoulder pointing onwards. Roland couldn't help but laugh (which was rare for the stoic Electivire) while Lou sighed in disgrace.

"Donut how could you!? That's it, no more late-night graham crackers!"

As soon as I said that Donut had gasped, leaped back onto me and was snug comfortably in my bag. "That's better. Now we're ready."

Volkner gave us a look before moving on. "What doesn't this Pichu eat?"

"He's not a fan of coffee if that counts. We share that in common."

"We don't need caffeine anyway. Once you've got an electric type, they shock you into focus whether you want to or not," Volkner sighed thinking about all the hours of sleep he's lost to that fact, but also in appreciation to all the projects he's been able to finish.

"That and coffee is gross. I like tea though," I added in.

Volkner ruffled my hair a bit before we made our way off. "Of course you do, kiddo."

~1 Month Later~

Location: Sunyshore Beach, Gurosuta Festival.

It was a cheerful summer night tonight. Families, friends and Pokemon were all enjoying the festivities of the Gurosuta Festival. Dressed in their summer yukata and kimono they made their way to the innumerable stalls and flocked to the bustling merchant center. This was a festival to celebrate summer and to celebrate surviving Sinnoh's cold winter before we steel ourselves for another cold autumn.

It is essentially the summer equivalent of Lumifrost. In my hands I held a handcrafted lantern my team and I made to float through the air. Volkner was busy attending to the light show that the solar panels were meant to be having (also to make sure he didn't launch the city into another blackout) while Jade's parents had actually managed to find time to celebrate with him. I had considered asking Cynthia, but she's got her champion duties and prolly has her own family celebrations.

They both asked if I wanted to hang out with them, but I had declined. They were both busy and I was just fine with my team. Together we sat by the beach so we could watch all the lights float off into the sky and glisten over the water. In the distance I could see Mantyke, Wailmer and Octillery from Route 223 wait in anticipation to see the lanterns float through the sky.

On land I spotted the usual band of misfit Aipoms fleeing with some fresh takoyaki as a stall worker ran after them. A bit aways over there were several children running their own little stalls where they gave the wild electric types their own little treats. A pair of Elekid began fighting for their place in line until a wild Luxio calmed them both down. A long line of Munchlax waited in excitement for their treats while the local Elektrike began playing with a trainer's Herdier and Lillipup puppies.

Elsewhere there was a Plusle and Minun performance entertaining a small audience of excited Pachirisu and a tsundere Helioisk pretending not to watch. Murkrow and Wingull are dining on whatever food a child left unattended. In the distance, I swear I even saw the familiar bugs from Route 222 sneak away with several bowls of chawanmushi. Donut looked envious and Lou proud.

I wore a simple navy blue yukata with a golden obi. It was far from anything I usually wear, but it was comfortable and fit the occasion. Of course, my topaz necklace was with me as well. The lantern we made was decorated with all my favorite rocks (topazes included) and Donut's paw print along with Lou's… limb remnant… mark… thing (For such a simple looking Pokemon there's a lot I can't describe). I know Jade made his some sort of masterpiece, but I think ours captured our energy well enough.

In the distance a gong rang out indicating it was almost time to release our lanterns in the sky. I noticed a couple of helpful Pansear assisting people in lighting their lanterns if they had not done so already.

"Alright guys, we're about to send our lanterns into the air. Before we send it you have to make a prayer to what you wish for in the future. It can be anything, but usually it's something like good health, money, happiness, whatever. Understand?"

They both nodded eagerly, smiling which I returned. A few moments later Pansear delightfully lit our lantern and we got ready to let them fly. Before I made my prayer I looked down to Lou who had closed his eyes in prayer and Donut who had closed his eyes and clasped his hands. Around his neck he wore the Eviolite shard we had won a month ago.

All my classmates have parents to celebrate with and the people closest to me are all busy, but… I'm not sad in the slightest. I'm not even envious. My family is gone, I can barely remember my parents' faces, but that doesn't bother me right now. They may not be here, but Donut and Lou are and that's what matters most to me now. Ever since we've all met they've been by my side every day.

Donut's smiles and heart have gotten so much bigger since the day we met. He may be a foodie, but he still puts all his effort into training and fighting because we want to become strong together. Lou on the other hand despite his resting angry face is always gentle and kind with us. His loyalty and trust in me means so much to me.

I closed my eyes and began making my prayer.

These two mean the world to me, I wouldn't give them up for anything. Arceus, if you can hear my prayers, please. I don't want to be alone anymore. I pray that we all get to be together for the rest of our lives.

The gong rang again.

Amen.

I opened my eyes and gently brought the lantern into the air. Donut, Lou and I marveled as it gently ascended into the sky with countless other lanterns illuminating the night. All humans and Pokemon had ceased in their shenanigans to watch the miracle that was taking place in front of all of us. The sea pokemon rested at the surface of the water watching with great interest as the lanterns illuminated the sky above and the very water they swam in.

As I was watching Donut scampered into my lap and pointed to a very familiar lantern in the sky. Even amongst all the lanterns, he was able to discern ours from all the rest. I patted him on the head and he looked at me with eyes that shone in the luminescent night.

"Thank you, both of you. For being my Pokemon. For being my team."

Lou nuzzled closer to me while Donut tilted his head in confusion.

"T-thank you so much. For choosing me. For staying with me," I managed to choke out as a tear fell down my cheek. Donut casually reached up and wiped it away before he hugged me. I hugged him back tightly and I had never felt closer to someone than in that moment. I could feel Donut's joy, devotion, happiness and affection all at the same time, as though I were feeling my own emotions. I couldn't explain how it was possible, but I didn't care. I just closed my eyes and let my feelings flow freely.

Thank you for being my partner, Donut.

It took a few seconds, but I could feel Donut's body become warmer and warmer. That's when I heard it.

'Thank you for being mine, Topaz.'

I opened my eyes once again to see Donut had begun glowing. Donut's rhombus-shaped ears began to collapse and straighten themselves. His petite body grew a bit wider as his tiny tail began to extend into something resembling a lightning bolt. His pink cheeks began to deepen in color before turning completely red.

Once the evolution had finished his cheeks sparked slightly and he shook his face rapidly before staring at me with a big smile.

"Pikachu!"

"D-donut! Y-you evolved!" Lou congratulated him with a hearty electric cackle as Donut began to look at his new body as he cheered with excitement. He flexed his new tail, fiddled with his new ears and extended his longer limbs before he nodded in satisfaction. The Pikachu line were very small Pokemon, but now his proportions have improved significantly. So many more possibilities had just opened up.

Donut hopped over to Lou and they gave each other the electric equivalent of a high five while I looked down at them with pride.

"We're going to go far together. All of us," I proclaimed to each of them who turned towards me with expectation. "We'll change the world."

~x~

"Congratulations! Donut evolved into Pikachu!"

Sinnoh Pokedex: 104 (National 25)

Typing: Electric

Gender: Male

Height: 1'02" (Average 1'04")

Weight: 12 lbs. (Average 13.2 lbs)

Egg Group: Field & Fairy

Ability: Static Upon physical contact this Pokemon has a chance of inflicting paralysis on their opponent. Static Pikachu's fur tends to build up electricity quickly when rubbed excessively. They tend to release the most electricity when forcibly restrained in the hopes of paralyzing their assailant.

Moves: Thunderbolt, Discharge, Thunder Wave, Mega Punch, Tickle, Charge, Rollout.

Entry: Pikachu, despite their rarity, are one of the most popular Pokemon in the world, often used as a mascot when promoting Pokemon related events.

They use their tails as lightning rods to attract thunder strikes. Forests that are prone to thunder strikes are an indication that there may be a swarm of Pikachu inhabiting it.

It is often observed that Pikachu tend to electrocute their food before consumption, specifically more solid food, to make it easier to consume.

They are known to have above average intelligence on par with most starter pokemon broaching the idea of having them be starter pokemon, but very few trainers get very far with them as they can be unruly with inexperienced trainers.

They build up electricity in their sleep, so if your Pikachu's shocks have weakened make sure they are getting a good night's rest.

A communal species. If a fellow Pikachu is low on energy they recharge them with spare energy. It has been seen that they find alternative ways to help their trainer and ally Pokemon when feeling deenergized.

Evolution: Kantonian Raichu (Thunder Stone outside of Alola); Alolan Raichu (Thunderstone in Alola)

Data Updated."

~x~

~2 Years Later, Route 214~

Pushing more parts of a full tree may be difficult, I pondered, but I far prefer this to simply relying on Amethyst as humans do.
[You know I'm happy to help,] she spoke into my mind. [You do more than enough, you don't need to move a whole tree on your own.]
I took a moment to rest on the part of the trunk I was moving, breathing deeply as I looked to my companion. Meowstic's ears are known to curl to preserve psychic energy, but hers curl ever so slightly more when she is worried. And yet, I simply shook my head.

"You have already allowed me to know precisely what the Bibarel and Bidoof require, locate a tree vacant of any Pokemon, one that does not produce berries, is dying soon, and brought it down. You have done more than enough, and made up for my inability to do such. I will handle what I am capable of handling, scant in the face of your accomplishments as it is."

She just sighed, eyes closed and put a paw to her forehead. [Fine… just don't overwork yourself, okay Violet?]
A slight grin flashed across my face, her expression easing. "I cannot cause more trouble for you, especially now. We have a task to do. But first…"

I would push the trunk a meter or two at a time, checking to make absolutely certain no Pokemon were where the log was about to roll. Being wary that I did not disturb a nesting Pokemon when moving a rock that made continued rolling impossible out of the way. Even without the fact Pokemon should be treated with the utmost respect, disturbing them so close to the safe haven of Lake Valor is something only the most vile, disgusting monsters would do. The sun had walked a fair distance across the sky once I could hear the gurgles of rushing water and the bubbling of a small waterfall. Two Bibarel and seven Bidoof ran up, the Bibarel slapping their tails in excitement.

[This is more than enough! We can even tidy up some of the dam with all this wood!] The Bidoof started cheering, then gnawing it into properly sized pieces with one of the Bibarel. The other continued to look at me. [You really didn't have to stop and help, is there any way we can help you?]

I would have preferred to help you shape the pieces, but I do not know the size and shape you need each of them to be.

I simply shook my head. "You need not do anything for me. Simply helping you and your family is an honor in and of itself. Though perhaps you could do something for my companion?"

They laughed. [I dunno how helping us is an honor, but sure!]

"Would you please be on the lookout for a particular human? Aggressively basic in nearly every quality, carries himself as though he owns the world, typical human things."
They gave me a look.
Amethyst just shook her head, smiling. [Average height, black hair that's sorta longer, a guy far as we know right now-]

[What?]
[Gender fluidity.]
[Oh.]
[-large grey coat with fur lining the top, same color pants and a red plaid undershirt usually.]

They chittered angrily at the mention of fur lining his coat. As is right. He will be punished. "Of course. If we find him?"
My eyes narrowed. "Gnaw off his legs. We will check here soon, if that is alright with you."
They nodded before going to help their brethren. Amethyst and I needed only to glance at each other before we left them to their own devices. We had a job to do.

She smiled at me. [You need to recognize what you do, y'know? You're the one who hacked his communicator and had it start sending out a beacon to us.]

I sighed. "If only I could have it be more precise. His headset is only built to receive signals, not put them out. He must have some other device for that and keeps it off typically."
[Still, now we know generally where he is. And you got it down to where when we're within half the radius, I can find him!]

A larger smile crossed my face this time. "And then you can give just retribution as well as forcing out other noteworthy information."

She nodded back to me, glancing over the hill we had just crested. A filthy, bleached blue-white establishment stretched out near the bottom. Countless taller buildings specifically made for humans, attractions to keep their simple minds enthralled, and the scant oasis of places for Pokemon to roam as they pleased. A human could hide easily amongst their kind in this cesspool. Not so for our target.

We would have far more issues if Champion Cynthia did not make certain the humans could not expand overmuch. Otherwise they would spread and toxify the land in such a way even Grimer and Muk would be unable to prosper from.

Amethyst gave a small chuckle. [Get ready to beg for your life, Benedetto.]

The smile had not left my face.

We shall savor each moment. Prepare yourself,  human . It will be more satisfying to break you.

Chapter Text

~x~

It has been quite awhile my dear reader. Oh no, not necessarily for you, but for me it has been indeed. More than two years in fact since I've had the pleasure of addressing you and oh so much has changed, but it is not my place to tell you, that honor goes to our valiant hero.

A quick recap for those with shoddy memory, Topaz has obtained his starter pokemon and became a junior trainer. With his slothful Pikachu, Donut and intense Charjabug, Lou, he has attained quite the reliable pair.

Topaz's current goal is to become strong enough to fight at his uncle's side as a gym trainer, but Volkner does not allow simply any buck off the street with a Pikachu on his heels, oh no. As the most powerful gym leader of Sinnoh he requires the most-even from his junior trainers-to live up to the name. Our young hero refuses to disappoint and is simply one step away from completing his goal. There's just a small problem that must be resolved first.

Sinnoh may seem idyllic, but where there is free will, there is the choice. The choice to align with good or favor evil. Topaz will encounter both and those who walk the fine line in between to shed the innocence from his eyes. Peaceful days have died, it's time to fight for survival. Welcome to  Arc 2: Kalos Smuggler . Freedom is a birth given right. Beware those who hoard it for themselves.

~x~

Location: Sunyshore City, October.

It was a chilly autumn day. The famous Sinnoh cold was beginning to rear its ugly head and the townspeople were dressed accordingly, scarves and jackets had begun replacing the t-shirts and shorts of summer even in our relatively warmer corner of the region.

Despite living my whole life in the region the gradual change from summer to fall was still uncomfortable to me. A reminder that my time enjoying the gratuitous sunshine and sticking my feet into the warm, grainy sand was coming to an end.

To complement the new chill, the few trees in Sunyshore had turned into aesthetically pleasing shades of red, gold and orange. It was nearing Hoopaeve and to show for it, pumpkins and jack o'lanterns had taken over the town. During the night, the solar panels took on a festive purple, yellow and orange Hoopaeve color theme.

The Munchlax of the town were feeling a bit lazier than usual, lounging together underneath a tree, absentmindedly eating apples. An odd sight was the horde of Slowpoke sunbathing by the rocks on the beach. Some children had gone over to observe the pink Pokemon, but I don't think they'll notice them till sunset.

Some eager Wooper were playing an animated game of tag with some Pineco. It was a very odd game as neither had hands, but they didn't seem to mind tackling each other as replacement. My mind wandered off to the antics I got on with my own friends.

I myself always enjoyed going trick or treating with Jade with Volkner or one of his Pokemon as our chaperone, but with Donut trick or treating is nigh serious business. As a Pikachu he's a very popular Pokemon in the world and thus universally loved, so to take advantage of that each year he wears the trendiest costume at the time to maximize the amount of candy he gets.

And every year he needs an intervention from Lou and I. Jade asked why I didn't just buy him candy, but you see. It tastes better when you trick or treat it.

"Pikaaaa," Donut yawned loudly, as he was snug cozily inside my hoodie. I was wearing a combo set of a black hoodie and joggers with orange accents. Complete with my topaz necklace. I was already decently warm, but Donut's winter fur erased any chance of getting cold.

We were making our way to the Sunyshore Gym as usual to hang out. According to Volkner I've been making huge progress in my technical skills, so I've been trying to hone that skill for awhile now. While in-depth technological knowledge isn't required for my Trainer related courses, it can be so insanely helpful on the road. Especially if a Pokeball breaks or my Pokedex begins to malfunction.

Donut and Lou were also at pretty comfortable spots in their training. It's been over two years since they had evolved for the first time and neither has shown interest in evolving again any time soon.

Donut I could understand as he was easily pleased, but Lou I did not expect to stay a Charjabug for so long. Apparently it's not unheard of, they require massive amounts of electricity to evolve and while it's totally possible he could have evolved normally ages ago, Lou still shows no signs.

Whatever limits my little soldier bug has, they are far from abnormal for his species. Neither of us minded though. We've got time.

As usual it took me longer than intended to get to the gym due to my internal monologuing. I greeted the receptionist of the day, Lonnie, before heading into the back into my own workspace.

The great thing about studying at the gym is that every gym trainer here is some sort of technical expert, so help is always around the corner… not that I need any!

I'm my mother's son. My intellect is anything but average.

Before I could sit down a familiar Pokemon bumped into me sending me flat on my butt. Donut lightly jolted me in surprise before he jumped out of my hoodie.

"Good morning, Mareep, glad to see you too," I said getting up before beginning to scratch her ears.

This Mareep was one of the starters, but she has yet to find a trainer who can handle her surprisingly energetic personality. Whatever stereotype you have of Mareep, just think the opposite for her.

She had grown a bit fond of me since I had taken some time to help her train with Lou. Though I haven't offered to officially join the team. She's a prideful Pokemon which I respect. She would not want me to recruit her out of pity and I would not want to start a partnership with a Pokemon unless we are both 100%. Just as I had been with Donut and Lou, an innate connection right from the start.

I took out a Luxury ball and released Lou. "I've got some work to take care of, but after that we can all head out to Route 214 and do some training," I promised. Mareep was understandably very bored at the gym so on occasion I took her out to stretch her legs with my own team.

Lou saluted me the only way an armless and legless Pokemon can before he led Mareep off to where they would begin their drills. Donut went to join the other gym pokemon for a bit of light socialization due to his nap being interrupted.

"Oi Topaz, come here," Volkner called for me.

Volkner had left before me this morning so I decided to check on him inside his workshop. He'd been looking a bit more stressed than usual, but I wasn't sure what to make of it. Vastly different from any standard gym office.

He sat in front of a multi monitor computer and was earnestly looking over several reports with a firm frown. By his feet in the corner was Froberge relaxing peacefully. He opened an eye at my presence and simply meowed at Volkner to alert him of my presence.

"Morning Volkner. Froberge."

"Lux."

Volkner turned half his body to speak to me, leaning comfortably into his chair. "So, before you head out I need to tell you something. You'll thank me for it."

This is unexpected, but doesn't sound bad.

I looked around to see there were various mugshots plastered on the wall: A crude looking young man, a crass looking woman and a lazy eyed guy. Stacks of file folders consuming his desk and each monitor showcasing drastically different information, including one with the Kalosian news on. Upon looking closer I could see that most of the reports were from the League Investigation Bureau and foreign intelligence.

"Someone's been busy," I noted as I walked in to get a better look. "Are you on a manhunt or something?"

"Pokemon and manhunt actually. The rangers are on high alert and the news has been keeping people updated, but since you're so much like me you likely haven't even noticed," He stated while simultaneously typing out the fastest 5 paragraph email I had ever seen.

"I may not be a true trainer yet, but I've still got loads to do ya know," I found a seat and sat down with barely restrained interest. "These documents are from the LIB and foreign intelligence right? These are their insignias," I pointed to the folders to back up my answer.

"Good, you're learning. Yes, they are and while they aren't especially uncommon for me to see as I am the leader of the port city, unless it's something major these tend to go to the other city officials, ya know, the mayor or whatever."

The mayor- oooh yeah. They do all the boring stuff.

Of course while gym leaders can't do everything in the city, they actually have quite a lot of influence over their workload. Even still, gym leaders tend to be famous no matter how much they work outside the gym. Politicians? Ehhh.

"Unfortunately, a fancy signature can't write these problems away. It's a shit show," He said rubbing his temples. "Benedetto has been reported in the area."

"Benedetto? Who?"

Volkner opened a file on one of the many monitors to reveal the mugshot of a man with long black hair, a crimson red plaid shirt, a large fur coat and dark, sullen eyes that sealed an even darker ambition.

For a moment, a few milliseconds at best, I was struck with a rush of vertigo. Volkner didn't seem to notice, but Froberge did stir somewhat.

What was that feeling? That feeling of… greed?

I ignored it and focused back on Volkner. "Benedetto, is a Pokemon smuggler that we believe to be from Kalos. We don't know how long he's been operating, but our intel suggests it can't be more than 2, 3 years tops. We believe despite that time he has made worthwhile connections that afford him the luxury of evading Interpol and the Kalos League. His MO is smuggling rare Kalos Pokemon out of the region and selling them to the highest bidder. Now in other regions that shit may fly, but in Sinnoh? We're gonna get his ass, I just need to find out if he's here or not yet."

I ruminated over his words as he began looking through more files.

"Why do you think he could be around here, right now?" I asked.

"Simple," He pressed another key and the local news began playing.

"Good greetings and salutations my friends, my name is Tsu Nami and I'm here at the Grand Lake Hotel for a very special occasion: The Wallace Cup! Organized by the 8th gym leader and top coordinator of Hoenn himself, the Wallace Cup is a contest coordinators from all over the world can enter in order to win the coveted Aqua Ribbon! This illustrious ribbon is a collector's dream, but for a coordinator it is a ribbon that is valid to be used in all regions to enter the Grand Festival! We have coordinators from all walks of life across the world gathered here to participate, to make a name for themselves whether they win or lose! This year's theme is Hoopaeve, so I hope all of you watching aren't of the faint of heart because the ghosts and ghouls are coming out to play!"

After she was done speaking the camera began panning around showing off all the coordinators and pokemon socializing or practicing. Decorations were everywhere and the staff looked busier than ever. I could even spot Talent Scouts of various different companies scoping out the crowd, searching for any future stars.

I had totally forgotten that was a thing. Now I'm a bit curious to see it for myself. All these Pokemon from all over the world too…

"Are you saying you think he might have come in with the crowds and is trying to blend in? Or maybe his clientele would be coordinators like them?"

"The second one. It's risky, but coordinators from all over the world want to showcase their talents to scouts so they can be recruited for commercials, movies, TV shows, you name it. I know we definitely have our fair share of League scouts there keeping an eye out. These trainers need to look their best with the Pokemon they've got and obviously they are very careful about who they let join their team the same as us trainers. While we have our particular battle styles or typings we may enjoy, coordinators have their image and want Pokemon that can enrich a performance or become a popular mascot for their brand. So let's say they found someone perhaps selling rare and valuable Pokemon for a price they are willing to spend. What do you think they do?"

Oh shit.

"W-wait wouldn't they rather want a Pokemon from an esteemed breeder or a trusted adoption center? Or go through the actual work of catching the Pokemon they want themselves?"

"You're right. They could and should be doing any one of those three, but they either can't afford it, won't be approved or are too inept to find said Pokemon. Really in all honesty this practice isn't even that old, it's just criminally illegal. Like the game corner giving out Pokemon as prizes. You never know how the Pokemon on the receiving end is going to turn out. People used to just assume that whatever they bought was some perfect Pokemon jumping at the chance to be ordered around by their new master. Then a few days later, a body shows up," Volkner's voice trailed off near the end of his sentence. "These coordinators think they are going to get the ideal performer, but they're wrong. They are going to be receiving an abused victim of Pokemon trafficking, except Benedetto doesn't need to stay around for that realization. He's already got his money."

My face was stone cold. Did this news surprise me? Frankly no. In a world filled with creatures that could kill us all on a whimsy it's important for all children in every region to grow out of their ignorance before they get hurt. Though sometimes we forget how awful other humans can be, this was just another grim reminder.

"Now I won't say you can't run around and have fun, but be wary of any shady deals and be absolutely careful with Donut and Lou. Pikachu are popular everywhere and Charjabug is too exotic for people like him to pass up," Volkner warned. "You've been studying up on what it means to be a junior gym trainer right?"

"Yes. I know the signs of an abused Pokemon now. If I see anything I'll let you know." I spoke with an earnestness I hadn't expected. This wasn't exactly Volkner telling me to help him on a mission, but this was the closest I've ever been to League affairs. I couldn't disappoint.

"You'll let the local authorities know first, then alert me. They'll decide a course of action and then determine who is needed when and where," He corrected me. I pouted a bit at the correction, but he simply laughed and ruffled my hair. "I doubt you'll have anything to worry about though. You're smart, your Pokemon are powerful and you know the area. Plus, I've trained you myself and some people like to say that I'm something of a badass."

I rolled my eyes and took his hand off my head before responding snidely. "Yeah, yeah I get it. Stay away from creepy old guys who say they've got poffins in their van and find an adult if they ask me if I want to see their Ekans."

He rolled his eyes right back at me whilst trying to hold back a grin.

I wonder if my mother did the same thing.

"Sure. All of that too."

"Haha, yup. Anyway, Imma finish this project and head out."

"Hey, if anything exciting happens lemme know. I love my job and all, but this is boring. I know this is important, but all this paperwork?"

"Bet you're missing Flint right about now," I remarked honestly.

"It's never this boring when he's around at least," Volkner noted absentmindedly. "You bored too Froberge?"

"Luuuuux," Froberge simply yawned and curled up to nap.

"At least one of us is comfortable."

Before I left them to their paperwork I pet Froberge and went off to finish my project. Then it was off to Route 214.

Location: Route 214, October.

I swung my baton with trained practice going through the motions that Volkner had taught me in training. When we had sparred last he said I had improved quite a bit, but still not enough to reach League standards.

That's fair enough, I'm 12, not exactly the prime age of human condition.

Regardless I continued going over the movements and strikes against my non existent opponent, rolling and pretending to block when needed to test my reaction time. I had been training after school for ages now, attending the self defense class my school offers for aspiring trainers who want to know how to defend themselves. Unfortunately, Volkner doesn't have the time to teach me himself usually, but he sure as hell showed me where I needed to improve.

I took stock of my surroundings ensuring nothing was in my way and cartwheeled 3 times before I could feel slight error. Upon landing I lost balance a bit before catching myself. My goal was to do multiple perfect flips in a row, but without a gymnastics jumping pad I found the landings to be more arduous. I had gained way more respect for gymnasts thanks to my training.

This isn't good enough though.

I got right back up and went back to it till I nailed it. Volkner's words echoed through my head. Him, Cynthia and the whole League made Sinnoh such a safe place after Galactic and Helheim, so that people like Benedetto wouldn't defile it any longer yet here he is regardless.

I swung my baton with the exact same technique Volkner taught me.

When I'm strong enough I'll stand side by side with them and protect the region from scum like him.

My test to become a junior trainer is coming up soon and while I don't necessarily have to be physically adept as I won't be going on real missions (typically) from what I've read the tests typically require a steady mind and solid body. In other words, if your Pokemon can't afford to be slouches, why should I?

Everyone knows that in order to be considered one of the best trainers you have to be quick not only with your head, but with your feet as well. Pokemon lose respect for lazy trainers and in the field you have to actually be able to move sufficiently in order to get anything done.

All of the League's Ace Trainers undergo the most vigorous training regimens to reach a standard that won't embarrass the League in the field. As I am right now, I've got a long road ahead of me.

"Ma reep reep!"

Once again I heard the determined cries of an energetic Mareep as she sparred with Lou. Donut sat on the sidelines curled up comfortably watching with slight interest with his Eviolite neatly embedded into the band I handmade for him, holding his bandana together.

With each Tackle Mareep attempted Lou either chose to dodge by using String Shot to latch onto a tree or bounce away. While he wasn't an especially mobile Pokemon in conventional terms, Lou refused to let that stop him.

Sometimes I forget that he's still in a cocoon state.

Mareep refused to give up her tireless rush to catch Lou no matter what he did and made sure to clash with any attack he fired at her with equal fervor. Lou would often shrill during their sparring sessions in a way akin to how he drills the trainee Pokemon at the gym.

Mareep would listen attentively before correcting her mistakes and going at it again. Donut was just glad for a bit of distraction so he could enjoy the cool breezes of autumn in peace.

Mareep has had multiple trainers, but they've all chosen to return her. Most beginning trainers choose Mareep as more as fluffy, low maintenance Pokemon companions to chill with and Mareep has no chill. Whenever I see her in the gym she's often trying to get literally anyone to spar against her. And I mean anyone. I saw her running against Roland's hand while he was chilling once.

"Charj bug bug," Lou stopped sparring, waddled up to her and began coaching her on how to better utilize her electricity. Mareep took a stance and began copying his movements and technique with a focused expression.

Just recently Mareep had been returned once again by a dissatisfied trainer which is fine. You can't expect every Pokemon or human to be down with the first options they get, but that had been her 5th trainer. For understandable reasons she was a bit miffed.

We had passed right by the Grand Lake Resort and found a clearing relatively close to the lakefront. Even though I barely brushed by the area I could still see all the decorations and coordinators in the area. Lots of families as well were enjoying some of the food stalls they had going around. Nothing sketchy yet though.

As I was thinking Lou and Mareep combined their electricity and fired a powerful bolt into a nearby boulder. Lou nodded at her as a sign of approval causing her to huff proudly, head and tail held up high.

"Nice job, the both of you. You've come a long way without a trainer Mareep. You should be proud," I praised her.

I don't think she was especially upset about her past trainers, more frustrated they couldn't keep up or that the promising ones chose Elekid or Magnemite as starters. "Ya know, I could always ask Volkner if he wants to put you up for adoption. I'm sure there's loads of travel ready trainers who'd want an Ampharos eventually."

Mareep gave me a look that betrayed interest in the idea. It fit her since she was already way stronger than any typical starter and not all Pokemon want to start at the beginning with their trainers. Pokemon can hatch at the start of the year and compete in the Pokemon League at the end with enough dedication.

I turned towards the sky to see an unusually large flock of Starly take off into the sky.

Hm.

While she mulled over how enthused she'd be with that prospect, Donut's ears perked up and his cheeks discharged slightly. His tail pointed straight into the sky as though he were in high alert. He looked around in confusion before turning to me with a surprising look of urgency.

Something is wrong.

Lou and Mareep suddenly sparked as well similarly before Donut began explaining… whatever the situation was to them. Lou grunted gravely while Mareep nodded with determination.

I gripped my baton tighter than ever as I reached for my Pokedex in case I needed to send out an SOS. Donut began sniffing the air, sparking on occasion before walking towards the shrubbery.

Has he ever done something like this before?

I cautiously began taking several steps towards Donut until something just popped out from one of the nearby bushes that Donut had been looking around. Lou immediately took a stance in front of me until I noted what exactly was running towards me.

Looks like… a mini Raichu?

Before they could get too close Lou gave a warning shrill causing the tiny Pokemon to stop allowing me a better look. They were incredibly small, smaller than when Donut was a Pichu. An orange body with a yellow underbelly, they had twin whiskers over red electric pouches and a slim tail.

This is… could it be…?

I took out my Pokedex to scan the Pokemon quickly just to confirm my suspicions as I began looking through my bag.

'Dedenne the Antenna Pokemon.

Pokedex Number: 702

Typing: Electric & Fairy

Gender: Female

Average Height: 8"

Average Weight: 4.9 lbs

Egg Group: Field & Fairy

Ability: Cheek Pouch Recovers health upon consumption of a berry.

Entry: They can sometimes be found stealing electricity from power outlets in homes. Their whiskers serve as antennas. By sending and receiving electrical waves, they can communicate with fellow Dedenne over long distances. In dire situations they have been known to alert other electric types of their situation in order to deliver aid or receive it.

Dedenne with the ability Pickup tend to be much better at finding food while those Cheek Pouch are much better at converting said food into energy.

Data Updated.'

Dedenne in Sinnoh? They're a Kalos Pokemon. Though I guess it's not super strange to see at the moment, the Wallace Cup is an international contest. It's not unlikely for Kalosian Pokemon to show up at all. Except...

I knelt down to look at the Dedenne properly. While I had never met the species in person, I had spent my entire life around electric types and my partner Pokemon's species was a relative of theirs. It was obvious to see there were several things wrong with this Dedenne.

First of all, they were severely malnourished judging by their visible ribs and dull eyes. Their fur was incredibly dirty indicating they had been stuck in unsanitary conditions for an extended period of time.

The pictures on the Pokedex showcased a lively cute Pokemon, but this one was on the brink of collapse. The expression on their face was one of pure exhaustion and pain, seeming to barely register Lou as an immediate threat or simply a lesser evil as he wasn't attacking her at that exact moment.

A Kalos Pokemon who has obviously been poorly taken care of. A trainer couldn't have done this, they'd just leave her in her ball not whatever hovel she crawled out of… Benedetto?

From my bag I removed a potion and several Leppa berries I had found on the way. I knelt down closer to Dedenne who looked up at me with eyes full of fear, but with legs too tired to move.

"It's alright, Dedenne. You're safe now, we've got you," I calmly spoke to her and tried to convey a mindset of peace and good nature. She wasn't just an electric type, she was also a fairy and they respond the most negatively towards evil thoughts.

Upon that self realization I looked towards Lou and silently ordered him to hold his aggression. He quickly obeyed and crawled away ashamed of his undeserved hostility.

I slowly placed the Leppa berries on the ground for her to tentatively sniff. After the third sniff she was already chowing down looking slightly better already.

Good thing she has Cheek Pouch for her ability, now she can get energy and healing. But her electric sacs are looking a bit too sullen for my liking. She must not have been able to get enough power and Dedenne don't have large reservations so they constantly have to consume energy to remain charged. She must've used the last of her charge to send out that distress signal to Donut and the others. Which means she viewed us as friendlies.

"Pika…" Donut tried to get a bit closer to Dedenne as she ate, but even a single step too close caused her to flinch and recoil in fear, curling her tail around her body. Donut twitched his ears sending a small jolt of electricity to Dedenne in an attempt to start a conversation.

She stared at him in deep thought, as though trying to remember why she was even here. Dedenne was calm for a solid 5 seconds until a faintly distant rustle of leaves sent her into a state of panic. She grappled onto Donut's arm and began pulling him in the opposite direction of where the sound had come from.

"Donut, what is she trying to say?" I pleaded to my partner for an explanation. Dedenne had begun chattering away like mad leaving even my poor little mouse a little lost for words as she tugged on his arms, but the terror on her face was enough explanation for me to begin packing my bag. The rustling in the woods had gotten closer.

Oh no...

"Everyone, we're leaving. Now," I added firmly at the end. There were no complaints from anyone at my command as Donut nodded in an uncharacteristically serious expression. All I could guess was that he managed to piece whatever Dedenne was trying to say, but you didn't need to be a Pokemon to understand someone's desperation to escape danger.

Dedenne began leading Donut and I towards the Grand Lake Resort as Lou hopped onto Mareep for easier mobility. Meanwhile her wool was crackling, charging Lou and constantly glancing back. Not with fear, with anger.

We began making a mad dash towards the end of the clearing, gripping my baton fiercely and my Pokedex like a lifeline. I had realized how quiet the forest was, why all the Starly had fled collectively earlier and why Dedenne wanted to leave so badly.

I turned to look behind me to see one of the trees rustle violently.

As soon as I turned my forward again, I noticed a Mankey emerge from one of the trees ahead of us without warning blocking our path. Dedenne immediately shrank in fear as Donut took a protective stance in front of her with Lou and Mareep watching our backs.

"Looky what we have here," I turned back to spot some older thug, although he couldn't have been more than 18 really. "You found my adorable little Dedenne, thanks kid."

That face looks familiar.

My grip around my baton tightened as I discreetly pressed the SOS button on my Pokedex.

"This Dedenne is wild, she doesn't belong to you," I retorted.

"Oh you misunderstand, our situation is a bit unique. I'm a naturalist ya know. I don't like catching Pokemon in Pokeballs so they just follow me all over the world like a celebrity. Dedenne is one of my followers see?"

I swear I could hear Dedenne yak upon hearing that sentence. I'd do the same too if anyone implied I'd willingly follow a man like him.

How stupid does he think I am? Or more like how stupid is this guy?

"Sorry that Dedenne doesn't belong to my colleague here, it belongs to me," This time a female thug emerged from the brush around his age with a fake smile. "It just hatched recently and ran off before I could get a chance to put it in a ball."

Wait a second… her face.

Dedenne hid behind Donut upon her appearance.

"And during that gap between hatching and you trying to catch her, she just so happened to become malnourished, dirty and terrified of you?" I questioned.

I could visibly see a nerve appear on her head as another thug clambered out the bushes, exhausted. I don't know why, but for some reason the word 'dumb' came to mind when I stared at him.

"D-did you guys finally catch the Dedenne that got away? The boss is gonna be pissed if he finds out we lost some of the merchandise. They're so small, good thing we noticed it escaping from the cages or we'd be in some deep shit," As he confessed to exactly what his comrades had been attempting to hide, he gave his back a good stretch and noticed all eyes were on him. "What? Not everyone can keep up with Mankey, I hate all this running around stuff- oh my god where did the kid come from?"

And we're 3 for 3. All of them are wanted subordinates of Pokemon smuggler Benedetto.

While he was busy confessing to all of that I was busy scanning their belts to see that each had what I can only assume were 6 full Pokeballs. I doubt smugglers would have 6 well trained Pokemon on their person, but with enough numbers and savagery they could do the job well enough.

I had to make a decision I personally find disgraceful, but considering my position, Dedenne's condition and my desire to not be ripped apart by whatever other freaks they have at their disposal… it was time to go.

Volkner trusted that we could handle ourselves. So I just need to keep trusting my team.

"Run," Was all I said before I turned around, scooped up Dedenne into my arms and used my baton to bash the Mankey blocking our path out of the way. I dunno how much that even hurt them, but it got them out of my way and that's what I needed.

A bright light shone behind me indicating Mareep had used Flash to slow down the thugs. It would take them a second for the searing pain in their eyes to stop allowing them to summon any Pokemon and deliver orders.

Donut appeared on my right, easily keeping pace with me as I ran through the woods. Lou quickly swung in on my left expertly using String Shot and Acrobatics in succession showcasing his mastery of his web slinging skills.

I took a moment to appreciate the fruits of our labor proving to be exceedingly useful as I sprinted through the forest.

Whoever said bug types were bad obviously has never seen the multiple applications of String Shot.

Mareep had caught up and was running with me as I moved Dedenne into my backpack in order to free my hands. I checked my Pokedex once again to make sure my SOS was going out as I began attempting to make my way to the Grand Lake Resort.

Chapter Text

My feet crashed against the ground with each step. With each heavy breath I took all I inhaled was the forest's crisp air. I did not bother trying to avoid the leaves or twigs on the ground as it wouldn't save me from my assailants' sensitive noses and superior agility.

The Mankey are either slower than I anticipated or my adrenaline is boosting me into overdrive. Either way, time to think of a plan while I can.

I could hear the shrieks get even closer with each footstep I took, as though I was going in reverse. The time it had taken them to come out of their Pokeballs was the only reasonable explanation as to why I hadn't been caught yet.

"Vigoroth use Slash on the kid!"

"Iron Tail!"

In my peripheral vision I caught a glimpse of the ravenous Vigoroth emerging from the treetops descending with a shining white claw ready to cut me to pieces. Donut, bless his little soul, was ready before the words had left my lips as he jumped into the air and smacked the Vigoroth into an overzealous Mankey. Both barreled into a bramblebush which was more than enough for me.

Wish I could relish in that little victory.

As soon as Donut had landed he resumed his sprint easily catching up back to me.

"Ma! Mareep!"

I glanced down at the eager Mareep staying close to my perimeter perfectly matching all the vaulting and turning I had been doing to avoid our pursuers.

"No fighting, just stay close and guard!"

I could hear her huff under her breath as she ran beside me, but I was too preoccupied with the cries of a Simisage far too close for my comfort.

"Catch the kid with Vine Whip!" The goon bellowed through the woods. I was surprised they could keep up, but I had a feeling they were used to high stakes chases through the forest.

Or should I say, chasing innocents through their homes in an attempt to kidnap them.

The Dedenne in my arms squeaked at the sound of the vines lashing against the environment in the hopes of catching me. I clutched her tighter to my chest and began careening through the trees in a zigzag fashion in an attempt to throw their aim off a bit more.

"Lou, cut them down!" I cried for his aid and so it would come. Lou mid web swing turned around in mid air and shot a perfectly aimed String Shot into Simisage's eyes. Before they could manage to rip it off they slammed into a tree and fell to the forest floor.

Monkey blind, monkey fall.

I scanned my Poketch swiftly to check if my SOS signal was still ringing. The local police or ranger force should have their psychic warp or fly to the request's destination.

If that's the case why aren't they here yet!?

I was doing reasonably well so far, but I couldn't take any chances with so many Pokemon on my tail and so far from the main route. I was positive that Donut and Lou could handle Pokemon of this caliber, but these weren't normal Pokemon.

Running from a challenge, even a situation like this, bothered me more than I expected. My instincts as a human had won over my pride as a trainer.

Can't wait for the day when I can just face down any opponent.

The blood curdling shrieks of the Mankeys caused every Pokemon in my wake to flee. Staravia took to the skies, Girafarig fled in herds and the Geodude too slow to flee simply camouflaged as regular rocks.

Can't say I blame any of them for hiding from this chaos.

"Fuck it, get the Pikachu and the weird ass bug, we'll take them back! Passimian, Fling the coconut!"

Passimian? Is the whole jungle after me? When's the Infernape's turn?

Rather than ponder how many other simian Pokemon they could possibly throw at me I focused my attention on Donut and the coconut heading straight for him.

"Spin Dash!" Was the only thing I needed to say before Donut tumbled into his usual Rollout, except now in conjunction with Iron Tail. My own little ball of spiky death.

The coconut split in half immediately upon contacting his razor sharp tail as he jumped through the air and dragged his steel tail through the Passimian's fur. There was a horrific screech as I heard a loud thump on the ground and a familiar 'Pika pika'.

Just to make sure he was still there I turned to see Donut running by me once again giving me an assuring nod which I returned. He was alright, that's what's important.

No more monkeys jumping on the leaf bed. Right?

The sounds of ferocious Mankey battling for supremacy over who got to maul me first had gotten uncomfortably close. Too close.

Or not. Crap.

Before I could register what was happening the mouthless demons began descending from the trees in an attempt to catch at least one of us. Donut took the trees and began fending off the heathens at his own discretion with furious Thunderbolts lighting up the sky.

Some had managed to fall onto the path ahead of us blocking our intended path so I had to make a judgement call.

"Lou, cover my back, Mareep follow his lead! We're splitting up!" I scrambled to the right while Mareep managed to make her way to the left, climbing up a small hill in the process. Lou swung higher up into the trees causing me to lose sight of him. Mankey looked both ways contemplating who to pursue.

"Hey Mankey!" I had stopped running, Dedenne squeaked in understandable alarm at my suicidal proclamation. "All of you can eat a dick!"

The sounds those Mankey made were one of the worst things I had ever heard. The sheer unadulterated anger and bloodthirst in these Pokemon was palpable in the air and it was all focused on me.

Good.

From what I could tell, most of the Mankey were still able bodied, had their sights on me and made a mad dash to see who could rip out my tongue first. In the distance I could see Mareep on top of the hill I had sent her to with Lou right next to her.

There was no need for direction, Lou knew what I had intended to do as soon as I had ordered the separation. With all the elegance of a living battery bug he spat out a huge Spider Web behind the ignorant Mankey, catching them all within its sticky confines. While they scrambled in that gooey mess I ran over to Donut who had just finished knocking away some more Mankey as Mareep sent a nasty Shock Wave into the net of Mankey causing them to tumble down the incline with an unadulterated fury.

I peeked down the hill to watch the Mankey struggle in the makeshift Electroweb. The more they moved the more the web spread and due to their furry bodies it began to stick relentlessly. The electricity from the Shock Wave along with the friction caused them to begin sparking, fueling their rage even further as they began digging their nails into their fellow Mankey, inciting even more wrath.

I found the situation growing to become incredibly uncomfortable to watch or listen to. Donut, Lou and Mareep all reconvened with me a bit tired, but still raring to go. I was sweating, my heated body contrasting with the chilled autumn air.

"De dedenne," I peered over my shoulder to look at Dedenne in my backpack pointing to the forest once again to see distant rustling. While the trainers hadn't come yet, Vigoroth, Simisage and Passimian were likely still well enough to pursue us. In other words, make a plan.

"There's still some Mankey we didn't manage to catch, but it's a manageable amount. There's no point trying to outrun monkeys in a forest when we've still got aways to go to get back to the city with our scents leading a golden path to us. We'll wait to ambush the rest, incapacitating them enough they won't be able to catch us by the time we reach civilization. Agreed?"

They all nodded in unison before we took off to find a decent vantage point. Mareep once again came with me, while Lou and Donut found their own positions close by.

We wouldn't need to go through all of this if someone would just pick up the damn SOS.

"Another widespread attack should be enough to damage them all and at the very least they'll be slowed down. I doubt even those thugs have many more Pokemon spare on this operation so after we take care of them, we should be in the clear. Just… just be cautious. These Pokemon aren't normal," I warned.

Lou had a dark look I hadn't seen from him since he was a wild Pokemon fighting for his life when I had met him. Although he had gotten acquainted with domestic life I never doubted for a second he had lost his survival instincts.

Donut had a slightly annoyed expression (likely due to his lounge time being interrupted by extreme physical exertion), but he could sense the severity in my voice.

Mareep looked incredibly eager to strike back at the Mankey, her tail lightly waving in anticipation.

Meanwhile I was a nervous wreck, but I think the adrenaline was pushing all those feelings down.

Just the energy we needed.

I lowered my head and snuck into a ditch surrounded by thick pecha berry bushes with Dedenne and Mareep. I checked my Pokedex one more time to see that the SOS still hadn't processed.

Is this thing broken? It gets connection in the Underground, but not the friggin' woods?

Before I could fumble with it even further the ravings of a few Mankey began to approach. With them were the much more discernible cries of Vigoroth, Simisage and Passimian. Now that I was stationary for more than a few seconds I could finally take stock of how my heart was practically jumping out of my chest. From anxiety, fear, excitement or exhaustion I couldn't tell as my mind was occupied with formulating multiple scenarios of how this could go and how we adapt.

When Mareep began to tense up I was stirred from my thoughts as I slunk deeper into my hiding spot into a more prepared position.

"On my signal," I whispered to everyone as we waited. We listened to the feral cries of the monkey Pokemon as they shrieked through the trees searching for their prey.

The pressure of the air around us tightened in an almost unnatural fashion, the shrieks of the monkeys began to feel farther and farther away every second. In the distance I could see them begin ascending up the rocky hills of Route 214 on the way to Veilstone. The exact opposite of where our scent trail should be leading them.

Is this some sort of ploy to catch us off guard?

I squinted to see that the three main threats were spearheading this decision with the remaining able Mankey following behind.

What are they doing? Mankey's face, head, body thing is largely nose. It'd be embarrassing if they failed to sniff us out.

"Holy fuck, can we stop now?" The lazy thug was speaking in the distance. "The monkeys will find them on their own, we don't need to chase after them right?"

"We wouldn't have to be going through all of this shit if you had just kept your mouth shut," Shouted the crude thug who I had met first.

"Speaking of things that should've been kept shut. How did Dedenne get out of the cage? It's defective right? I can't imagine it could've done it on its own," The crass girl thug spoke up.

"It's a rat, prolly chewed its way out. Anyway, we can't let it get away. These rich fucks pay big bucks for the cute mons and Dedenne is about as cute as it gets. If it had just stayed in the cage it prolly could've been sold off to some broad who'd stuff it till it died from obesity," The crude one continued complaining. "Fuckin' kid, gettin' in the way."

"I doubt anyone would pay much for a mangy thing like that… Did you remember to turn on the jammer so the twerp couldn't call for help?" The crass one asked. "Speaking of help, what should we even do with him when we catch him? I dunno about you, but I don't want any dead kids on my conscience."

"Why not? It's not like what we're doing won't get us all life anyway. What's one kid in the grand scheme of things?" The lazy one said, as he began to rationalize why murdering me would just be a drop in the bucket for their crimes.

"Shut the fuck up, we only deal with wilds. Killing kids or kidnapping trainer mons just creates a trail Benedetto doesn't need. Did you get all the Mankeys from the net?" The crude one demanded.

"Yeesh, most of them. They went batshit in there and mauled each other. One of my faves lost an eye too," The crass one said in a way emulating sadness, but I doubted any of these freaks were capable of genuine emotion. "You owe me a new one when we get back, by the way."

"Fuck… this fucking mouse better be worth it," Was all the crude one said before he began running off to pursue their monkey troop.

"Ughhhh, why couldn't we just take the hover segways?"

"It's bad enough we lost the merchandise, you think the boss is gonna let us lose those too? You're crazy. Let's just look a little more and we'll head back," The crass one chastised him before following her companion. The lazy one, with much reluctance, huffed along after them.

After what felt like hours I finally let go of the breath I was holding in once I was sure they were too far to notice. My brain was racing a mile a minute as I slunk to the ground, the events that had just transpired all crashing down upon me. I wasn't sure what emotion to land on so I landed on infuriated. With each breath I took my head pounded in resentment causing me to press my temples to force back the pain.

Do they even see Pokemon as living beings or commodities? Their Pokemon died and all they can think about is immediately replacing them? They were willing to obey any order given to them and this is all the respect they receive in death?

My mind broached the mindset of how it was because of my actions that they began killing each other in the first place.

No, I did what I had to to get everyone out alive. Dedenne doesn't deserve this and those Mankey have been abused out of their minds already. They did this. They ruined them. Those goddamn poachers! Without their horde we could handle them. Show them what it feels like to be hunted. To fear for your  life.

My mind raced back to watching the Mankey tearing each other apart in a rapid fur, running through a late night thunderstorm clenching a woman's hand, memories of crimson red and pain staining my vision.

I sat on the ground rubbing my head trying to push back the headache and memories I could barely recall until I felt a raspy tongue lick my cheek, somehow licking away my pain as well. Dedenne looked at me with eyes of concern before giving me another fairy lick, sating my anger.

Donut and Lou scampered up to me as well with Donut hopping onto my shoulder to lick my other cheek. I giggled as I could smell the strong aroma of sweets emanating from his fur, a scent that has lingered on him no matter how much you bathe him. I rubbed both their chins causing them to preen lightly.

Lou looked up at me with utmost concern for my well-being and rage towards whatever demons plagued my mind. I patted him on the head and smiled, my mind feeling much clearer.

"Sorry, I was just… I just needed a second. Thanks for the support."

Haven't had a headache that bad in a long time.

I got up slowly and stretched until I realized what had just occurred.

"Donut…" I whispered. "Do you sense anyone else in the vicinity?"

Donut noted the urgency in my voice and raised his ears, using electromagnetic waves to hone in on any entities within our perimeter. The electric mouse scrounged his face up in annoyance as the connection fizzled out as though it had been sabotaged. Suddenly Lou was full on attentive as he shivered with bug energy.

He can feel it. A psychic's touch.

"Stand down. Had we been hostile, you would have already been made aware." Said a voice uncomfortably close behind us. I turned around to see a girl with long violet hair, an electric yellow scarf, a reddish brown aviator jacket, black pants, deep purple satchel and undershirt and intense eyes staring right at us.

She held some sort of tablet under her arm, but the eyes kept drawing my attention. They looked… almost dead. Standing next to her was a bipedal white feline Pokemon with curled ears, twin tails and piercing orange eyes. She had her arms crossed and was just watching us.

Dedenne squeaked and hit deeper into my bag, while Donut narrowed his eyes and sparked. Lou, who had reacted faster than any of us thanks to his bug instincts, already launched a String Shot to immobilize our surprise guests. All it did was suddenly curve upwards and around the duo, splatting harmlessly against the rock wall.

Wish I could do that.

The Meowstic (whose name just came to mind) just rolled her eyes, a feminine and slightly exasperated voice ringing in my head. [Chill, okay? You're lucky Violet's so good with tech or those Mankey would've ripped you to shreds with no one the wiser.]

I lightly rubbed my forehead once again when Meowstic's voice echoed throughout my brain.

Is telepathy supposed to be this loud?

She just raised an eyebrow at me and the echoing stopped.

"Good with tech...? What are you talking about?" I turned to the girl. "What did you do to the Mankey for them to stop following us?"

At my feet I could see Lou did not trust these two even an iota, which made me feel a bit better about my paranoia.

She sighed, irritation humming more than the psychic voice. "I did nothing to stop the Mankey. What I did was pick up on your SOS signal, disable the jammer and your signal emitter. Usually, I would let the League or Rangers handle this. However, they are usually less covert. Which is not something we could afford."

Meanwhile, her Meowstic just smiled a bit. [Mankey aren't… smart. Those even more so. All I had to do was make them think the trail led the other direction and off they went. It'll wear off in like an hour, but that's loads of time.]

Huh, so that's what a true psychic can do. Maybe the pressure I felt in the air before was the psychic disturbance? Did it mess with my head too?

Many electric types are adept at psychic moves. Electabuzz and Magneton even have access to the elusive Teleport, but their mental manipulation skills are sorely lacking compared to a true esper Pokemon.

Donut cocked his head a bit at that. I could tell he was beginning to trust them a little bit more while Lou was still wary as ever. Mareep was staring at them intently, interested more than anything.

Before I could reply, my Pokedex began vibrating. Taking a look I checked to see that my signal indeed had been stopped, but at the very least it was reporting it now.

"It seems your Pokedex has experienced a communication error. Would you like to send a report to our team to check it out?" My Pokedex rattled off robotically.

The girl just groaned. "Not the time." She pulled out the tablet with some sort of yellow symbol emblazoned on the back, swiping. The error message on my Pokedex was swept away, leaving the usual home screen.

Excuse me?

Whatever expression my face was trying to make, I withheld. Pokedexes akin to Pokeballs have top notch connection and security (well that was what I was lead to believe until one person jammed it and the other hacked it), to be able to just take over with barely any struggle had me wondering if I should have Volkner talk to Professor Rowan about this.

This is getting a bit too weird, I think it's time to go.

"Okay then. Um… thanks for the assist. I'll be on my way then," I looked them over again before making my way to the Grand Lake Resort. From my current vantage point I could see the city clear as day. As soon as I took a single step I walked right into an invisible wall.

"The hell?" I rubbed my nose before turning back to the girl aptly named Violet and Meowstic. "What is this?"

She pinched the bridge of her nose and I swear I heard her mutter "Humans…" as Meowstic just twitched her ears. The light, which before had been filtering between leaves, suddenly shone brighter and shimmered as a dome around us disappeared. Meowstic then looked at me. [How'd you think they didn't see us and you didn't see us, dumb luck? Anyway, Violet?]
She nodded, her eyes boring holes through me. "The Dedenne with you. She needs medical attention. Now. Sunyshore or the Lake Hotels?"

This is the pushiest pair I have ever met.

I could hear Lou snarl some sort of warning at the Meowstic who didn't even bother with a response, she just continued staring at me. Whether they saved us or not didn't automatically mean they were on our side and I wasn't keen on their attitude either so I responded in kind.

"Not that it was any of your business or your problem, but I was heading to the Grand Lake Hotel's Pokemon center."

I know Zachary and some of the other gym trainers had taken up security at the Wallace Cup. I could meet with them and they can help me sort out this whole mess. Maybe even call Volkner or Crasher Wake.

"Functional. Amethyst?"
She just gave a small smile. [Didn't even need to ask.] Her ears unfurled, the marks inside shining brightly.

I don't like the look of that.

An unexplainable feeling filled my body as I felt the entire world move around me. It was though I was momentarily suspended in space as I warped from the Route 214 woods to the familiar extravagant Hotel Pokemon center. I nearly collapsed out of sheer vertigo, but I managed to grab a chair before I fell on my ass.

Donut was a bit shaken up while Dedenne gave a woozy squeak. Lou once again seemed the least affected, but it was clearly something even he was not sufficiently prepared for.

Right. Bugs don't resist psychics as well as steel or dark types, they just cut through their bullcrap.

"Oh? Um, hello there? Do you or your Pokemon need of emergency care?" Said the pleasant voice behind me. I turned around to find Nurse Joy and her Happiny dressed in an interesting Hoopaeve attire akin to a pink witch.

Funnily enough she didn't look the least bit surprised we had just warped in. Considering how Chansey and Blissey can learn Teleport, I doubt this stuff phases her anymore.

I turned around as quickly as I could and laid my bag on the counter with Dedenne inside. "Yes, actually. I found this wild Dedenne in the forest and she was ummm…" I leaned a bit closer so only she could hear. "Was being chased by Pokemon smugglers working under Benedetto. I didn't catch any of their names, but they have a horde of dangerous Mankey, a Vigoroth, Simisage and Passimian. Last I saw them they were making their way north to Veilstone City."

Nurse Joy's expression went from curious to gravely serious as she looked at Donut, Lou and Mareep who nodded adamantly, backing up my statement. She nodded at me before carefully lifting Dedenne out of my back and onto a tiny stretcher for two Happiny to carry her away with.

"Thank you for informing me, I'll be sure to alert the authorities. Are you or any of your other Pokemon hurt?"

I turned to my three and besides being a tad dirty and a little tired, they hadn't taken any damage. "No thanks, we're fine."

"Wonderful. I will let you know when Dedenne is feeling better and you can all visit," Nurse Joy said as her expression returned to a more reassuring one. Much more typical for a Nurse Joy and its effect immediately made its mark.

I wonder if Nurse Joys are fairies too?

As she began attending to other trainers, I turned back to Violet and Meowstic. They were simply standing and staring, once again. I was still a bit woozy from the teleportation, but I was pretty sure Meowstic didn't have the capabilities for that. As far as I know anyway, I don't think they are anywhere near as explored as say Alakazam or Gardevoir, so what they can and can't do aren't especially common knowledge.

"We have much to discuss." Violet plainly stated.

No really? We were just gonna leave everything that's happened in the past 5 minutes to hang in the air for a Swablu to fly into.

Meowstic just shook her head good naturedly. [Translation: we have things to talk about, and we should start with names. She's Violet, I'm Amethyst. You right now are random kid and friends who saved a Pokemon being chased by Benedetto's goons, and any info you've got on him would be great.]

So they know about him too? Why should they care?

"I'm Topaz, this is Donut, Lou and Mareep," I gestured to each of them as I rattled off their names. "They didn't really give any names, but their intent was to sell Dedenne to the highest bidder and that somehow she got out of whatever cage she was trapped in."

Both their eyes narrowed. [You should really talk in your head. Kind of a lot of humans around who you don't know. He's not enough of a small fry to not have random humans listening in.]

Teleporting inside out of nowhere and whispering to Nurse Joy did attract multiple prying eyes, so I quickly asked a Nurse Chansey if she had a spare room we could talk in.

While all the normal rooms had been booked because of the Wallace Cup, there was a small meeting room not currently in use. Once we walked in, I turned back to the prickly pair. I was still reeling from physical and mental exhaustion, so I was recuperating with an energy drink.

"Does this meet your standards?"

Violet just raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if talking openly about a poacher human amongst other humans is a wise decision."

I'm gonna need a max elixir and a Tylenol to deal with her.

I ignored her and decided to speak to Amethyst. "So you know about Benedetto too? The Kalos smuggler?"

She nodded, Violet raising an eyebrow while Amethyst's voice rung in my mind. [Do you watch Kalos news? He's not super known about in Sinnoh.]

I'll answer carefully. See what they know first.

"The local authorities have been alerting people of possible Pokemon traffickers in the area. They have cause to believe that it may be Benedetto. Plus they primarily hunt Kalos Pokemon and Dedenne is Kalosian," My explanation rolled off the tongue with ease.

Violet just stared. "So you either pay close attention to local authorities or have connections to them yourself. You are aware of other regions' Pokemon, as Dedenne are not native to Sinnoh and you knew what they were quickly. You also have access to more in depth information than most, due to how the average human only knows about Benedetto and would not immediately recognize that those were his henchmen. This combined with both the Pokemon with you, one of whom is not registered to your trainer ID, and the way you carry yourself indicate you are closely affiliated with the Sunyshore gym. As a gym trainer in training likely, though I doubt that is all there is to it."

Amethyst smiled up at Violet. [Well that makes this easier!] Then to me. [So, you got any big gym contacts that you can make sure don't come barging in?]

Abort abort, too much information.

Donut whistled in awe and looked at me for a response.

Thanks for the assist Donut.

Lou looked like he was about to speak, but I politely asked him to chill.

I could feel a rant about to erupt. Let's save that for later.

"Barging in on what?"

"His operations in this area." She brought up her tablet again. "He is currently attempting to make deals with those who want Kalosian Pokemon in this city. However, due to your intervention with his henchmen earlier he is distracted. While this prevents Pokemon from being sold off like property for the time being, it also makes him much more wary. In this state he is much more likely to notice, be aware of and respond faster to League movement in full. He is also aware of how he puts his life on the line simply by attempting business in this area, which means he has multiple routes of escape. While you alerting the Nurse Joy to activity in the area before would put him on guard, actually postponing festivities or otherwise inciting large changes would cause him to flee. As such, we need to avoid that. Keep him in the dark while we cast a net."

Everything she's saying sounds… actually reasonable. If Cynthia were in charge of this situation she might even make a similar call. Minus all the extreme vitriol for humanity.

"Hmmm. The League will likely want to keep this covert, so I don't think they'll cancel anything unless the chances of an all out brawl are imminent. It'd be hard to get all these people out anyway and I don't think a smart criminal would want to battle against Crasher Wake and Volkner with all their ace trainers in the middle of a highly populated area. Especially when they are all on high alert," I thought a moment before continuing. "Worse case scenario with them one of the Elites arrive to assist."

"Then tell me. Do you or the League have any idea of where he is within this city?"

I pouted and folded my arms. "I wouldn't know… all I know is that his people might be trying to sell Kalosian pokemon to eager coordinators, but they should've been alerted about the consequences of participating in that sort of activity."

She raised an eyebrow. "Your first mistake was assuming humans would do the right thing."

"Why do you hate humans so much, aren't you human too?" I looked at her closely for a second. "Or are you a Zoroark disguising herself as a human?"

After Heimdall legit spoke to me, talking Pokemon are no longer outside the realm of possibility for me.

There was some sort of momentary relaxation in her stance, though not her glare. "If only that were the case. Unfortunately, I am as human as you are. I simply make it a point to not be blind to the atrocities of humans and galivant ignorantly as so many do."

It's interesting. She talks about other humans in a way similar to Jade yet I can already tell they would hate each other. Anyway I feel like there's either something to unpack there or she's decided to go down the road of misanthropy. Which isn't so inexcusable considering humanity's history. Even I'm not a people person per say. She didn't seem against being related to a Zoroark though and she was immediately attentive to Dedenne's well-being. Mmm.

"I suppose it would be unrealistic to judge everyone here by Sinnoh standards considering there's coordinators from all over. This could be the norm for some of them…" I trailed off at the end of my uncomfortable thought.

"Approximately one fourth are from Hoenn. The next largest group is those from Kalos. Then Unova, then Johto, then Kanto. Of exclusively those who had to fly here. Most in Alola are busy with their own celebrations. And in Sinnoh, while this is certainly a large event there is one in Hearthome which has a much higher turnout for Sinnoh natives for obvious reasons. Due to the fact that Sinnoh is the strictest with Pokemon equity laws, most if not all from other regions would not bat an eye." She glared at me. "But before moving further. There are two outcomes of this conversation. Either you assist me and Amethyst, or you do not."

Amethyst looked up. [You don't seem like a bad guy, buuuut it's not great to just tell someone everything if you're just gonna go off and mess things up. If you wanna go and enjoy some stalls or whatever, me and Violet are gonna find Benedetto.]

Enjoy some stalls!? Do I look like some doe-eyed tourist who could just forget I just ran from criminals and their psycho monkeys?

Lou decided to voice our collective indignation with a flurry of whirs and bzzzts. Donut patted him on the head to calm him down and I was about to go back to talking before Mareep butted her head against my leg. Not enough to throw me off balance though. When I looked down she gestured her head towards the duo and looked ready to walk over to them.

Of course she has made up her mind already. The thrill seeking Mareep.

"It's obvious you two are very smart and… resourceful, but not even the Kalos League has caught this guy yet and the Sinnoh League is still looking into him. Do you have any other allies to rely on? You seem confident."

Amethyst just shrugged. [Between me and Violet? We're fine.]

I could tell I wasn't going to get much else out of them without a definite answer. Most of me really wanted to go and resolve this whole Benedetto situation myself, but all my studying and lessons to become a gym trainer have always reminded us to don't try to be a hero. Work with the team and follow protocol.

They also say to trust your judgement and assess the situation.

"Pika pika pi," Donut interrupted my thoughts to speak with Amethyst. "Pika pi pikachu."

She thought a moment, then replied. This time though, in Pokemon speak. "Tic, meowsi. Meowstic tic meow."

Lou began to interject as well with his own Pokemon speak. He seemed to be protesting whatever Donut had said, but Donut simply waved him off before pointing at himself and then at me.

It has been awhile since I've seen Donut speak so much. Usually I can grasp what he's saying, but I think my brain was still a bit on the fritz at the moment.

Usually he's so quiet. Has he made his own decision?

It took a bit, but eventually Lou agreed to whatever Donut had proposed. Donut turned to me and stared straight into my eyes and finally I could understand what he was talking about.

'We want to help.'

To hear such a thing from Donut, even nonverbally, was rather foreign to me. Donut was a very kind Pokemon yes, but he didn't really advocate for anything besides another dessert.

Lou I could understand. He was a defender of the weak, but he was also adamant about my safety which explains his hesitation. They all risked their lives with me to save Dedenne and now they are telling me to aid in these two.

Pokemon do have better senses for these types of things. We're already in this deep and if stopping Benedetto will ensure no one else will suffer like Dedenne has… then I have no other option.

"Dedenne has suffered so much by the hands of humans, but she trusted in us to help her. I've never seen Donut so adamant in helping anyone and I feel like I've forgotten what it means to truly be a trainer to take risks."

I thought back to all the times I had faith or made a gamble. Against Jade in the Little Cup, saving Lou, partnering up with Donut. Just now I risked my life for a Pokemon I had never even met.

This was stupid. Everyone at school, the gym, Jade, Volkner and maybe even Cynthia would say this isn't smart. I have two trained Pokemon and a rambunctious sheep. My allies are a girl who looks at me like I'm the filth she stepped in and a sassy cat. Our target is an international Pokemon smuggler who the League has yet to catch. We could all very well die.

Even still...

I have faith in Donut and Lou. Pokemon and humans have worked together to face injustice since the beginning of time. My wish is to join their ranks, as a gym trainer and beyond. I want to make a difference. If defeating this Benedetto and working with this ragtag team is how I'm gonna do it, then so be it.

"If you two say working with you both is the best course of action, then so be it. I'll trust you both," I declared. Donut looked up at me with a beaming proud look, tail swaying happily. Lou looked especially satisfied as well with my answer as it befit the trainer he had chosen. Mareep was cheering and sparking happily, hopping about.

Violet just kept staring. Amethyst though was smiling. [Glad to have you on board. And now that you are, we can tell you that we have a general tracker on Benedetto so all we need to do is get within two hundred meters of him and I can find him. And Violet's tablet points us in the right direction, which is why we don't want loads of League people everywhere.]

"Makes sense. In his business paranoia is a necessity, so if he got too spooked he'll run."

Amethyst was about to reply when Donut's stomach decided to interrupt us. The moment it did, Violet began rummaging in her bag. After a couple moments she procured an armful of fresh berries and looked to him. "Take as many as you like."

Donut immediately dashed over to pick from her feast. I rubbed the back of my head bashfully while Lou rolled his eyes, but said nothing. We were used to this.

"Remember your manners, Donut," Was all I could say.

"Pika!" He said to Violet before taking all the sweet berries in her hand, feasting on the Pecha berries first.

She looked at him with shining eyes. "Do you enjoy sweets?"

"Pika pika!"

And she's set him off.

Donut began speaking rapidly about everything he loved about sweets. How do I know? It's because no other topic makes him this animated. Or causes him to talk so much. It makes him happy so I let him be, he's done quite a bit already today.

Amethyst glanced to Violet and I assume translated, because after a moment she was walking out the door. A purple aura enveloped her as Amethyst just rolled her eyes. "No, you're not blowing all our money on sweets for Donut. We have shit named Benedetto to do."
"After then."

She put a paw to her forehead. [No, don't blow all our money on sweets in general.]

"Alright."

After Amethyst put her down she looked to Donut. "I will get you a box of donuts after this convening and assuring that Dedenne is alright and will recover."

Donut jumped for joy at that. I rubbed my temples trying to rationalize it.

He burned a lot of calories during the chase. He deserves a treat. It's just… an entire box of donuts? Bless Donut's metabolism. I'll need to get him some more healthy food after that.

I inhaled deeply before exhaling, taking a sip of my energy drink.

No more second guessing, I've got to do this. We'll honor the Sunyshore Gym and make Volkner proud. No ridiculous felon from Kalos is going to bring his suffering into Sinnoh. Not if we have anything to say about it. We've trained for this exact moment.

I took out my Pokedex to evaluate the status of my team and to list the items I had in storage.

I've just gotta keep faith.

Chapter Text

*We will also be signifying telepathy dialogue via [Words.] from now on.

Question: Favorite region to read fanfiction about? Do you prefer author questions at the start or end of a chapter?

~x~

Our heroes have found themselves in quite a predicament. In order to take down Pokemon smuggler Benedetto they have aligned themselves with the enigmatic Meowstic, Amethyst and the blunt misanthropist Violet. Donut and Lou have faith in their ability so Topaz has placed their trust in them as well. We can only hope it wasn't misguided.

~x~

I took out my Pokedex and began checking what items I had inside my bag. I hadn't intended for all of this to suddenly start happening, so I was quite unprepared in terms of stock.

I'll have to get a lot more ethers, potions, status heal and people medicine as well. They better still have some in stock around here.

"If we want to defeat Benedetto we'll have to be prepared to fend off his goons too. Are you two well stocked for consecutive battles?" I asked Amethyst rather than Violet who held the bag. Amethyst's answers were a lot less terse.

She gave a nod. [Most of the stuff we'd need usually we have, and we didn't exactly walk in here with nothing and figure it'll all be fine.]

"Okay good. I'll need to stop by the mart to get some more supplies and I'll be ready enough. Anything notable we as a group should know about?" I gestured to Donut and Lou at that suggestion. They were way more forthcoming when Pokemon were involved. Mareep butted my leg and huffed that she wasn't being included. I chuckled and gestured to her as well.

Violet looked more to them than me to respond. "The Pokemon they have enslaved are damaged mentally, but that does not mean they cannot recover. While I understand if it comes to that, avoiding lethal injuries would be best. They deserve a chance to live without humans ruining their lives. You should expect to come across more primate Pokemon than average, and while he is a human be wary of Benedetto. He is not above playing dirty and the League's rules of battle mean nothing to him. While he may not be able to injure you directly, flashbangs and other such tools are not out of the realm of possibility. Tactics derived from his prior mentor, Hunter J, are not unlikely either."

Hunter J!?

Donut and Lou nodded in understanding. As my Pokemon they had to undergo a bit of training themselves to be able to participate as gym trainer Pokemon. Knowing the dirty tactics criminals use and understanding the situation of your opponent was vital. At the same time though…

"Hunter J… the most wanted Pokemon hunter in the world. A supposed 100% success rate and known affiliate with Team Galactic. Responsible for the most kidnappings that happened 6 years ago," The information spilled out of my mouth with ease.

The League has wanted J for years, but no one has managed to defeat her in a fair fight or even catch her if one was possible.

She also knows when to pick her battles. Despite her strength she retreats swiftly once a leader, elite or Cynthia shows up.

"If he's anything like his ex boss, he would retreat at the first sign of big League authority. I understand better why you didn't want them involved."

[He's like his ex boss but worse at his job,] Amethyst interjected. [Forget needing a Leader to come by, he'd run shaking in his boots if a pack of Ace Trainers showed up.]

That says a lot about their power level. Hunter J can handle Ace Trainers, but it seems he didn't inherit her strength. I'm no Ace Trainer, but...

"How about Benedetto himself? Do you know anything about his team?"

Amethyst's eyes narrowed. [I have a Pangoro to fuck up.]

Violet nodded. "In addition to a Pangoro, he has a male Meowstic with him. Other than that I have nothing confirmed, but if I was forced to guess I would suppose Scrafty, Malamar, Tyrantrum, Sableye, Trevanant, Dragalge or Pyroar."

She looked to me. "Considering the hours you have used your Pokedex, I doubt I need to spell out for you where his Pokemon originate from."

And she knows my Pokedex hour count. Creepy, but moving on.

"Sans Scrafty and Sableye all those Pokemon are from Kalos. At least his preference is consistent," I shrugged before looking at Amethyst a second.

From what I remember male Meowstic are the more defensive of the two while females are aggressive even often being labeled as unfriendly. I suppose Amethyst is a bit sassy, but I wouldn't call her unfriendly. Regardless, both have tremendous power sealed within their ears and I've read the warnings about what happens when it gets out of hand.

"Judging by your list it sounds like he has favoritism towards dark types and it's obvious you're strong Amethyst, but… hey Mareep, can you accompany them just in case anything happens?" I looked down at the electric sheep.

She jumped in excitement and nodded enthusiastically, sparking and all ready to go on an adventure. Violet just narrowed her eyes at me, then looked at her. "Would you like a name?"

And I upset her again. Is there no way to win?

She gave Violet a look. "Do not worry, I can clearly tell giving you a name that would fit a more relaxed Pokemon would not do here. You deserve a name fitting of your vigor." At that she nodded again, looking hopefully towards her.

Amethyst just gave me a smile. [More Pokemon than you'd expect want names. Violet loves calling out humans when they say she's weird for just calling them human and not asking their name.]
"Huh, I did not know that. You guys?" I turned to Donut and Lou. Donut merely shrugged, he loved his name, but he wasn't jumping at the bit for one when we met.

Lou looked oddly distracted though, as though he was thinking about someone else.

It only took a few moments for Violet to look back at Mareep. "Do you like the name Zenara?"

She sparked, giving a happy "Ma ree!"

Violet's eyes softened a moment, a small smile flashing across her face. "Then I am honored to learn your name, Zenara."

"Glad to see you're happy with your new name, Zenara," I congratulated her. Donut patted her wool, while Lou was prolly calling her Cadet Zenara or something.

Usually trainers name their Pokemon, but I won't protest a name if she likes it.

I reached on to my belt and took out her ball. I stared at it a moment considering how I had no authority to be doing this as I wasn't her trainer.

No. She's got her own free will. If she wants to help, then she can help.

I extended it out to Violet. "This is her Pokeball. Just in case something happens."

She raised an eyebrow and stared at me for a moment. A very long, awkward moment. Before taking it, nodding and putting it in her bag.

I'll take awkwardness over blatant disdain if it's coming from her.

"So, what's the plan now that we're all in this?" I asked.

Violet set her tablet on the table, typing in a few keys before a holographic map of the Grand Lake Hotel area lit up above it. On it there was a large, reddish spherical area more towards the west.

"The red area indicates the area in which Benedetto is in. As of the moment due to your alerting Nurse Joy and thus the League to his actions in the area, he will be more wary. As such, we need to gather information more discreetly."

She glanced to me. "For you, that means asking people who you believe may know something and keeping an eye and ear out for anything abnormal. Normal for humans, but now is not the time for arguable semantics. I will be hacking various electronics to locate Benedetto's, which will be simple considering how they are more encrypted than your average system. Which, if not directly attached to a radio signal, Pokemon center or otherwise an area which requires more security than average is a dead giveaway. Amethyst will be keeping us in touch telepathically so we can all communicate without having to risk vocalization. If you find them, we do not engage. First, we determine how large of an area they occupy. Then, if it includes Benedetto, we force information out of him. If it does not and he uses some method to escape that is not jammable, we pursue. Either way the end goal is ending his career permanently and rescuing the Pokemon he has captive."

They weren't kidding, they are definitely on top of this.

"Sounds good to me," I answered. I frowned slightly at trying to get information out of a bunch of older trainers when I don't even have authority as a junior trainer.

I'll figure it out.

Donut and Lou agreed in turn with the plan. Zenara looked up at Violet, who simply gave a small smile. "Do not worry. Just because we are not engaging in battle at the moment does not mean we will rely on others to complete this endeavor. You will have more than enough opportunity to showcase your ability before this is over." At that she sparked happily, looked to me and gave a confident "Reep mareep!"

I simply gave her a thumbs up and a smirk. "We'll kick their asses just like on Route 214, except they'll be running from us next time. So about this telepathic link?"

I've never had experience with telepathy before. Some of the trainers at the gym have psychic types, but they either never expressed the interest or talent in telepathy. That or they just didn't wanna talk to me which… huh. That's mean, but whatever.

[Yup,] she said calmly, [Just keep your minds open for a moment and try not to get attacked mentally or lose your mind while I'm keeping everyone linked. Kinda makes it hard.]

Comforting, but my mind is rather stable. Hopefully it won't be as loud this time.

[That means you, Topaz.]

"Sorry," I sheepishly apologized.

Okay, no thoughts, head empty…

There was a small tug at my mind before it went back to normal, but I still felt like there was something on the tip of my tongue but I didn't know what it was. All I heard was [Jeez, lemme know when you play brain hopscotch as a baby beforehand] and then it felt fine. I still had Amethyst looking up at me though. [Seriously, I figured you might be like Violet since she's more receptive to the whole psychic thing but it's like your brain's door got smashed down at one point. What happened?]

"Smashed… down…?" My mind briefly flashed to a familiar stormy night, extreme vertigo, a broken promise and a pounding headache before the thought was gone, leaving me clutching my head.

"I… something happened when I was younger. I don't remember what, but according to the doctor I'm an excellent example why psychics shouldn't tamper with children's brains. Before you ask it doesn't hinder my intellectual or emotional capacity, it's just… some memories are foggy. As though part of my brain is... locked away...," I answered slower at the end.

I remember meeting Cynthia at least. Heimdall's fight with Roland...

Her face fell in concern. [Okay, I'm not qualified to fix that kinda stuff, but once this is over maybe I can help point someone in the right direction who can? Most people enjoy having their memories intact y'know.]

Her concern surprised me, but I collected myself. "Thanks… I might take you up on that."

[Maybe if you slept more your brain would be a-okay, just like mine,] said a voice that soundly oddly similar to mine, but with a bit more whimsy and much more lax.

[General Topaz, if it is your brain that troubles you I will do everything within my power to fix whatever wretch cursed you as a lad,] said a very rugged and deep voice that I was wholly unprepared for.

It took me a second that said voices came from my very own Pokemon. They looked at me quizzically before I responded.

"So you both talk exactly as I figured. Awesome."

Donut raised an eyebrow, but his tail began to sway in pleasure at my response. [Hmmm, this is convenient.]

Lou on the other hand… jumped into my arms (he's heavier than he looks) and began to nuzzle my chest.

[Oh how I've longed for this moment General Topaz! We have much to speak about, starting with the invasion plan of the Tranquil nest I've drawn out in the local sand bin at the playground!]

I repositioned myself to gain better footing before putting him back down. "That's great Lou, wait, no, no it's not, please leave the birds alone. Remember the mission? We're on a mission of the utmost importance. Literally right now. Priorities uh soldier."

Immediately his demeanor changed and he returned to his usual hardass self. [My apologies, sir, I was overwhelmed with weakness for a moment, it shall not happen again. This mission is of the most importance. To slay another dredge in society before his corruption spreads further and to emancipate the prisoners of war. Our Kalosian brethren will be freed!] He stared me dead in the eye. [But above all else know at least this. If you but ask it of me, General Topaz, I would kill or die for you without a moment's hesitation.]

A single teardrop fell from his eye until Donut conveniently pulled out a tissue to wipe it away, preserving his image. I just stood there dumbfounded by all the… emotion I was feeling, but I literally could NOT get into this right here, right now, with Violet, Amethyst and Zenara staring at us.

[Don't worry Lou Lou, it won't come to that! We've got an adventure ahead of us and there's no time to waste! Pokemon need saving and bad guys need beating so let's go!]

[You are right, Sergeant Zenara, we have no time to waste. General sir, I apologize for my previous outbursts, I will not get distracted again,] Lou apologized.

"Okay first of all, I'm glad you feel that way and I feel the same, but no one is dying or killing today. Second of all, oh my Arceus I felt this would happen and I still wasn't ready. Third of all… ummm," My words were losing me near the end there. This whole scene was just overwhelming.

[We should check on Dedenne before we leave,] Donut brought up, chewing on another berry.

Violet nodded. "Of course. We cannot leave without knowing that we have done everything in our power to help her."

Amethyst just shook her head, smiling. [C'mon. Let's go see her, figure out what she wants and help her do that.]

We all agreed to go see her. I checked my Poketch to see which room she was in, so we made our way to her room to spy her sitting in a small bed as Blissey treated her with a sort of ease and efficiency that most Chansey were not capable of.

I knocked on the door to alert them we were here garnering Dedenne's immediate smiles and Blissey's frown, trying to shoo us away.

Rather than wait for us to leave Dedenne hopped out of bed and onto my head, greeting everyone else.

"Haha, good to see you too, Dedenne," I chuckled. "We just came to check on you, we have to take care of something, alright?"

Amethyst chipped something to Dedenne, who squeaked back. There was a kinda ripple in my head for a moment before it stopped.

[Oh you're gonna stop the bad guys right? Great! I'm coming with you!] Dedenne's voice passed through my mind. It wasn't as squeaky as I imagined, but definitely mousy.

That aside, how many people can Amethyst link with? A teleporting Meowstic and now we've got a whole mental group chat going on? I can see why she's confident… I also have to consciously remember that telepath speaking and thinking are dangerously close together.

[I do not believe that would be wise, brave Dedenne. Your condition was less than ideal when you happened upon us in a frenzy,] Lou brought up. [We are about to be engaged in war and while we need every mon we can get, we can't afford missteps along the way.]

[True, but the pink lady bathed me and Blissey just fed me the best egg in my entire life, so I'm feeling way better now! Come on, lemme come, I've got friends that need me!] Dedenne earnestly begged.

It was strange, it was like because it was straight through my head I could feel the desperation echo through my mind.

"Excuse me, but Dedenne isn't fit to be doing anything right about now," I turned around to see Nurse Joy looking not necessarily angry, but firm. "During our check-up we found that her electric sacs are underdeveloped for her age. I can't say it was from the abuse though, likely a birth defect, though her prior situation did her no favors. Either way, she's in no condition to be romping around the forest."

Dedenne clicked her teeth derisively as she sat perched on my head well outside the range of the concerned Blissey and her tiny arms.

[Humans are so bossy, bad and good. First they kidnap me and stuff me in a cage with no say and now even when they heal me I get no say. I NEED to help everyone else!]

[Then let's go,] Donut piped up once again, yawning to blatantly showcase his disinterest in this whole conversation. [Come on Zio, Amethyst and Violet said we shouldn't be wasting time, right?]

Violet then turned to the Nurse Joy with noticeably less animosity in her demeanor than when she was looking at me. "This Dedenne wishes to help her companions who are in the same situation she was. While it may not be the level of care that can be provided here, I will die before I let harm come to her. I am also quite used to helping Pokemon simply from what is around at the moment, so something that would result in her needing larger amounts of electricity and general care is something I am both capable of and willing to do."

Nurse Joy stared deep into Violet's eyes before they went from stern refusal to genuine concern.

"Dear… you-," There was pause then shift in her stance. "How can I trust you all with her?"

Violet then took out a Munchlax capsule, opening it and revealing a portable generator inside. Not like any I'd seen, which is something considering which city I live in.

She then held it up to Dedenne. "Can you please input a small jolt? Something on the level of a static shock is more than sufficient."

Dedenne surprisingly enough looked towards Donut for assurance. Rather than speak he sent a reassuring static jolt to her. After his confirmation she zapped the generator just enough. It whirred softly, a display panel opening up and coming to life on the side. Violet simply pressed a few buttons before handing the device to me.

"This generator will now produce a type of electricity she will find easiest to intake and most desirable within its capacity for twelve hours' worth of constant production. If at any point she requires electricity, simply have it close enough to her. As you are the one she favors, it would be better that you have it so it is closer to her."

Now that's a surprising level of candor.

I took the generator and nodded in thanks. I put it away in one of my own capsules before turning to Nurse Joy and Blissey, bowing slightly. Somewhat old fashioned, but respectable.

"We're sorry for the trouble, we'll be okay."

Nurse Joy simply sighed and smiled softly at us. "Absolutely no electric type attacks from her and she can only battle in self defense and even then, do not push it. She's in no condition for any rough housing. Once you're all done with whatever you need to do, come back here."

Blissey didn't look as sure about this situation, but she didn't speak up. With that I made my way out. Before Violet could leave Nurse Joy called out to her.

"Young lady, your life matters too, you know?"

She simply looked back, face unchanging. "Not even in the same league as the Pokemon I dedicate my existence to helping."

I decided to hold my tongue at that statement. Donut was right, we did have to move on. Dedenne made herself comfy on my shoulder, while Donut found himself back in my bag as usual. Lou crawled on the ground with his usual vigor. Once outside we properly introduced ourselves to Dedenne.

[Oh right, you can all call me Cenza. One of the Pokemon I was trapped with gave me that name. It's nice to meet you all officially!] She mentally squeaked. [Merci de me recevoir!]

Wait, even the Kalosian Pokemon speak French? How come this isn't automatically translated?

Violet bowed to her. "A wonderful name and an honor to meet you." She then looked at me. "Amethyst, Zenara and I will head northwest. A radio tower in that direction will make it simpler to scan a wider array of devices. I suggest you head southwest both to cover that area and to encircle them more."

"Got it. Donut, Lou, Cenza, we need to gather information from every viable source we can. I'll be counting on you guys," I addressed them.

[Sounds easy enough,] Donut said as he began stretching.

[The vagrants that tarnish this holy land will relinquish their information to us once I have finished interrogating them,] Lou added eloquently.

[Je l'ai!] Cenza added off in French.

I can't believe people used to think that Pokemon weren't intelligent creatures with diverse personalities. If only they could hear them now.

"Good. We'll keep in touch," I affirmed with Violet. "Ummm, bonne chance!"

Cenza looked pleased at my sudden French. Violet simply nodded. Amethyst just smiled. [Good luck!]

Zenara grinned. "We're going on a new venture, la la, la la, la laaaaa~"

As they started walking away, I heard Violet in my head. [They did. And they saw them as lesser beings from lack of humanity. Because they believed ignorantly that being human makes them in any way superior.]
And then the motley group rounded a corner and were out of sight.

I was a bit stunned by the sudden thought (and my apparent lapse in letting it slip), but I recovered quickly enough.

I don't share in her level of disdain for humanity, but I won't deny their sins. Benedetto and his lackeys do not believe in equality and freedom for all. They are those who believe that life can be measured in monetary value. For that reason I will never stop fighting. For that reason, they must all  fall.

~Chapter 13 Fin~

Trainer: Topaz Heart

Age: 12

Deck: Fool, Devil.

Team: Donut (Pikachu), Lou (Charjabug).

Other: Cenza (Dedenne).

x

Donut (Pikachu/M)

Equip: Eviolite.

Moves: Thunderbolt, Discharge, Iron Tail, Brick Break, Quick Attack, Rollout, Tickle, Charge, Nuzzle/Thunder Wave.

Ability: Static Chance to paralyze opponent upon physical contact.

Likes: Pastries, sweets, naps, relaxing, quiet, Topaz's bag.

Dislikes: Bitter food, stress, stupid decisions.

Tactics: Maneuver (Creates a thunder wave barrier to sense attacks), Enhanced Tickle (Enhances his tickles with electricity to hit the nerves of sturdier opponents), Spin Dash (Rollout+Iron Tail).

x

Lou (Charjabug/M)

Moves: X-scissor, Spark/Wild Charge, Acrobatics, Mud Shot, Iron Defense, Screech, Dig, String Shot, Spiderweb.

Ability: Battery Boosts allies' special attack moves.

Likes: Bugs, war, battling, General Topaz, usurping oppressors.

Dislikes: Birds, criminals, condescension, threats to his unit.

Tactics: Mud Pit (Digs a hole underneath the opponent and traps them in a pit of mud), Mud Spin (Digs into the ground and begins throwing mud all over around himself), Grapple Bug (Uses string shot to reel in himself or the opponent), Web Sling (String Shot+Acrobatics).

Allies

Trainer: Violet

Gear: Tablet, Pokeball, Berries, ?

Team: Amethyst (Meowstic), Zenara (Mareep).

x

Amethyst (Meowstic/F)

Moves: Psychic, ?

x
Zenara (Mareep/F)

Moves: Thunder Wave, Take Down, Cotton Spore, Cotton Guard, Shock Wave, Charge.

Chapter Text

~x~

Violet has formulated a plan for everyone to follow in order to catch Benedetto. With the newly named Zenara the Mareep and Cenza the Dedenne, Topaz and company split up to investigate the Grand Lake Resort for any suspicious activity. Unfortunately, much lurks in the shadows during Hoopa's Eve.

~x~

"Thank you for your patronage, have a hoopy loopy day," The sales clerk happily stated adorned in his blue zombie themed outfit.

"Err thanks again, you too," I replied simply walking away with the bag of items I had just bought from the Pokemart. I made my way over to a bench to sort out my newly obtained potions, ethers and more into capsules so I could stick them into my bag. I left a few inside normally just for easy access at least.

That should be more than enough and no Snorlax capsules needed. Let's get to work.

"We need to gather information from as many coordinators as possible. You three, try to get as much as you can from the Pokemon while I talk to the trainers. It'll be hard for me to get as much as I want from a bunch of teenagers, but you guys should be able to work it out," I explained to the three.

[Leave this to me, General. Such egotistical and uppity Pokemon can be broken with the slightest amount of pressure,] Lou proclaimed proudly.

[Aren't they used to being under pressure? And being judged? Isn't that what contests are all about?] Donut asked questioningly. [You'll prolly do best stroking their egos before goading information out of them.]

[Oooh, I can charm them with my cuteness!] Cenza offered.

I sighed in exasperation. "Well… sure I guess. All of that works, just try not to draw too much attention to yourselves. We don't want authorities on our case."

They all agreed readily, so we made ourselves out the market and into the streets. I hadn't taken the time earlier to properly examine the resort, but they had gone all the way for Hoopa's Eve. It was still midday so most of the decor and lights lost the spooky impact, but I could tell it would be quite entertaining to see at night.

All of the trees' leaves were a beautiful gold, amber and crimson shade. Pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns were in front of every building. Although it was still daytime I could see several ghost types causing mischief with the foreign trainers. Misdreavus were scaring unsuspecting strangers, a lone Duskull was sifting through someone's bag, likely out of sheer curiosity. Drifloon were floating in the wind carrying small pumpkins with them.

I wonder if they eat them.

The resort itself was rather luxurious. It's at the perfect location for those interested in swimming at the beach, shopping at Sunyshore or exploring the Great Marsh by Pastoria. There's also Lake Valor, but the League increased the restrictions to the area, so it's more accessible to Sinnoh natives rather than foreigners. We already know not to mess with it, but others might simply view it as just another pretty, big lake. Rangers were enforcing that, along with making certain no wild Pokemon were caught if they didn't want to be.

I've never spent too much time here myself for obvious reasons. At most I've done some double battles at the restaurant for some fun and a free luxury meal. Besides that it seems like a nice rest stop for a journey and an ideal place to hold a contest.

Otherwise, the coordinators themselves… Usually when I think of them I imagine them wearing flashy outfits and prancing around, but most of them were either posing for pictures, talking amongst each other or doing training. Really they didn't necessarily look all that different than battling trainers, but I suppose the ratio between girls and boys leaned more toward the girl side at this event.

As Volkner mentioned there were scouts talking to some coordinators with many even wearing their merch, I assume to promote whatever brand they were working for. I know some trainers tend to do the same thing during big league matches, but from what I know about with contests it's a way bigger deal. With enough exposure you can become a model, movie star, singer and more. Wallace made his splash to fame though by being an amazing coordinator AND one of the strongest trainers in Hoenn, so once again the easy path to fame is power.

Still can't beat Volkner in a fight.

[Isn't Flax interested in the gaudy prostrations of contests, movies or what have you?] Lou questioned.

"Oh yeah Flax really loves movies right? He's always copying the TV whenever we head over to Jade's."

[Yup. He wants to be an actor or something,] Donut piped in. [Makes sense considering who his human is.]

Like trainer, like Pokemon. Both are interested in the finer arts. Jade has always been coy about what he's been interested in as a trainer… I wonder if he plans on being a coordinator and didn't tell me.

[General over yonder! That lass and her Lunatone! I sense weakness within them, interrogation shall be swift and painful!] Lou shouted in my head.

He began aggressively shimmying to Lunatone. Lunatone perked up at the sign of imminent danger as they used Psychic on their trainer and flew away.

[Cowards! No matter, I shall scope out our next target.]

"Err stand down, soldier. How about I take the lead and you follow up. Capisce? Roger?"

How do you speak military? I'm not fluent in hardass.

[You are correct, Sir! I had forgotten about your silver, no, your platinum tongue, General! We shall have the answers we need toot suite. Let us march on to glory!]

[Your friend is funny,] Cenza giggled.

Donut blew a raspberry. [That's one word to describe him.]

After getting everyone on the same page we properly began speaking to as many coordinators as possible. It was a little awkward to needle out information from them though. Many thought I was a lost child looking for my parents.

Not anymore, but it'd be nice to know regardless.

Others considered me a nuisance until Lou nearly attacked them in my honor for their blatant disrespect. Then I was considered a threat forcing them to quickly take their leave.

Fair enough.

Talking to so many different trainers outside of the gym was a bit strange though. First of all, I'm definitely not a people person. I wouldn't consider myself shy, but it can get a bit anxiety inducing to just walk to random strangers and ask them questions. I almost preferred running away from the man eating monkeys. At least I knew what to do in that situation.

Another thing I noticed was how differently trainers from other regions spoke to me. Sinnoh, Hoenn and Johto trainers were all fairly polite with some nuance. They were the group I was most familiar with and thus the easiest.

Kanto trainers on the other hand. It's hard to get anything out of them without them thinking you're interrogating them. They kept their responses tacit, guarded or disinterested.

The Unova trainers were the opposite as they were a bit more talkative and amicable than I needed. They were nice and all, but overwhelming.

Kalos trainers were easier than I had anticipated. Besides mixing in some French into their sentences they were rather forthcoming. Unfortunately, none of the trainers I spoke to seem to see anything especially noteworthy.

Donut had been talking to their Pokemon, only allowing Lou to speak when they gave him backtalk. They quickly shut up after a quick rant from our little battery bug. Thanks to his surprising diplomatic skills Donut managed to find us a semblance of a lead, just an area to keep an eye out for.

As we made our way around the recommended location I spotted a familiar face. A girl with long braided black hair who wore a white dress shirt with a turquoise ribbon, and a turquoise jacket wrapped around her waist. Despite it being fall she wasn't shivering in the slightest.

"Is that… Candice?" I stopped before she could spot me and hid behind a tree.

[Candice? Who's that? Oh! Is she with the bad guys?] Cenza asked with baited breath.

"No no, she's one of the good guys. She's uhhh she's a good guy in training, just like me," I explained as simply as I could to a Pokemon who knew nothing about Leagues. "Which is why we probably shouldn't be seen by her in case she remembers me."

Hiding from a League official… what am I doing with my life?

Candice is around my age or so yet she's already a candidate to become the next gym leader of Snowpoint City. While the current gym leader Khione isn't looking to leave her position yet, they have made it known that Candice is definitely in the running. Volkner praised her aptitude with ice types although he did mention her hotblooded personality being too close to Flint.

I leaned over a bit more to see her cheerfully talking to two other girls. The one who drew attention first was one with similarly braided golden yellow hair, though only in the one braid. She caught attention because she was dressed more like a coordinator than most, though not quite at the level of 'I'm going to compete in a global contest'. She wore a golden orange and black t-shirt, black pants with some embroidered snowflake patterns on them, a golden bag she'd slung over her shoulder and black sneakers. She had a meat skewer in her hand as well, with a Buneary trying to sneakily reach for it from her shoulder. It didn't work, but the two laughed it off all the same.

Gold and black, spot on color scheme.

The girl right behind her had long, free hanging teal hair that seemed almost naturally jagged like a gemstone. I swore it reflected light. She had a long sleeved cobalt shirt on, but it didn't seem like it was a sweater or anything insulating. It was matched by a skirt that faded from blue to black like a night sky and black boots. She had a blue bag and was staying between the two girls with her and away from random strangers as much as possible, clutching a Buizel close to her chest. They looked simple and content.

Candice has got a whole posse with her. Really don't need to deal with all that.

[Looks like she has her friends with her. They must be enjoying the festival,] Donut inquired.

[The yellow one is encroaching upon our General's bright color scheme and I shall not let this stand!] Lou declared as he began to scurry over at her to hurl obscenities at another poor stranger until I picked him up and told him to hush.

"Lou, what did I say? What did I just say!?"

He looked down ashamed. [Do not threaten random strangers on the street.]

"No. I said do not threaten random strangers on the street without my permission."

[It was to defend your honor! It was a valid reason, my General!]

I pinched the bridge of my nose and pushed back my headache.

Arceus save me.

"Hmmm, our lead is supposed to be here, so we can't very well leave yet. We'll just have to wait until they move on."

[Too late. She spotted us.] Donut pointed to Candice looking around curiously till she pointed at Lou.

Are you serious?

The group walked over, Candice waving and smiling. If a bit concerned. "Hey, you doing okay? I've not seen a bug type like him before and I know resting bitch face is an option but this looks like more than that."

I paused. Lou looked at me. I looked back at him. I realized I was still holding him hiding behind a tree. There was a pregnant pause.

Oh, so this is how stupid I look.

She raised an eyebrow. "Uh, are you okay-" and then he began buzzing and trying to launch at her. Her friend too. He was ready to attack.

I began to hold on for dear life as he began squirming. "Lou, what are you doing!?"

[I am trying to get them to leave! Distraction distraction!] He shouted before buzzing again.

Donut facepalmed in shame while Cenza looked like she was having the time of her life watching this, peaking out of my bag.

The girl with yellow hair looked at him with confusion and concern. No fear. Just concern. "Is bug type rabies a thing? Should we get him to a Nurse Joy?" Then to me. "Are you okay? Like physically, he looks ready to bite off appendages. Do you have all your fingers?"

Considering who he is, that's not off the table.

"My Pokemon does not have rabies and all my fingers are intact," I retorted pridefully.

After a few more seconds Donut hopped onto my leg, grabbed Lou's Pokeball and recalled him on his own. As he was sucked in I could hear one last 'Distraction!' before Donut placed the ball back on my belt.

[You're welcome,] Was all he said before he jumped back into my bag. I awkwardly turned to the three girls wondering how I should even go about this.

"Damn bug, it's always a war with this one," I muttered mostly to myself.

Candice raised an eyebrow with a bemused grin. "You good? I don't mean to pry but I kinda feel like we deserve something of an explanation after…" she flailed her hands a bit. "Whatever that was." She extended one. "I'm Candice. You're… Topaz, right? You live with Volkner?"

[Oh goodie, she remembers you.]

I laughed in that awkward painful way. You know the one. When you smile and chuckle because you can feel your soul exit your body in disgrace. That's the sound that just left my mouth.

I can see why Volkner doesn't fake pleasantries. It's because he can't. Okay, focus, what to do, what to say. Let's see if I can salvage this exchange.

"I'm surprised you remember me, I figured you would be too busy," I looked over to her friends. "I don't remember them though."

Knowing my memory, I likely forgot about them.

She just smiled and put a hand to her chest. "I make it a point to remember people! All you gotta do is focus!" She gestured to the two. "The girl your bug buddy seems to hate is Amber, and the one behind her is Crystal. And the two with them are Cinnamon the Buneary and Tide the Buizel."
Amber gave a two fingered wave and a grin. "Hey! Nice to meetcha." Cinnamon hopped up onto her head and waved happily, giving an excited "Bun eee!" Crystal meanwhile just waved and seemed… less inclined to engage in social interaction. As did Tide, who just nodded at me.

You and me both.

"Yo," I turned back to Candice. "Sorry about Lou, he's easily excited. So I'm guessing you're all here for the Wallace Cup?"

I wonder if they are here with any adults. I suppose it's not illegal for junior trainers to leave home, but if they are all from Snowpoint then this is quite a ways from home. It'd be totally crazy if the trains hadn't been set up recently.

"Yup!" she exclaimed, "We wanted to see what the deal was! Contests are battles in their own way, and we wanted to pick up some souvenirs for a friend. She's not a big fan of ghosts. Not to mention picking up some things ourselves!"

"According to research if you were to ask a random sample of any population across the planet what their least favorite type is, it is most likely they will name ghost types. It's a bit unfortunate for the type and those who love them, but they can be a tad more dangerous and unpredictable compared to other types. It's an understandable fear," I rattled off without thinking.

Candice started giggling before laughing in full for a short moment. "Yeah, you definitely live with Volkner. You and her would get along great, she'd actually love to be able to appreciate ghost types more. But past that, what're you here for? I doubt it's to tell random folk about studies. Someone so close to Volkner wouldn't go around people just for that."

I put a hand to my chin. "Well I initially came here to see what all the fuss was about although I did learn that most of the contests are happening after dark to maximize the Hoopa Eve theme. Hmmm…" I began stroking my chin ever so slightly.

Let's try this out then. A little gossip for the greater purpose.

"I've been hearing rumors there are some shady folk around here. I dunno what basis people are making this claim on though. It is Hoopa Eve and it's a congregation of strangers. Aren't shady folks the norm?" I stroked my chin again and screwed my face into a typical pondering expression.

Let's see what she knows…

Immediately her demeanor shifted, her eyes narrowing and a hand going to her bag. "Yeah, but still. I thought I heard something happening closer to the shore… Could you elaborate please?"

I decided to tell her what I knew from simply asking around which wasn't much at all in truth. I wasn't even sure what was true or false, but after a bit Crystal began whispering in Candice's ear. After a bit of quiet discussion Candice turned back to me.

"I think you're onto something. We thought it sounded a bit weird, but that sears it. There has to be something going on at the shore. Let's check it out while we still can."

"If there's assholes around, we take 'em on together." Amber stated, cracking her knuckles while Crystal nodded behind her.

Candice paused, nodded, then looked back to me. "Well, we've got a new destination then. I might just be a gym leader in training, but that just means I have all the more reason to look into this."

The shore, huh? Finally something concrete, maybe she had her suspicions and I just confirmed them? She stuck her hand in her bag so she's likely reaching for a communication device. I can't very well go to the shore with them can I? But it's the League so… it should be fine.

[We should go too,] Donut spoke into my mind. [I feel like we can trust them, but I don't think Amethyst and Violet would want them to get involved.]

[You can feel it?] I asked mentally.

[Pokemon perks include an improved sixth sense. I learned when I was baby you humans have got a terrible one, but it's still there,] Donut explained.

Hmmm, I've got my theories about that, but now isn't the time.

"You three are pretty proactive. I guess with a gym leader in training it should be fine to come along, right Donut?"

"Pika pika," Donut squeaked aloud. What it meant didn't matter, all I needed was an affirmation. Cenza simply watched quietly.

[You two are good at this,] She thought to us.

Candice grinned, a Piloswine materializing beside her as she pulled out a phone. "You know it! Just gimme a second to let Khione know what's happening. You all set to go?"

So she's letting Khione know? Duh, it's protocol. That's the smart thing to do. She's doing the smart thing, unlike me.

"Ready anytime," I spoke up. Good thing I restocked immediately.

She speed typed a message before putting it back in her bag and looking to the other two. "Do you guys have everything you need?"
Amber shrugged. "I mean. Much as we can, didn't exactly expect to go busting bad guys today. But we keep stuff on us just in case. This is a very 'just in case' moment."

Tide gave Crystal's cheek a lick, which made her smile a bit before she nodded to Amber, who looked to Crystal. Who then looked at me.
"We've got our posse all ready to go, now let's go kick some bad guy butt!"

I had a question to ask before set out. "Hm. Are you all even gym trainers? You do know if anything happens we'll be facing dangerous criminals right? I'm not saying we shouldn't go, but..."

I was fairly confident we'd be fine and in the worst case scenario we could contact Amethyst or even Zachary. If they were anything like the goons from Route 214 we could likely take them.

Amber just waved me off, rolling her eyes. "Puh-lease, we haven't been lazing around doing nothing. Even if we weren't training to make sure we're strong enough to keep up with Candice over here, you don't live in Snowpoint and get by without knowing what you're doing. Your winters are like what, two feet of snow max? That's a summer day for us."

"Heh, we are called Sunyshore for a reason. I see what you mean though, let's go," I nodded. "Follow me, I know the fastest way to the shore."

~Resort Beach - Route 213~

The beach was pretty sparsely populated as it was October. Some couples walking around, the occasional Pokemon playing in the sand, a few coordinators training but it was way too cold for any humans to swim in the ocean.

"Here we are the Grand Lake Resort beach, if you head west you end up on Route 213 all the way to Pastoria," I explained before scanning the area. "Doesn't look like there's much going on at first glance."

Candice put a fist to her chin. "That makes sense, not like everyone goes swimming this time of year. Still, we should check around. It'd be best if we split into pairs to cover the beach and boardwalk." She turned to her friends. "Amber, Crystal, you mind focusing on the beach?"

Amber gave a mock salute while Crystal nodded, Amber giving a chipper "Aye aye! We'll comb the beach for beached baddies! We'll let you know if anything happens."
She smiled before looking back at me. "Me and you should scope out the boardwalk. There's likely a lot of shady deals going on both on it and probably under it, and there might be some bigger fish to fry in all of this. If we find anyone just follow my lead."

"You're the boss."

Now let's hope these thugs were smart enough to go to the boardwalk so we can find what we need.

She led the way to the boardwalk. It was rather dolled up for Hoopa's Eve with several decorations around and some stages for coordinators to do some free shows, although I had a feeling for some it was for some free publicity. There were some shops and stalls as well selling some rare items such as incense as well as a Moomoo milk place. There was a small Pokemon center outpost in case anyone got injured at the beach as well.

[So Cenza, do you remember where you escaped from?] Donut asked telepathically.

[Sorry I don't. I just remember escaping the cage, the place we were stuck in and then running till I found anyone to help. It's all still a bit hazy,] She apologized.

[It's alright, we just need to follow our leads till we get somewhere,] I mind spoke to them as I began searching around the boardwalk. [Don't beat yourself up, we'll save your friends.]

She squeaked cheerfully at that and I continued my search. I considered letting Lou out, but I figured it was prolly best I saved him for battle. Also I didn't want him having another episode in public.

"Yo, any luck Candice?" I shouted out.

She shook her head. "Nothing yet. It's not been that long though and we're still in the populated area, so let's head to where there's less people and more shadiness."

I nodded in agreement as we made our move. There were far less people on this end of the boardwalk. Not for any particular bad reason, it just wasn't the prime time for people at the moment.

Which made me quickly suspicious when I spotted a mediocre looking coordinator and an older man dressed in a suit with sunglasses with slick black hair. He had a cartoonishly thick cigar in his mouth that was easily the size of two of his fingers together.

That's an unusual pair. Perhaps his agent? Or maybe...

I got within earshot and hid behind a stray rock to listen in on their conversation.

"I tells ya, ya don't wanna miss this chance. We ain't gonna be in town forevers, and there's plenty of other people who'd jump at this," The older man said in an accent that I… I could not even discern.

Did he leap out of a movie? Or a cartoon?

The nervous looking coordinator spoke up swiftly. "No I know! I just… need to make sure you're serious is all."

A Kantonian accent eh?
"Oh don't worry bucko, I'm all kindsa serious. Only the finest breeders around, we don't take less'n the best."

"You're certain?"
"Sure as the sun shines." He took a large puff of his cigar that caused the coordinator to cough.

I'm guessing this trainer didn't ask for any sort of credentials.

"Well… alright then. Do you have a Gogoat? I don't really want to train a Skiddo but I think a Gogoat would fit with my routine quite well."

"We definitely got one a those, but it'll run ya back quite a bit."
"It's worth it to win."

"Aight, that'll run ya back around 50,000 yen."
"That much?!"

He'd be better off with a legal adoption agency. Do these people have no sense?
"When's the last time ya saw yerself a Gogoat?"
"Uh…"
"Zactly. Show me the money first, then I'll getcha yer Gogoat."

"All… alright." He handed over a pretty hefty wad of yen to the guy, whose face broke out in a very yellowy, toothy grin.
"Pleasure doin' business with ya. Now just sit yer fancy ass down here an' I'll be back with yer Gogoat."

The man put the money away into his coat pocket and began walking down the boardwalk. I changed my position slightly to remain out of sight from him as he walked in the opposite direction of me.

I'm only 12 and even I know you've got to confirm what you're receiving before you hand over any money. Granted if he believes that buying Pokemon from a smuggler will make him a better coordinator then I can't really expect much intelligence.

[His folly has given us a lead. Cenza, hide in the bag in case anything happens, Donut to my shoulder. Stay focused,] I informed my two companions. Cenza quickly scurried into my bag as Donut popped out and slumped on my shoulders. After a few seconds I began to follow the man in the black suit, passing by Candice on the way.

Hmmm. We don't want the League involved… but we're already in this deep and I already trust her more than Violet.

I silently signaled to Candice to begin following me. "Nice find. Just keep your cool and stay focused."

"Where's Piloswine?"

"Underneath the boardwalk. Staying off the radar and on the scent trail."

Makes sense. They are rather large, but their noses far surpass mine and even Donut's.

We remained silent from then on following the man as he made his way down the boardwalk. He was constantly vigilant, looking around and behind him often so we had to move nimbly and from a distance. It didn't take too long until he veered off from the boardwalk proper, towards the docks and a warehouse that looked pretty abandoned.

Are the Pokemon in there? Are they in Pokeballs? But that'd register them to the criminals exposing them all. How are they confining them all?

Candice quickly pulled me behind a stack of boxes, whispering "Hold on. Do you see them?"

"You spotted something?" She nodded over further towards the back of the warehouse, I leaned over to see Amber and Crystal trailing a teenage girl in some rough clothes who was trailing her own man in a black suit.

"Is someone else involved…?" I asked mostly to myself, my voice trailing off. "Or is she another smuggler?"

"Probably, but now's not the time," Candice noted gravely. "Whatever's going on, the important thing is making sure the Pokemon involved are rescued and the criminals brought to justice." Her Piloswine lumbered up next to her, snuffling her slightly as she put a hand on them and ruffled their fur. "On my signal, we head in."

I nodded to her and motioned for Donut to get into position. He hopped off my shoulder and his expression turned from lax to semi serious. At the very least I could tell he was attentive.

I could hear Cenza snuggle deeper into my bag, likely sensing the tension in the air. Candice glanced over to Amber and Crystal, gesturing towards the warehouse. We met up closer and at the side.
"Amber, are there any entrances besides the front?"

She nodded. "Just a few, but we plugged those up. Just had to move a couple crates with some help from Cinnamon."
Candice grinned, but different from before. This one was full of determination and anticipation. "Alright, everyone in before me." They both nodded, Candice looking to me for confirmation. I nodded back with an eager smirk. Being the one doing the ambushing was much more satisfying than being the ambushed.

She gave a quick look around the area before gesturing, exclaiming in a hushed voice "Go, go!" Amber and Cinnamon ran in first with Amber summoning her Amaura, Crystal following right behind with Tide running at her side. Donut and I followed after them, Donut crackling with electricity. Upon entry I didn't really see much of anything that stood out besides the people themselves. It was more or less an average looking warehouse with loads of crates.

The same suited goon from earlier looked over. "Hey, what're yous-"

Candice stepped in front of the entrance, smiling. "Yakushina, let's focus up!" A Pokeball's light shone, forming into a huge Abomasnow that took up nearly the entire entrance of the warehouse. She stood in front of them and crossed her arms. "So, are you gonna chill or do we need to put you on ice?"
Amber rolled her eyes, smiling while Crystal chuckled a bit. Amaura just seemed confused, Tide groaned and Cinnamon fist pumped.

Ah there it is. The ice pun I was waiting for. Was she saving it for battle?

Donut didn't really seem to even acknowledge it beyond a simple sigh. I turned to the thugs who were reaching for their belts.

"Freeze!" At my command Donut lanced the closest thug with a swift Thunder Wave forcing him to crumple to the ground a paralyzed mess.

[You know that was another ice pun, right?] Cenza noted.

[That time it was literal. Ish. I defend my word choice, stop coming for me.]

You could feel the air dry up as all the moisture turned to snow and ice, spiraling around from Yakushina's ability Snow Warning. Winds whipped up from nowhere, sending bits of wood and ice hurtling around and threatening to knock you out or worse. The three girls seemed to be handling it pretty well, but the sudden drop in temperature along with thick snow was far from agreeable to me.

Their eyes never left their opponents, constantly darting about to take in everything that was happening. Making sure that they and their teams got out of this alright.

I've trained for this. I've gotta focus.

"Yous think yous can get in our way?!" The man who we had been tracking us shouted, hiding behind two Pansage.

Candice just glared. "No, I know we can kick your ass."

Donut was ignoring the cold while facing off an ornery Mankey when the windows around us shattered. On the ground rolled tiny little balls that were slightly smoking. It took me a mere second to realize what those were.

"Smoke bombs! Donut, to me!" I shouted at him to retreat as I covered my mouth and the balls exploded into thick, black choking smoke. Donut ran to my side coughing, so I picked him up and placed a hand over his mouth as I made my way closer to where the other girls were. From the windows I could see others emerging and the sounds of vicious grunts from within the smoke.

What is going on?

It was hard to see within the smoke so when I backed up into another entity I nearly swung at them with my baton out of reflex. Luckily it turned out to just be Crystal who was coughing roughly along with Tide.

"You alright?" I asked from underneath my hand, holding back a cough and tears.

She just shook her head, keeping a piece of cloth over her Tide's mouth and having pulled up her shirt to cover her own. She looked pleadingly at Tide, who nodded and began whirling their tails to blow away some of the smoke.

"Crystal! You there?"
"Bun bun!"
Amber and her team ran over, having covered their mouths as well. They were coughing and crying a bit all the same, but her face was hard when she saw her friend. She only took a moment to click her tongue before looking to her Amaura. "Help Tide!"

"Mua!" They puffed out their chest before blowing an Icy Wind along with Tide. Tide added in a water gun, and slowly not only was the smoke getting blown away but also… freezing!

By adding water and ice to the smoke, they froze the particles in midair turning it into a dusty snow. I can already feel the effects pay off.

[Donut, Cenza, can you both breathe?]

[It got a little stuffy, but I'm okay,] Cenza informed me. Donut removed my hand slightly and nodded at me with a grateful little smile.

[I'm still okay. Thanks Zio.]

"Anytime…" I smiled down at him before looking around. "Nice going everyone, but where's Candice and her Abomasnow. Yakushina right?"

Amber jabbed a thumb over towards the entrance, which was still obscured by smoke. You could make out silhouettes of a large Abomasnow, a girl in front of them and a horde of what were probably Mankey and their captors going at her. "Still making sure nobody gets out the way we got in. They think they're gonna win because they have fighting types on their side." She gave me a small grin. "I'm sure you know how short sighted that is."

"Certainly looks futile," I muttered before turning back ahead, readying my baton as Donut hopped from my hands. "I don't think the man in the black suit noticed us, but a third party is indeed involved. Let's try and stick to a formation and see what we can do."

Smoke bombs though? Not impossible for any trainer to have one in case of emergencies, but this is a bit much. First of all, they smoked us out so they obviously don't care much about our influence in all of this. Second of all, I don't believe they just sell them in any old shop and those looked a bit different than the Smoke Ball I'm familiar with.

"I'll lead the way, let's move in," I advised the others before cautiously stepping forward where the smoke was a tad thicker, even if it was beginning to flow out the windows. They moved quietly with me, keeping close to the wall and moving behind boxes as we went. From what was happening? Staying out of it was the best course of action.

The goons from before were fighting, but not all against Candice. There was another group of teenagers it seemed to be? It was mostly teenagers of varying ages. They wore neckerchiefs covering their faces and looked a bit dusty, if I had to describe it. Their Pokemon were matching the smuggler's Pokemon blow for blow, pushing them back with numbers and thanks to their ambush. And so were they. This wasn't some typical League approved battle. Both sides were going at the other and drawing blood. A pretty sizable amount of it. Pokemon and humans were assaulting each other all the same.

It'd be nice seeing them work together if they weren't trying to murder each other.

"You thought you could come to our turf and deal, you fucks!? Who the hell do you think you are?" Shouted one of the teenagers as her Corsola shot spikes into the crowd of smugglers. Both humans and Pokemon alike had to dodge her air raid in fear of getting pierced.

"Filthy street urchins, the lot of you! Kill these fucking brats, Mankey!" One of the smugglers was shrieking with rage as he commanded a horde of Mankeys to begin attacking the teenagers' Pokemon, who were doing everything in their power to keep them away from their trainers. What few got past assaulted some of the kids, but their allies managed to beat them off before any lives were taken.

"All rock types, Harden and charge through! Let's show these bumfucks why you don't fuck with Dispetto!" One of the older teenage boys commanded. The rock types' bodies began to tense up as the thickness of their skin increased before forming a wall and forcibly pushing the Mankeys back, ignoring whatever attacks that were used on them.

Sudowoodo began grappling and crushing whatever Mankey got within reach, Corsola stabbed one in the eye after they ripped off one of her branches. A Lairon was being hounded by several Panpour water attacks until an immense Rock Slide from a Solrock began crashing down on them.

It was sheer chaos and violence, even worse than what I had witnessed within the electric web I had set up in Route 214 for the Mankey. All we could do was watch from a distance as the two groups mauled each other without mercy. Some of the teenagers and adults had even elected to fist fight or beat each other with various weapons.

I took a sudden step back reflexively throwing my hand out in front of Amber and Crystal when an injured smuggler was thrown over close to us. It took him a few seconds to slowly get up, causing Donut to tense up before he backed away in surprise as a large boulder smashed down upon where the smuggler had been.

I-what?

Crystal put a hand over her mouth and Amber winced, but neither of them was as… shocked? Taken aback? Something along those lines at seeing a person die.

"You holding up, Crystal? Topaz?" Amber looked back at us both, speaking in a hushed voice. Crystal just nodded, shaking a bit but not turning away.

What the hell have they been through in Snowpoint?

I swallowed my nerves before speaking. "They're killing each other and not us, so relatively speaking. I am fine."

[Topaz? You're shaking,] Cenza noted. [I can help. Just breathe in and out.]

I looked at my right hand quivering more than I realized. I grasped it with my left and held it down before I took a deep breath. I could feel fairy energy emanate from my bag decreasing the intensity of the shaking, as well as calming me down proper.

[Thanks Cenza. Guess I'm not used to near death experiences yet,] I mentally laughed. She didn't reply. Donut turned around a moment to give me a sad look before his ears perked up as he dodged a stray Rock Throw. The three of us immediately tensed up as we stared down a teenage boy with a Boldore along with a woman smuggler and her Primeape.

"Don't think we forgot about you little fuckers. All the small fry here are on my new shit list," She leered at us with her crazed Primeape who beat their chest wildy before their eyes landed on Donut, Tide and Cinnamon. Each Pokemon shifted into a proper battle stance immediately. "Don't think we'll let you go after what you've seen. Your Pokemon are coming with us, dead or alive."

"What the hell are you kids doing here? No one's gonna save you if you get in the way. Go home or we'll make you," The teenage boy threatened, but his Boldore didn't turn away from Primeape.

Amber just narrowed her eyes. "We're protecting our home. We're not about to let you lot mess everything up because you're too stupid to understand that maybe being an asshole isn't the best course in life. Juniper, now!"

"Amu!" Suddenly, the stack of boxes and a bunch of stray steel beams came crashing down towards the Primeape due to tipping them over with a boulder. Cinnamon sent stray rocks hurtling at them while Crystal had said something that made Tide speed around the side. Amber glanced back. "We've got this. This much fighting right here and Dispetto's involved? Something's here that they want. Go find it and make sure neither of them get it!"

After her suggestion I noticed her tilt her head over to two smugglers in the back of the battle talking before one ran deeper into the warehouse while the other returned to the fight. I realized what she meant immediately and chased after them with Donut running by my legs.

"What in the- hey!" The teenager tried to say something, but was quickly cut off as Tide had launched a Whirlpool filled with ice and several crates straight towards him, his Boldore, the smuggler and the Primeape. I dashed behind several crates behind the smugglers so no one would notice. All I could do was pray that Candice finished whatever she was doing and support the others before they ended up-

I shook out my morbid thoughts and kept on running till the smuggler stopped at a specific crate with an electronic lock. He looked around exhausted and dirty before he began inputting a code into the lock.

"Fuckin' told those 3 idiots to just let the Dedenne go and look what happened. Got the whole bloody region breathing down our necks when this could've been so fucking easy. Next time I see them I'm blowing up their heads my goddamn self," He muttered angrily, likely talking about Cenza and the three blokes who chased us. "Took ALL those Mankey and still haven't come back. Useless. Gotta take what I can and book it back to base. The boss ain't gonna like this."

Before I could emerge and rain on his parade he rolled out of the way in a panic avoiding the near fatal Smack Down from a Crustle. A teenage girl, the same one Amber and Crystal had been following, trailed behind her Pokemon with a wide grin on her face.

"Thought you could run and we wouldn't find you? Imma let you know, I'm a master at hide and seek. Now step away from the crate and maybe I could let you go with only a few broken bones," She warned him. "We know what goodies you've been hiding, so why don't you share with the rest of us criminals?"

The smuggler scurried up to his feet and tossed out a Pokeball. "Darmanitan, get rid of her!" The Darmanitan looked back at their trainer due to the vague order while the smuggler scrambled back towards the crate.

Dispetto and Benedetto both want what's in that crate… which means I can't let either of them have it!

[Donut!]

[Already read your mind,] He casually stated before he jumped into the air and used Flash blinding everyone in the vicinity. Taking advantage of their momentary blindness Donut followed up with a Discharge shocking the Pokemon and the smuggler, but the girl managed to roll behind a crate.

I booked it to the crate as fast as my feet could carry me until the Darmanitan regained their sight and made a large leap towards me. Without a moment's hesitation I removed the Luxury ball from my waist and summoned Lou right in their face.

He launched out of his Pokeball like a jack out of the box, stabbing the descending Darmanitan in the abdomen with his pincers before spraying a String Shot directly onto them. The sheer force of it sent the Darmanitan flying in the sky till they collided into the ceiling, trapped in the thick web. The web that covered them was stained crimson red.

"Smack Down on the weird ass bug!" The Dispetto girl ordered rubbing the effects of Flash out of her eyes. Crustle didn't look to have fully recovered from it, but I wasn't about to test their accuracy.

"Donut deflect the rock with Iron Tail! Lou use Mud Shot on the girl!"

Donut leaped into the air, his tail turning a sheen silver before he smacked the rock heading for Lou back at Crustle. While Crustle took the time to block, Lou seized his chance to spot the girl and fire a slough of mud towards her. Upon realizing he was serious about attacking their trainer the Crustle moved in front of her to protect her, taking the full force of the attack.

"What the hell kind of kid are you?" She glared at me. I returned her glare with one of my own as my Pokemon stood by me. "You've made an enemy out of Dispetto. You and your shit friends don't know what you've done!"

"Good thing I never planned on being your ally, Dispetto," I spat out the name near the end in disgust. "Benedetto, Dispetto, Galactic it doesn't matter. We should throw you all in a cell and lose the key. Donut, Lou, Battery Bolt!"

Lou activated his ability, Battery, condensing his special power at the forefront allowing for Donut to easily access it. Donut hopped onto Lou's back gathering the electrical energy Lou was emitting before launching an intense green Thunderbolt at the girl and her Crustle.

The Crustle tried to withstand the blast by hiding underneath their shell, but upon contact the electric blast caused their shell to crack under pressure and for them to be smashed brutally into several thick crates. Their trainer was blown away by sheer knockback, where she hit her head on one of the steel beams, losing consciousness immediately.

I admired the destruction for a moment, the potency of our combo attack. There were signs of electrical burns all over the Crustle and the floor where they stood had been scorched. Donut and Lou looked no worse for wear, with Lou simply needing to deactivate his ability and for Donut to just shake off the extra green electricity.

I rubbed both of their heads in thanks when I heard a shuffle several feet over. I turned to see the smuggler shaking standing up, trying to lock the crate once more.

"Lou, confine him with Spiderweb," I ordered. Lou sucked up some air before he spat a complete net of web straight at the smuggler restricting all possible movement and slamming his body straight into another crate.

He groaned in pain before leering at us. I made my way over and crossed my arms.

"Where is Benedetto and the Pokemon you smuggled in?" I asked.

"Fuck off, go back home to Mama," He spat at me. Not literally, but he was on the verge.

"We'll let you go if you tell me where he is and why those goods absolutely have to get to him," I asked again, keeping my voice steady and firm.

This is how Volkner would handle it right? Keep calm, maintain control.

"You pissants don't know what you're involved in. Benedetto is a powerful man, kid. If I don't want to fuck with hm, you definitely do not," He advised, as though I cared.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I know that, but we can't really turn away from your actions no matter how powerful you claim him to be. He's no boogie man, he's human and weak, just like everyone. So how about you just tell me where the captured Pokemon and Benedetto are and I'll prove it. Okay?"

I need to leave with this stuff before any of his allies come around.

This time he did give me a pondering look which I thought was a good sign. Until he literally spat at me. Luckily I dodged before I got a face full of saliva, but it set Lou off on the spot. He sprang forward, embedding his pincers in his legs and electrocuting him. His screams were visceral as his body began to seize and contort from the immense pain, doing whatever he could to endure it. His screams echoed across the warehouse which would've been distracting if not for all the other screaming that was going down in the brawl. I on the other hand was speechless. I'd never seen Lou so… violent before. Blood splattered all over his body and he refused to let go. Donut just stood by and stared with a grave expression not lifting a hand to step in. Before I could voice my complaints about this tactic, the smuggler began to beg for mercy.

"Make it stop, make it stop! I'll tell you whatever you need to know! Just please, make it stooooop!"

It took a moment for me to register this is what we wanted before I called off Lou. "Stop Lou, he's ready to talk!" Immediately after my command he actually stopped and waddled over. There was blood on his face, but I did my best to ignore it. Unfortunately, staring at the smuggler's mangled, shuddering leg with visibly exposed bone and pouring blood didn't help much either.

His breaths were ragged and pained, but he managed to speak. "Great… Marsh…" He sputtered, biting back whatever pain gripped his mind. "Close to… Highshire Town… south of… Hearthome…" His eyes were beginning to glaze. "We have… a rendezvous point where… We store Pokemon. He should be… somewhere around there…"

Before I could ask for more his head slumped unconscious. Donut muttered some words to Lou causing him to look disdainfully at the smuggler before he spat a String Shot at his leg, preventing further blood loss. I was still trying to catch up with everything that happened until Donut's voice rang through my head, calm as ever.

[We should take what he was trying to deliver and meet up with those girls again. Then we should probably go tell Amethyst what we learned,] He looked up at me with concerned eyes. [I'm sorry you had to see that…]

I clenched my chest and realized my heart was beating a mile a minute. I shook my head before looking back at Donut.

"We've got to save those Pokemon. He… that man had vital information for the mission… Lou did what he had to do," My last sentence trailed off a bit at the end. Lou didn't look as proud as I expected, likely due to my lack of jubilance over all this. "We should keep moving, we wasted enough time. Let's get the goods and go."

Vicious battles, dead bodies, attacking other humans. Is this what Volkner has to do to keep the peace? Is this what the League has to do over and over again to combat evil? Am I… ready for this? Ugh, ready or not I'm in it now and won't stop.

We finally made our way to the crate to inspect its contents. Donut and Lou hopped onto the sides while I leaned over to see what was inside, what Benedetto and Dispetto both wanted so badly.

I had to raise an eyebrow at the contents. There was a large chunk of ore glowing whimsically and radiating a foreign type of feeling I couldn't quite name. There was no refinement to it, it was fairly evident that it had come straight from the rock it was chipped out of into this crate. I reached out to touch it, my fingers caressed the rock which didn't seem special to me. I recognized the sediments, but not the ore within. I moved my hand over to the ore when it suddenly hit me. It shone lightly giving me an intense case of vertigo and euphoria at the same time before I pulled my hand back. Donut and Lou gave me anxious looks.

[Your emotions went everywhere all at once when you touched that rock,] Donut explained before looking at himself. [Even we felt pretty strange when you touched it.]

"Hmmm," I hummed to myself. "We've got to be careful about how we touch that then. Now what is this?"

In a separate secure compartment there was a metal arm brace attached to a metal gauntlet by a chord. Judging by the glove I had to guess it was meant to be equipped on the left arm, but its purpose escaped me. I picked it up and began looking it over until I found a logo hidden within the machine: A slick modern silver C with the phrase 'Capture, compile, control' in Unown letters underneath it in a tiny font.

Definitely not from any organization in Sinnoh. It must be foreign if it came from Benedetto. What group starts with a C and manufactures creepy machines?

"Bzzzt bzt zip," Lou whirred beside me. It took me a moment to realize why.

"Ah, the telepathic connection must've cut off when I put you inside the ball. Well, if you just listened that wouldn't have happened. We'll reconnect it later, for now we should… hmmm."

The smart decision would be to reconvene with Violet right? But the others… I can't leave them behind. That fight was dangerous, we've got to head back.

I reached into my bag and took out item capsules for the ore and the metal device for easy transportation. Luckily it worked on both of them so I didn't have to go through the trouble of lugging them manually.

The sounds of battle had begun to die down, which meant the fight was nearly over. I was about to bound away before I turned back to Lou, holding his Pokeball.

"Sorry, you're a bit of a mess right now. I'll clean you up later, I promise," I told him. He simply nodded, allowing himself to be recalled without trouble. Donut hopped onto my shoulder as I ran back to where the fight had occurred.

When I laid my eyes upon the carnage, I was barely surprised. Bodies, dead or alive, were strewn everywhere. I wasn't sure which was which and I did everything in my power to avoid finding out. There were holes in the walls, boulders piling everywhere and scorch marks all over. My heart skipped a beat in relief when I saw Candice and the others sitting a bit aways, all dusty and tired, recovering their Pokemon with potions and bandages. Candice and her team looked the best of the trio, but it was obvious judging by her sweaty brow that she was grateful for some peace.

"You're all okay…" A simple statement of relief was all I could muster. I barely knew them, but the thought that I had left them to die stirred my heart more than I had thought.

Crystal looked over first, sighing in relief and smiling. Amber followed her gaze and waved. "Hey! Toldja we could handle ourselves just fine!"
There was a pause, and her face fell into a more serious look. "It was rough on you, huh?"
Candice then looked over, having been bandaging Yakushina and glancing at her phone. "You okay? Injury wise I mean, everyone's not hurt too badly?"

I looked at myself checking for any signs of injury. I realized I had gotten pretty dirty over the course of the day, fortunately besides some snags in my clothing I was still alright. Donut on the other hand looked genuinely tired now, so I laid him down on the ground and pulled out an ether for him to drink. A Pokemon energy drink essentially. I held it out to him with shaky hands. Donut simply placed his hand on mine and accepted the ether gratefully, evening my nerves out with the slightest jolt.

I wonder how my face must look to them. Not as stoic as I'd like I'm guessing.

I gave him a slight nod before answering Candice. "Just tired."

She gave me a warm smile. "That's good. Nobody escaped? With whatever they were trying to get out with I mean. Amber said you went after someone?"

"There was some conflict, but nothing compared to this. My team was more than enough to handle it," I answered. I hesitated before continuing, mulling over a question I had. "You're all still junior trainers, yet you all seem too… acquainted with all this violence. What have you been through?"

And how can I be that way too?

Candice looked at me, screwing up her face in thought for a moment before answering. "Four things, really. First off, it's a Snowpoint thing. Winters aren't exactly easy when there's enough snow and ice to bury you in your house for maybe weeks at a time. Just living there is a fight for survival we wouldn't make without the aid of our Pokemon companions. Second, again, Snowpoint. All of us are trained to be ready just in case Regigigas wakes up. Sure, they might've pulled the continents into place. But they don't see a reason to stop. Not to mention that groups like Galactic would kill hundreds for that kind of power at their beck and call. We have to protect everyone from Regigigas as much as we have to protect them from everyone. Third… A lot of people die on the way to Snowpoint. One of the jobs of the Leader there is to make sure they at least get a proper burial rather than just being abandoned and dying alone in the cold. Less since Cynthia made it mandatory to be 15 to travel and more time spent learning survival skills, but from what Khione's told me you used to find a corpse every other week frozen somewhere."

Her face darkened. "And fourth… Helheim. None of us were there, but that friend we mentioned earlier who can't handle ghosts? Entirely because of Helheim. She's not really good at keeping stuff in her own head without blowing up, so she lets it flow and deals with it as she goes. Hearing about how someone had people brutally murdered in front of them makes a battle like this easier to stomach."

Crystal just looked over at the boulder that fell on the smuggler earlier, speaking for what I realized was the first I'd heard from her. "A-at least they died quickly… Th-they didn't have time to die in agony."

"I-I see… I never knew," My voice trailed off as it tried to absorb all that information.

They have a friend who survived Helheim and she's around our age? That means… she was around 6-years-old when she was kidnapped. 400 humans and Pokemon were kidnapped and according to reports… only 20% made it out alive, after 5 months being subjected to Team Galactic's cruelty. Vika and Garland never went into detail, but it's obvious they've been through some shit. I can see why they don't like to talk about it. As for Snowpoint… I always imagined it as some winter wonderland, like how you see on TV during Lumifrost. Guess some idyllic image of the place wasn't the best impression.

"The gym leader of Snowpoint… they inherit the role of guardian of Snowpoint Temple, right? That means once you become leader you'd be responsible for Regigigas, the Colossal Pokemon… I see. It all makes sense now," I muttered before staring at Candice. "The decision to declare you a gym trainer trainee. I can tell it wasn't made on a whim, it makes sense why you were chosen."

I looked over to the other two. "Sunyshore City isn't like most Sinnoh cities. It's a place of innovation, new ideas and convenience. The notion of living in the freezing tundra to guard a Legendary that can pull continents… it's a concept that would be lost on most of us. I have to say, I respect your fortitude."

The three smiled, Amber just shaking her head. "Someone's gotta do it, y'know? From what I've heard, Cynthia had to make the rest of the region treat Pokemon like we always have." She chuckled. "Man if electric types gnawing on generators was the worst we had to worry about." Then waved herself off. "Anyway, you look wiped. Not sure if you noticed, but it's getting dark and I don't think walking home would be a good idea."

I checked my Poketch for the time. I had left Sunyshore around noon and had spent the entire day on my feet. That energy drink earlier was able to tide me over a bit, but also reminded me I hadn't eaten anything either.

Not like I have much of an appetite anyway. Ugh, walking, training in the forest, running for my life, fighting against criminals. I thought my stamina could handle it, but I guess I overestimated myself. Just another reminder how far I've got to go… if I was an official trainer, would I be handling myself better?

"Hmmm… guess I need to take a break. Are you all waiting for the League?"

They nodded, Candice speaking up. "I let them know what happened, since I am just a gym leader in training and it'd be either Volkner or Wake who'd handle this. We're just resting for a minute before they get here."

My uncle… I… it's only going to get harder if I keep going down this path, isn't it? If I keep listening to Violet anyway. Is this really for the best? Am I really meant for this or am I just kidding myself? No, I can't think like this. I promised Cenza, no matter what, I would save her friends… my head is pounding, I should lie down before I do anything drastic.

"Whoever comes can handle this then. I'm not really looking for glory, a bed though would be nice. Donut and I are gonna head out," I announced, picking Donut off the ground and into my bag.

Candice nodded, them waving and their Pokemon doing similarly. "Rest up! We got this, don't worry about us." She snapped her fingers. "Oh, and don't worry too much about the people lying around. We managed to get through and make sure that the worst most got is a few broken bones. They'll wake up tomorrow, if sore as hell and with a free ticket to rehab and prison."

"Heh, lucky them. I'll see you all later then, hopefully when things are a bit less hectic," I waved back at them before turning around and making my way out of the warehouse and off the boardwalk. It was already dark out, it was autumn so it wasn't unreasonable, but a still testament to how long my team and I had been out. I pressed my fingers against my temples and focused.

[Amethyst? Do you read me? It's Topaz.] I tried reaching out. Telepathy was still a bit uncomfortable for me, but I hoped she could still hear me from wherever she was located.

[I can hear you, and you don't need to announce yourself. I'd be concerned if it wasn't you talking out of your brain. Meet up with us at the train station. We gotta stay ahead of your League buddies.]

"The train station… sigh, no rest for the weary, huh Donut?"

Donut didn't even deign that with a mental response. All he could muster was a tired 'pika' as I made my way off the beach to find the train station. I was beginning to see the decorations I had mostly ignored during the day, illuminating the darkness of the night. Coordinators and Pokemon alike dressed in their costumes to make an impression before they even got on stage, fitting the glow perfectly.

It took me a bit to actually make my way over to the train station considering how sluggish I felt as well as how much colder it had become, but I eventually made it. It was a brand new regal train station, one of many created under Cynthia's railroad initiative. According to Volkner it took a while to find a track that didn't interfere with Pokemon's wellbeing, while also utilizing stable ground and then actually building the thing, but at the very least this line is finished. As for the station itself, it was quite large. Mostly made out of marble and blue stone, it fit the aesthetic of the rest of the place quite nicely. There were several shops immediately in the building, as well as well furnished waiting rooms. Even a deep pool for water types to relax in. Unless you're a Wailord, but a lot of things are unless you're a Wailord. Anyway, the main focus for now was the platform. There were a couple, each with overhangs and benches along with perches for various bird Pokemon.

Currently in the station was the train itself. Headed by a large steam engine, the car behind was fashioned to hold water for boiling. Heat rocks and Flame Orbs were inside, and while Flame Orbs are usually illegal using them as a perpetual fuel source is perfectly fine. A couple brown passenger cars were next, followed by two dining cars. Then were a few sleeping cars, and finally a long line of cargo cars trailing out of the station. Boxcars, railcars and a red caboose at the back. The whole thing was draped in orange and purple lights, fitting the theme like everything else.

[We're here.] I called out again.

"I noticed."

I nearly whirled around and punched her, but it was just Violet and Amethyst standing there with Zenara's eyes shining happily. Violet looked unamused, but her eyes looked even more intense while Amethyst gave a small wave and a grin.

I rubbed my face in barely constrained annoyance and in an attempt to regain my bearings. "Ergh."

She simply held out two large boxes and a slip on top of it. "Topaz, a train ticket. Donut, two boxes of one dozen donuts each. They would not allow me to purchase more, as humans want to deny Pokemon of their joy."

Donut sprang to life at the mention of donuts as I took the two donut boxes as well as the train ticket. "Highshire town? So you know already. Read my mind?"

"No. Hacking communications, listening in on what happened in the warehouse via their telecommunicator channel and our own intelligence gathering. I would be more irritated had I not expected this to happen, but that aside. You should allow the Pokemon with you time to rest." She then began walking away.

Before she could leave I grabbed her arm. She turned to me slowly with her usual unamused expression, but it was now mixed with 'Do not touch me'. Zenara meanwhile just looked confused.

"While I will be going to Highshire, I need you to convince me again why you would know better than trained professionals that have been through this time and time again. You two are obviously capable, but after what I just saw… if you keep going on like this, I doubt you could save the Pokemon, fend off all of the cronies and then defeat Benedetto. I just worked with the League to liberate the warehouse and they once again reminded me why I trust them a helluva lot more than I trust you." After I said my piece I let go of her hand. Donut looked at me with concern, but he didn't object.

Her eyes narrowed. "And you expect me to explain myself thoroughly on a train platform scant few minutes before the train departs around several other humans who are thoroughly unaware of the current situation, some of which may well have ties to Benedetto and you are alerting him that there is more than just the League on his tail?"

I gave her the most 'Does it look like I care' face I have ever mustered. The fatigue was starting to hit and I wanted to just sit down, but I also needed an answer.

"I managed to allocate some interesting cargo from that warehouse. There's a gym leader in training whom I'm sure would greatly appreciate me handing it off to her so the League may examine it," I added.

She sighed deeply through her nose, muttering "Humans…" again before grabbing my arm in a vice-like grip and pulling me into the train. Before I could object she replied "Regardless of whether or not you care, we need to be on the train that leaves in a scant few minutes. If you decide that I am not someone you are willing to work with, that is acceptable. However, I am not about to talk about confidential information in the middle of unknown specifically human variables."

"I made a promise to Cenza that I intend to see through, whether I work with you, the League or even on my own. I'm just thinking logically here."

"This train goes to Highshire."

"Yes and?"

"Then at absolute worst we do not work together, you end up in Highshire come tomorrow morning, and you have ample time and opportunity to contact whoever in the League you like before we come remotely close to arriving if you come with me at this specific moment."

Either she's flippant or confident. Whatever happens it won't change her intentions. She won't beg me to stay or go, whatever happens, happens. What a difficult person… my head is too frazzled to make a decision, I need to rest.

"Okay then," That's all I could really say. There wasn't much else to say after all that.

She dragged me through a couple train cars, eyes never once diverting from where she was headed. Quickly through she went before halting abruptly, turning, opening a door and dragging me inside.

I hadn't ridden the trains that much since they were built and I certainly haven't slept in one before. It was a sleeping car consisting of the normal windows, bunk beds, a nightstand, table and a few other general furniture. It was a relatively confined space for obvious reasons, but it seemed comfortable.

Course all this manhandling or is it girlhandling? All this handling isn't fun.

She then turned to me, still standing. "Firstly, you underestimate the quarry. As of this moment you have stolen something from him in his eyes, driven him out of where he was operating, gotten help from the League and alerted them to his presence twice with the severity increasing the second time, and you have shown you are going to pursue him. If he believes the League will be assisting you, he will cut his losses and run. He is cowardly and weak and while he may be willing to take you on, he is not even remotely willing to attempt to fight anyone associated with a Leader or higher." She took a deep breath before speaking again.

"Furthermore, you did precisely as anticipated and got assistance from the League. While this expedited the process of finding his goons, it has also put him on guard to the point where even if he was not paranoid he would flee quickly. You did not expect three Snowpoint denizens to be nearly as powerful as they were, and I know for certain you know less about Amethyst and I than any one of them. Judging power on numbers alone is folly, and nearly any numbers advantage can be quickly outstripped and dealt with when you understand your enemies better than they understand themselves."

"But the League has managed to arrest everyone who I've been involved with, I doubt any of them had the chance to contact Benedetto to tell him who I am. Plus, for all they know I am a part of the League. A junior trainer with enough training is still no slouch. Even if they saw you, they might think you're League too. Just a bunch of renegade preteens trying to make a difference," I began stroking my chin in thought. "Not like we can do anything about what he knows. We're going as fast as we can, but the League is likely faster regardless."

Though I doubt they'd resort to Lou's means…

"I know where he is. Did you forget that I have my tablet tracking his whereabouts at all times? Now that I was able to establish a link from devices connected to his proper, I have his location. There is no more doubt where the Pokemon are being held captive."

"And I'm guessing you won't tell me the exact location until we're there, will you?" I could turn on her and report this information to the League if she told me now. Keeping me on a short leash… At the same time, I have the device and the stone I recovered from the warehouse. I don't believe there were any cameras covering that area, so it may have been a blind spot. In other words, she's blind on that part, for once.

"No, I-"

"Reep!"

We both turned to see Zenara, looking annoyed at… me?

"Zenara?" She was… defending Violet? Even Donut didn't know what to make of this. Lou knows her best, so maybe he could decipher this, but I also felt like he'd attack Violet in my honor or something.

[What're you even so mad about?! Sure, she hasn't told you much, but all she knows about you is that you were willing to help Cenza and like the League. That's like, nothing! I know you humans are bad at figuring out when someone's got things they don't want to talk about, but yeesh I didn't know it was this bad.]

And now I get to argue with the sheep. "Yes, I can at least tell that she has 'issues' with humanity, but it's not easy to work with someone whose-"

Eyes look dead. She looks mad exhausted.

"-so abrasive! You're just some girl tracking down a criminal. I don't know what humanity has done to you to make you like this, but…" I stopped mid sentence and clutched my forehead. I was just so tired, too tired for all this shit. "Do whatever you want, I just want to sleep."

She simply kept looking at me. "Doing what I want is not the important thing here. But clearly you are incapable of such discussion at the moment, so I will depart. Rest, for Benedetto and his allies will not be satisfied at simply pointing out your lapses in judgement."

I just glared at her, but didn't respond before turning away to go sit on the bed and look through my bag. The conversation was over. I could hear Violet walking out and I assume Amethyst. I just heard an exasperated [You're both nice, this is stupid.] from Zenara. And when I looked, she'd walked out after them.

It was silent for a bit. I had taken out the generator for Cenza to regain whatever power she needed, while Donut sat on my lap for some much needed brushing. We'd been through a lot today. Neither of them said anything, but Cenza looked a bit sad. I wanted to cheer her up, but I was not in the right mindset to be helping anyone emotionally.

"Sorry for yelling. Guess we humans are pretty stupid even when trying to do the right thing," I offhandedly stated. Donut looked up at me with sad amber eyes, similar to my own, and snuggled into my chest. He always knew how to make me feel even a little bit better.

Once I had finished brushing him I headed over to the tiny sink they had on this car and summoned Lou. The blood was still on his face, but I don't think he really cared. I silently picked him up and carefully began washing his face, he instinctively retracted his pincers to ensure he didn't accidentally cut me. Donut sat on the bed quietly eating his donuts, Cenza sat by the generator looking ready to sleep at any moment and Lou silently allowed himself to be cleaned. It was the first bit of peace I had felt since I had left the gym all day.

Chapter Text

Topaz and team have begun their investigation into Benedetto and have found it to be quite fruitful. After aligning themselves with gym leader in training Candice, they managed to discover one of his warehouses and shut down his presence at the resort. Now they take the train to Highshire to locate his hideout in the Great Marsh.

~x~

I finished up cleaning Lou and took a quick shower in the train bathroom. Once I had finished getting redressed, I checked the dinner menu they had left on the table to read until there was a knock on the train car door. I threw away the towel I had been using to dry my hair and made my way to open it, revealing a ticket collector.

When I opened the door I nearly closed it in shock. He was wearing a full vampire attire complete with fangs and cape. Judging by the large ears and fluffy collar, it’d appear he was a Noivern vampire. “Good evening, ticket please?” 

“Ah of course, one second,” I turned around to my bed and handed him the ticket. He punched it in and handed it back to me.

“Thank you, sir. Have you also decided what you would like for dinner?” 

“Yes, actually. Croissant sandwiches for me and three electric meals for my Pokemon here please,” I responded eagerly. Cenza seemed to perk up at the mention of a meal while Donut continued to gorge on donuts.

“Of course, we’ll be right back with your order.” After jotting that all down he made his way to the next person.

“Everyone is festive, huh…” My mind quickly flashed to the warehouse and the smuggler being crushed by a boulder before I shook my head. “Fitting time for horrors, but I can’t say I’m interested in thinking about them again.”

I stared out the window for a bit as we crossed the countryside. It was only until I checked the time when I realized what I had forgotten to do.

“Oh crap, I never called home!” Sure I could technically go where I pleased as my family weren’t too strict on me, but they’d also love to know if I was even coming back on the same day. I reached for my phone and was about to click Volkner’s name when I thought better.

Nah, he’s too intuitive. He’d know something is up. I’ll call grandma instead. She’s lax about these things.

~One phone call later~

...okay so lax was an overstatement. She had heard the news and was extremely concerned, but after I convinced her that Benedetto was interested in selling wild Pokemon, not stealing trainer Pokemon did she seem to calm down. I told her I was the Grand Lake Resort since it had gotten too late to come home and that I’ll be back tomorrow. 

I could sense she had her own thoughts about it, but I had often stayed out days traveling out with Jade testing to see how far we could get before we had to go home. This wasn’t a first time occurrence.

After promising her I’d be careful one more time she relented and wished me good night. I breathed a sigh of relief before collapsing on my bed. 

Hopefully Volkner is too busy to bother calling me too. He doesn’t have time or obligation to keep track of his kid nephew when his parents are the ones who are officially my guardians. Volkner doesn’t need to worry about me, I’ve trained for this.

I looked around my sleeper car a bit more before I came to a realization. Violet wasn’t coming back. These sleeper cars had 2 cots and ample space for small Pokemon. She should be staying here yet she has yet to make her return.

“Did Violet and Amethyst come back while I was in the shower?” I asked Donut.

[Nope. Why?]

“No reason… hmmm,” I hummed as I got up to check the other train cars. Sleeper train cars weren’t exactly cheap, so unless she had a lot more money than I thought I doubted she had gotten another one. After a quick check-in on the other rooms I was about to give up when I just so happened to peer into the cargo car.

You’re kidding me? Are they staying in the cargo car? They have to be freezing in there, there’s no heating.

I looked in deeper to see Violet and Amethyst in the dark, on the floor in a prayer position. In front of them was a tiny shrine, only a couple feet tall. It didn’t look like any I’d seen though. Usually they were a miniature version of what you’d go to normally, just small so it’s portable and with something denoting what legendary it is. 

A crescent moon for Cresselia, a Gracidea flower for Shaymin and so on. 

This one however didn’t have any of that. Instead it was made from twisted wood that had leaves adorning the upper portion, giving it the appearance of a tree with a doorway in the trunk. 

The inside of the wood was adorned with blue, almost lightning bolt streaks and a long, fluffy yellow fabric not unlike her scarf that hung from almost arm-like fixtures barring the way through the door.

So they’re religious? Not that surprising I guess. Gods are Pokemon too. But it looks like they made the shrine by hand.

Judging by how intently they were praying I figured they’d be at it for a while. I’m not particularly religious, but I am Sinnohan and Alolan. Sinnoh legends had a hand in making our universe meanwhile the Alola Tapus safeguard their respective island. To knowingly interrupt another person’s prayer, especially to a shrine, was considered to be incredibly disrespectful in either region. 

I moved out of sight a bit before deciding against it. I didn’t need them for anything at the moment and I wasn’t jumping at the bit for another argument or to anger whatever legendary they were praying towards. Whoever it was seemed important to them. I quietly returned to my room, leaving them to their own devices. 

~xxx~

Although I was tired, I really wasn’t in the mood to fall asleep. I wasn’t too keen on being haunted by all the violence I had witnessed, just yet. Now that I had time to process I felt better, but not perfect.

Battles are a lot more chaotic than I had imagined, but every time I’ve encountered them we’ve gotten out unscathed. Is it luck or are we better than I thought? Donut and Lou have not taken any damage all day despite being in multiple fights, just tired. I know I shouldn’t underestimate Benedetto, but it’s kind of hard not to when no one can even touch us. Hehe, Volkner and Cynthia would be so proud!

Feeling particularly prideful at that thought, I opened up my bag to examine its contents. Before I released the capsules I looked around just in case they were any cameras before releasing both the stone and the machine. I took out my Pokedex to scan them for information, but then I remembered how Violet oh so easily hacked my Pokedex when we met.

“While I’m still awake I could upgrade my Pokedex too, until then it’s all offline.” I picked up the rock again and I could once again feel ripples of some invisible force wash over my body. Donut, Lou and Cenza all perked up at its activation and moved in closer. When I touched the ore itself there was still that swift feeling of vertigo before it was replaced by peace.

[C’est magnifique,] Cenza whispered in awe.

I looked at her, then the rock and I thought back to this whole situation. It seemed unbelievable, but here it was in the flesh. “I think I know what this is,” I muttered mostly to myself.

I went inside my bag to find a specific book within my book collection, specifically a book about Kalos. I skimmed through the entire book until I found the image I sought. My Pokemon simply stared at me in confusion as I compared the book picture to the rock at my feet.

“This is a key stone ore!” Insanely rare gemstones that can be used in conjunction with mega stones to unlock a Pokemon’s full potential. It is said they originated from the Kalos region and can only be used by a human and Pokemon who have a strong, genuine bond. Only the best trainers can master mega evolution.

I can see why Benedetto kept it secure. With something like this he could sell it for a mint if he wanted or use it for himself, though I have to wonder if any Pokemon cares enough about him to mega evolve for him.

[Are key stones special? Cuz that rock isn’t normal,] Donut’s question pulled me out of my thoughts. [I’m guessing it’s a good thing we took it. Right?]

I smiled at him before rubbing his face, causing him to squeak in delight. “You’re absolutely right. Key stones can be used with mega stones to mega evolve Pokemon. Basically make them super strong. I don’t think Raichu, Vikavolt or Dedenne can Mega Evolve and even if they could we don’t have the mega stones to use them. So that kinda sucks, but ah well.”

Donut scrunched up his face in confusion while Lou looked positively dejected. [So it’s useless to us?]

“Hehe, well they say trainers who carry one begin to get better at reading their Pokemon’s feelings and instincts, so that’s something. The tradition is to get it cut and then make a band for it to wear on your person. Unfortunately this isn’t cut nor do I have a band, so I can’t really do much about that.”

[Awww. Is the metal arm thingy better?] Cenza asked. Picking it up tentatively, I began to look it over before beginning to try and put it on. 

When I strapped it on, it automatically turned on allowing me to adjust the size refitting to fit my arm. There was also a glove to fit my hand inside which also adjusted to fit me. It was an interesting look and it obviously had a purpose, but whatever it was, it wasn’t immediately apparent.

“Still have no idea what this does… oh! I should check if there’s a tracking device, just in case,” I immediately remembered before opening up a capsule revealing my laptop as I began typing away. While I didn’t find any tracking signal (somehow) I put a lock on its transmission so it would not and could not release one unless I wanted it to. I then decided to buff the security of my own Pokedex while sending security breach reports to Professor Rowan’s lab.

Violet may be a super genius and somewhat on my side, but if it was so easy for her to access all of my Pokedex files without my knowledge then it needs a massive security buff. Also a way to ignore jammers. I hope the professor actually reads this.

After some tinkering I found the weak points in the code and began setting up defensive measures and better alerts. If I were at the Sunyshore Gym I could work on making sure all my devices were jammer proof, but there was only so much I could do on the train with a laptop.

Continuing to type away I upped the security on my laptop just in case Violet decided she was bored and invaded every single piece of technology on this train. After that was done I began looking through the gauntlet’s code to figure out its function.

“Designated: Snag Machine? Pokeballs scanned through its program are capable of overriding another trainer’s Pokemon and stealing them!?” My voice escalated in shock as I read more. 

This was insane. Technology relating to Pokemon can be super complex. We’ve gotten so desensitized to it, but we can actually fit several tons of a living organism inside one little ball and put it on our belt. Literally anyone can do that. 

Not even the most intense heat, extreme cold, spectral energy or even EMP devices can get past their defenses. Whatever flaws Pokeballs had were immediately stamped out. 

Only the highest authority of a region would have the ability to affect a pokeball’s coding, but all decent regions pride themselves on ensuring the security of your Pokemon in pokeballs, even for extended periods thanks to the emergency stasis function.

So someone was able to program a device that can create Pokeballs that can override someone else’s? It seems to be even less effective than traditional capturing. Seems like they were barely able to squeeze past the barrier, but not all their limits.

I turned to the device again. “I wonder if Benedetto planned on selling or using it for himself. Either way, the League should know about this right? Although, if he cares about it so much, I could use it to lure him in and arrest him. I could have Volkner or even Candice back us up.”

[What about Violet? I don’t really get what you’re talking about, but you want to catch my kidnapper right? Can’t she help too? I dunno why you two were fighting when you both want the same thing,] Cenza asked with genuine confusion.

I grit my teeth. “We have different mindsets going about it. We are radically different people.”

[Radically? What does that even- weird word. If you’re trying to say you two are different, I don’t think so,] Cenza countered. I rolled my eyes.

“Please Cenza. Zenara was already on my case about this,” I pleaded. 

[I don’t know you two very well, but when she was pulling you through the train I finally got a proper sense of her feelings,] She explained. I had forgotten that fairies were the best at interpreting emotions. One of the gym trainers at home has a Mr. Mime who was always eerily good at knowing how to cheer me up. [She’s not a bad human, just a sad one.]

“Then explain how she treats humans. Hm?”

[You don’t treat them that differently either Zio…] I turned to Donut at that accusation. He was looking away, but he kept speaking. [I know I’m not one to talk about being a social Beautifly, but you don’t… you aren’t close with a lot of humans. You never have been. Only a couple and just one of them is around your age. I don’t really mind, it means more attention for me, but ummm.]

Donut awkwardly ended off there. If it was anyone else Lou prolly would’ve assaulted them for slandering my good name, but this time it was Donut. My second in command and thus his superior. He was inclined to listen to his opinions and thus didn’t say anything.

The only real friend my age is Jade. I always thought that was all I really needed. A little bit of human interaction and I could supplement the rest with Pokemon and I’d be fine. My opinions and interest in humanity was relatively low unless they related to Pokemon themselves. 

Donut decided to take my silence as a reason to keep going. [I know you say you’re okay that your parents are gone and most of the time that’s true, but I know you were lonely for a long time. Roland told me. I’m not saying you have to like Violet or work with her. I’ll go with whatever you decide, but I’ve just been thinking… maybe she’s lonely too?]

“Ergh… I guess that makes sense. She doesn’t have to be so mean about it though,” I pouted. We all sat in awkward silence when there was a knock on the door once again. I scrambled to take off the Snag machine, recovering the item capsules and stored away both items in my bag. Immediately after I opened the door pausing a few seconds before looking straight down to see it was Amethyst.

“Amethyst?” I began looking around. “Where’s Violet?”

[She’s asleep], she stated calmly, [her and Zenara. Is it alright if I come in and talk with you all?]

“Oh? Uh sure, okay,” I stepped aside so she could walk in. She did just that, levitating herself up and onto one of the cushions.

Her eyes darted to Lou. [Oh right, hold on.] There was a slight ripple in my head. [You can talk to them again, but is it okay with you if I say something first?]

Lou nodded. [Of course. I have learned my lesson in speaking out of turn, go on.]

She held one of her paws, her ears curling just a bit tighter. [I’m not one to eavesdrop, but you are kinda using my brain to talk to each other. I got the gist of what you were talking about and…] she looked to me. [Take it easy on Violet, okay? We’ve… not had the easiest life together. And she blames herself for more than she should.]

I folded my arms and pouted once again. “It’s a bit hard to do when she looks at me like I’m a booger and talks to me as though I’m being a difficult child,” I paused after I realized what I had said. “A difficult, younger child. I’m positive we’re the same age.”

She shook her head a bit. [She’s a little younger actually, but that’s not the point. She’s talking to you neutrally. There’s… there’s a lot of reasons why she hates humans so much, and I’m with her on basically all of them. But just to point one out. I’m sure you’ve heard people refer to Pokemon as it, right?]

My mind went back to when I had met the Benedetto trio back in the woods, whilst trying to remember past times of that happening. “I… remember Benedetto’s goons did that when they talked about Cenza. I think… some other bad trainers I’ve met before, but they were the minority.”

She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. [Don’t just mention the specifically awful ones. A lot more humans do it. You’d be surprised by how many humans are dismissive of even those details relating to their Pokemon. Sure, it’s not unheard of for them to give us proper respect. But a lot of the time, it’s it. I know from experience. Names are also treated like little nicknames, to be changed on a whim.] 

She looked dead into my eyes. [Imagine for a moment. Take the way Violet says humans. Think about that being the only way anyone refers to you, and the name Topaz is just that nice thing your Pokemon gave to you but not really that important.]

I rubbed my hair bashfully. This felt like I was being scolded by my teacher. “It doesn’t feel… good at all… but I thought Pokemon weren’t the same as humans about the importance of names.”

[And who exactly told you that?]

Her question caused me to pause once again. Who did tell me that? “I don’t remember. It’s just what people say… I think I’ve read it somewhere too. My grandfather never named his Pokemon and Donut took a week to want a name. I just figured it was I dunno. Different.”

She just stared sternly. [In the same way that when a Pokemon is called it and they don’t immediately attack someone it’s different. Right? More Pokemon in Sinnoh have started naming each other again. We passed by a Bibarel dam yesterday and a couple of the Bidoof had names. The Bibarel were so proud, because now that Cynthia’s made it so you can’t just catch random Pokemon and get away with it? They can name their children something and rest easy knowing that they won’t suddenly be ripped away from their home in a Pokeball and ‘named’ something that they’re not. But there’s no way for them to tell the human who captured them is that, is there?] 

Amethyst continued. [Violet specifically despises how when it’s Pokemon doing all the work the human gets the credit. Someone’s team. They helped the human win. They’re just accessories to their fame. It’s in basic terminology that nobody even really thinks about. Nobody except for Violet. And she hates it all .]

When she had finished speaking my mind was blank. These were topics I never thought too deeply about. Surely Volkner and Cynthia did, but… was I so ignorant? 

Most of this seemed to fly right over Cenza’s head, most of this terminology was totally new to her after all. Lou’s face didn’t betray any particular feelings, but I knew he had his own thoughts.

[Violet pays attention to everything like that. She makes it a point to know precisely what humans do and work to counteract it. She has a whole list that I’m not gonna go into how much RAM she needed to add to actually hold the whole file. And a perfect example of how far she’ll go is what’s happening right now. Sure, it’s not that late yet. But she’s been awake the past three days straight, which includes not only what happened today but walking through the night, pushing logs and helping those Bibarel with their dam, and making absolutely certain to plan everything out that could happen.] She gestured to me and… Donut, Lou and Cenza. [She didn’t know it’d be you exactly, but she predicted that this might happen. All because she wants to help me.]

“The look in her eyes… and Nurse Joy’s concern at the Pokemon Center… it’s because she noticed that Violet hadn’t been asleep in days. That she was pushing her limits far beyond what was okay for anyone, much less for her age,” My chest felt heavy over the sudden guilt. It wasn’t easy to pull my heartstrings, but I can admit when I go too far.

[When I met miss Violet,] Cenza spoke up and we all turned to her. [I found she was a bit intense… I was still a bit shaken, so I wasn’t prepared for what I felt when she got close. Now that I’m feeling a bit better, I can tell she might not show it on her face, but she’s passionate about helping Amethyst and even me. She gladly gave Donut all those bread circle thingies, but she seemed sad she couldn’t get him more. When she saw us at the train station I could feel her sadness because she didn’t see Lou with us. She’s a very genuine human… like you, Topaz.]

Donut flicked his ears, turning all eyes on him. [I don’t want to seem biased, but Violet did feed me. Seriously though, I don’t think I’ve ever met a human who cared so much getting me some pastries. It’s a bit much, but her heart is in the right place and I’ll never say no to more sweets.]

Donut and Cenza both stared at Lou who looked momentarily baffled before he spoke. [I do not appreciate the way she speaks to General Topaz, but I will not lie. I find her drive respectable. To an extent! I have no desire to be coddled or for anyone to fight my battles for me, remember that!]

[You only want Zio to coddle you, don’t you?] Donut teased, causing Lou to fume and huff before he looked back to Amethyst. [You care a lot about Violet huh? Most Pokemon even if they could wouldn’t try to reason with Topaz like this. I was basically conditioned to care about whoever picked me as their starter, but I’ve noticed it’s different for former wild Pokemon. Such as Lou. Or you.]

She nodded to him, smiling a bit. [You’re perceptive. We’ve been together since… around when she was five. There wasn’t any trainer and starter relationship, she just… well. None of you even know why we’re going after Benedetto specifically do you?] She glanced at Cenza. [Though if anyone was gonna guess, I’d place my bets on you getting it right.]

Cenza squinted her eyes before realization came upon her. [He got to you too? The kidnapper?]

She nodded again. [He wasn’t the head of a whole group at the time, but yes. He had the hots for some girl in Sinnoh and caught me, brought me here and showed me off. She said she didn’t like me because of my eyes being ‘too creepy’. So he did what most humans do and decided that I wasn’t worth the trouble and just released me. Violet was the only one who was kind and did everything she could to help me adapt. Of course, she was five, so she couldn’t get me back to Kalos, but she was willing to die to find me a home I could be happy in. Not one around humans.] She smiled. 

[My home ended up being with her too, but we’ve been around. Before she was a trainer officially she was out in the wild, helping me and teaching herself what no human would. And a couple weeks ago she discovered Benedetto was coming to Sinnoh for the Wallace Cup.] She sighed. [I couldn’t get her to sleep for days with how hard she was working to make sure we caught him…]

She then looked at us all. [I want to pay him my own special version of thanks for abandoning me in a region with no way home. And she knows that. That’s why she’s so intent on the League not getting to him first. Sure, he’ll be taken into custody and his band of smugglers disbanded and that’ll be that. But I’d never really get closure, and she’s not going to let that happen.]

Lou gave an affirmative grunt. [I see. Benedetto is your bane and he must be brutalized. I understand the sentiment well, I also have an archnemesis.]

Donut rolled his eyes. [Again with the birds?]

Lou ignored him and continued speaking. [The way you spoke about him, there was more to it than a disdain for his capture of your regional brothers and sisters. This Pangoro you mentioned. I presume he was the one responsible for your subjugation?]

[Yup, that’s the one.] She sighed. [At the time I didn’t really know how to handle dark type moves and they’re both assholes.] She then looked to Lou and me specifically. [We know we can take him because we’ve been working on this for ages. Besides, weathering Sinnoh for years and years isn’t something you do if you’re used to milling about on a couch all the time.]

“O-oh,” It took me a second to process all this. Amethyst seemingly being Benedetto’s first victim wasn’t a complete shock. While she wasn’t a part of his operation, she suffered just the same as Cenza. Violet even as a child took care of her and saved her, but judging by what she said they’ve been on the road for a long time. “You mentioned weathering Sinnoh for years and years. Were you two homeless? You say you’ve been on the road for years, but it sounds like she’s been traveling before she was even 10.”

She just shook her head. [That’s not my question to answer. I can tell you my past, but I’m not telling hers until she wants to.] She chuckled a bit. [Though some free info is that she’s not a fan of her ‘birthing humans’ as she calls them.]

It’s always the parents that screw up. Abandoning their children, forcing them to grow up. It’s a running theme.

I exhaled deeply letting those thoughts flow to the back of my mind. My mixed emotions about my father’s disappearance and mother’s abandonment were not relevant right now. Though I felt like I could understand them a bit better.

[You have acquired yourself an exceptional general, Amethyst. I have encountered countless bad apples during my service, but if she is willing to go to such extents then I am proud to call her an ally. I am also even further motivated to track down this Benedetto and Pangoro. I’ve had my fair share of the weak suffering to the strong. I do not care if it is the circle of life! I was born with these pincers to fight for innocent citizens or die trying!] Lou proclaimed. I knew if he could he’d be puffing out his chest, but instead his body surged with power a moment. 

[I know not what this Pangoro may look like, but the darkness shirks at my power!]

[For once he is correct about that,] Donut shrugged his shoulders. [I had a feeling there was more to it with both of you. You carry yourselves differently than any Pokemon or human pair I’ve ever met. Now I understand why.]

[Indeed! You must all visit Sunyshore City, our headquarters, after we vanquish your archnemesis. There we can test our mettle and climb to even greater heights!] Lou announced.

She just laughed. [You’re a fun bunch. Thank you. Really.] She levitated herself up. [I should get to sleep myself, I have some ass to kick tomorrow. Just like all of you, and Violet. But before I go, please just remember. Violet is the kindest, smartest human I’ve ever met. She’s family. Even if she doesn’t feel like she’s worth… much, she’s worth so much to me. So go easy on her okay? And compliment her eyes. They’re very nice.] 

With that she gave a small wave, opened the door and paused in the exit. [Oh, and Topaz? Just think on what we told you, okay? Violet trusts that you’re a human who can change and be better than the rest of your species. And I trust her.] And then she walked back down the corridor, to the dark, unfurnished, lonely boxcar that Violet and Zenara were sleeping in.

Donut, Lou and Cenza all looked quite content with that conversation. 

Shortly after that the ticket master came with all our meals allowing us to eat at the table watching the train past by Pastoria City. The food was needed for all of us, but my mind kept going back to what she said.

Violet believes I can change… she believes I can make a difference… The human who hates humans more than anyone else thinks I can be better. Both of them placed their faith in me, just as Donut and Lou do. They’ve lived arduous lives. Violet isn’t like this because she wants to be and Amethyst rightfully resents the man that stranded her alone in a foreign land. They had to become strong in order to survive Sinnoh, strong and intelligent. They know the risks and yet they are taking them because it’s the right thing to do and they want to. 

I bit into my sandwich and stared into the reflection in the window glass. My face was ragged from everything I’ve done today and I wasn’t the one who had been up for three days.

I suppose everyone has a story. Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and you’ll understand every awkward pebble inside that makes them so cranky, right? Initiative… Everyone else is so gungho and sure of themselves and yet I’m still doubting myself, running to the League for help. I’m not a part of any organization, I’m just a kid who wants to make a difference. I don’t need to be a part of anything to do that. We will save those Pokemon. We will defeat Benedetto. We will have justice. We will have revenge. 

“Just gotta keep on, keepin’ on…” The words just slipped from my mind as I began to fiddle with my necklace. My thoughts slipped back to the Snag Machine as I decided to do a little more digging on it. I tried to do a reverse image search of the logo I had found in the snag machine when I had first found it and got a result.

“Team Cipher, eh? Now who are they?” With a bit more research I found my answer: dangerous Orre criminals. Though I suppose calling Orre dangerous is redundant.

Hoenn has two neighboring regions connected to the mainland and they could not be any more different. First we have Fiore, the lush mountainous ranger region where there are only four major human settlements. Pokemon roam free and humans live simple lives. It is a peaceful and small region.

Orre is Fiore’s unsavory brother. Half of it is somewhat green, but the other half is barren wasteland devoid of life. Although it is a trainer region, there is no League to police the entirety of it. According to recent history it has been plagued by countless crime syndicates causing what few human establishments to become unpleasant places and all denizens of the region to become wary of others. 

They used to import Pokemon for security, but that’s a practice that has mostly ceased. Volkner told me that other Leagues have offered aid, but the corrupt politicians always refuse for whatever reason.

Now that I knew the source of the machine, it was really no surprise that it came from Orre. For such a desolate place to live in, their technology was top notch and with such loose laws they could get away with anything.

I’m surprised no renegade has decided to straighten it out yet.

“Disconcerting to say the least. Benedetto has been around, but I suppose lots of Orre denizens would love some Kalos Pokemon,” I muttered half to myself before taking another bite of my sandwich. I looked away from the computer to find the other Pokemon only to see all three curled up together in one of the large Pokemon beds. “That’s my queue then,” I stretched before changing into something more comfortable and heading to bed. 

After I turned off the lights I just laid there in bed for a solid 10 minutes without daring to go to sleep. Conveniently all the terrible images I had witnessed today came back right at this specific moment to haunt me and until they left I was not going to sleep. After another 10 minutes of silence I heard rustling from the bed and the distinct feeling of 3 new entities on the bed.

[Your stress woke us up. Close your eyes and accept snuggles,] Donut’s tired voice echoed through my head before I felt him cozy up around my chest. Lou and Cenza found their own spaces to get comfortable before going back to sleep. I could feel a teardrop escape my eye before I quickly blinked it away.

With that peace I was finally able to go to close my eyes. My mind trailed off to focus on the hum of the train as it rode the tracks all the way to Highshire.

~Next Morning~

By the time the train had reached its destination, I had gotten ready for the day along with the rest of my team. I hadn’t seen Violet since last night, but I was sure Amethyst would have woken her up in time to get off the train. When I got off the train I let out a huge yawn, rubbing my eyes to stay awake. I was not keen on waking up so early after yesterday’s events. I carried Lou in my arms while Donut and Cenza relaxed in my bag.

When I stepped off the platform I immediately noticed Amethyst, Zenara and Violet were already there waiting for us. Violet’s eyes definitely looked significantly better than they did yesterday, but I could tell she still needed sleep. Amethyst was bright eyed as ever, meanwhile Zenara was half asleep in Violet’s arms.

Immediately upon spying Zenara’s sleepy expression Lou began his usual. [Attention, soldier! We’ve got scouting to do!]

Zenara’s eyes snapped open, and she immediately started flailing. Violet set her down gently before she looked at Lou, saluting with her tail. [Right Lou Lou! How’d you all sleep?]

[Fine.]

[Serendipitously, of course!]

[Geniale! Much better than a cage,] Cenza said genuinely cheerful.

Immediately Zenara’s eyes went big and she turned to Cenza. [We gotta make sure you and all your friends have comfy beds!]

Violet gave a small smile to Zenara before looking at me. The smile went away, but she didn’t look as… willing to slice me to shreds with her tongue as she did other humans. “I presume you are prepared?”

“Yes, we are,” I stopped mid sentence when I remembered what Amethyst had told us yesterday. I felt a bit awkward, but I decided to give it a go. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I was feeling pretty conflicted yesterday and a bit out of it. I’m all in now.”

[Pssst, you’re forgetting something,] Cenza not subtly mind whispered to me.

“Sigh…. I’m not saying that , but I will say this,” I stared into Violet’s eyes. “I respect your determination to help Pokemon. You make a… difficult first impression, but I think you’re a good person. The way you look at Pokemon even reminds me of the rangers a bit and everyone trusts them.”

The whole time I’d been speaking, one of her eyebrows kept raising. At this point I was concerned if it was still attached to her face. “This is abrupt.” 

I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly. “Let’s just say I had a bit of a midnight revelation. Even Donut and Lou like you and their standards are in totally different places.”

Lou sputtered at the inclusion of his name. [General please!]

Donut popped out of the bag. [Come on now, Lou, don’t be shy.] Donut then began staring intently at Violet before continuing. [Oh, your eyes are really pretty, Violet. I’m impressed.]

[Oooh lemme see!] Cenza popped out as well and her eyes practically glowed. [I didn’t notice yesterday, but they are so beautiful! They remind me of the flower! Lou, aren’t they nice?]

Lou grumbled a bit before answering. [I will admit the intensity and knowledge behind those eyes is admirable. Weaker quarry would crumble if she were to glare.] He turned to Cenza before continuing. [Now that is a far better and more informative compliment than simply calling them ‘pretty’ or ‘flowery’ I might add.]

[Excusez-moi! Your compliment is far too rugged and… weird. Is that even a compliment?] Cenza genuinely asked Donut who was visibly shocked. [Uh, Donut?]

[Wow, I… Usually the best compliments he gives are ‘You did not break as easily as I thought’ or ‘I almost had to try’. Granted there are some exceptions, but I am still surprised,] Donut shrugged, obviously amused.

Lou began sputtering and squirming in my arms even more at that as the three of them bickered. The whole affair was exceedingly amusing to me frankly. I had always imagined that the reason why Lou doesn’t always go off the rails is because Donut keeps him tempered with sass and apathy. Who knew I was right?

[Thank you, truly.] We turned to see Violet bowing to them. Not me of course, but them. Regardless, I was shocked. [I do not take myself as worthy of such praise from ones such as yourselves, but I thank you all the same.]

Amethyst bumped Violet’s leg with a paw, grinning. [Toldja more’n me thinks you’re cool.] She was then swept up in a hug from Violet, which she gladly returned.
Zenara meanwhile was jumping in joy. [Yay you made up! Now we can kick bad guy butt together and not fight over dumb things!]

Violet nodded, gently setting Amethyst down and showing she was crying. “Indeed.” She then gazed at us all. This time though, she looked even more neutral than before. Not in a bad way, in a more… relaxed way. “Let us go. I intend to save Cenza’s friends and bring justice to Benedetto with you all by nightfall.”

“You’re right, this ends today. By our hand,” I smirked, feeling truly confident and uplifted once again. I had slept off the stress from yesterday, ready for anything today.

The Pokemon on my side seemed a bit stunned by Violet’s sudden display, but were quickly stirred by my declaration. [Yeah, you’re both right… we’ll save them all.] Donut’s expression was oddly determined which was funny to see on his sleepy adorable face.

Lou bzzted in gleeful glory. [Our camaraderie is leagues beyond whatever those cravens can muster! They shall all fall in the end, with our compatriots rescued!]

Cenza looked at everyone before giving them all a big smile. [Thank you everyone. None of you had to do this, especially since I can’t even help you all that much. I’ll do my best though to keep sending bonne vibes!]

Violet simply shook her head. [You did more than enough simply by escaping. It falls to us to carry the torch you passed to us now.] She motioned her head towards the town. “Come, let us find the specific corruption we are looking for within this monument to human avarice.”

One of the passengers walking by us on the train station glanced at Violet and gave her a very odd look. She paid them no mind. I nodded in agreement as we began making our way off the train platform. 

Highshire, here we are.

~xxx~

As Topaz, Violet and their Pokemon companions made their way off the train station one the passenger that had just walked by continued on their way pondering why two vagabonds had bothered to visit this particular town of all places. Immediately disinterested with the notion of conversing with rapscallions so early in the morning they continued walking down the platform till an ominous giggle gave them pause.

“Children should be seen, not heard,” She muttered to herself, clutching her luxury purse.

“What if the children can only be heard and never seen?” Whispered a cold voice next to the woman’s cheek. A white hand appeared on the woman’s right shoulder, clenching it tightly. “What does that make me, miss?”

“ Ghost! I abscond you, I deny you, I beseech you! Arceus take me!!!” The lady shrieked in panic, gaining many confused onlookers as it appeared to them a grown woman was throwing a tantrum on a train station.

“They say the mind is the first to go.”

“Who let her out without a caretaker?”

“Come dear, we are witnessing a mental breakdown.”

“Arceus may not take you today, but a showgirl has to take fair payment. No?”

The woman ceased her shrieking at that line. She began surveying the area in a sweaty panic, ignoring all the onlookers actively calling her crazy. When she went to clutch her purse again she found it was missing.

“What in the name of? Which wretch stole my purse!? ” The woman began stomping the ground in seething rage, her entire face turning red. Meanwhile a young girl and woman made their way off the platform, concealing their giggles.

“That was perfect ! Great job, Hecate! Galena, you’ve got to teach me how you did that!” The young girl skipped with an infectiously cheerful step. She wore a black and purple witch’s costume, complete with a large hat and witch’s satchel. The only somewhat out of place part was a large, fluffy stylized orange and deep brown tiger striped scarf with white ends. Next to her a Misdreavus appeared giggling madly.

“Practice, quick fingers and some know-how are all you really need.” The woman was wearing a long sleeved dark gray shirt, navy blue jeans with the knees worn to holes, a brown leather belt, steel toed pitch black combat boots and was twirling a Munchlax capsule between her fingers with practiced ease. “A shame really, capsules make getting away with it almost too easy.”

“That’s okay, Hecate can make any situation exciting!” The young girl praised her ghost companion who preened under the compliment. “Hopefully that boy makes it a bit more fun. Oooh, can I pickpocket him?”

The woman just put a hand on her shoulder. “Not just yet Jubi. Dramatic timing, after all. Someone has to teach the boy that shouting about secret plans on a train platform isn’t the smartest life decision he’s made. I’ll handle it if it’s anything major, but otherwise? I’ll let you know when you can go for it.”

The young girl pranced with delight before hugging the woman. The hug caused her hat to fall off her head, but Hecate caught it with her own head. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been practicing my dramatic entrances too! Watch this,” She jumped and made finger guns at some poor confused bastard. “Your ass is grass, mister!” 

The man looked beyond concerned and confused, but one look from the woman was enough for him to know he should leave as fast as he could. He practically scrambled away in fear and the girl jumped for joy.

“I did it! I made my first dramatic entrance! I can’t wait for the next one.”

The woman just smiled warmly, ruffling the girl’s hair. “Just remember to do it after you pickpocket him, not before. A dramatic entrance is made all the more dramatic if you’re holding something of theirs over their head.”

“Oooooh! You’re so smart Galena! I wonder if I should write this down? Nah, we’ve got it! He’ll never see it coming!” The girl giggled once again as she began playing hopscotch on the tiles of the train station. “To steal from a big bad man like Benedetto right from under our noses too? Risque!”

The woman shrugged. “No big deal if they can’t even hold onto it, right?” She spun the man’s hat around a finger before putting it on with a smirk. “And we can make a couple detours along the way. You can practice your skills on all these gutless blokes.”

“Jubilee is on the case!” She saluted. She waved her hand in the direction of Hecate and her hat flew off with a sparkly trail before landing neatly on her head. “Hecate and I will show him we’re super duper serious. Whatever Dispetto wants, Dispetto will get.”

~Chapter 15 Fin~

Chapter Text

Topaz and company have arrived in Highshire Town, home of the Pokemon Mansion, in order to track down Benedetto. With a renewed vigor and stronger camaraderie, they begin to search for his base. Unknowingly they are being tracked by two unknown individuals. What a mess.

~x1x~

Location: Highshire Town

Highshire Town, south of Hearthome, built around the esteemed Backlot family. I’ve never been here, but it appeared about as extravagant as I expected. The estates were plenty large so while it was a spacious town, it was not a populous one. 

Rather than typical stores you would see anywhere else the streets were littered with designer fashion stores and high-end mini supermarkets. Typical uppity, expensive crap. I passed by a bakery and even a cursory glance was enough for me to recognize it as overpriced nonsense compared to the authenticity of my Alolan family’s bakery.

The locas we saw sat at luxurious cafes drinking their lattes, walking their groomed Furfrou, or carrying their Snubbul in purses. Otherwise, besides a few foraging Starly, the lack of wild Pokemon was unnerving to me.

It’s like they can smell elitism. 

[Oh look, a Donut!] Cenza pointed in the distance and spied a Pikachu climbing up a tree to retrieve an apple.

[Where?] Donut burst out of the bag before realizing what she meant and promptly slumping back in feeling lied to. [Oh. It’s just another Pikachu.]

“And of course you’re disinterested,” I lightly laughed. 

The Pokemon Mansion (not to be confused with the one in Celadon City) is known for being the estate that guards the Gracidea Garden (formerly known as the Trophy Garden before they decided that was objectifying Pokemon and changed it), a small lush paradise where many Pokemon come to raise their young before heading off. Some of the most elusive Pokemon in the region reside here, well guarded against wandering trainers and poachers. 

The Pichu line is a very rare species, typically appearing in one location in each region. In Sinnoh, they are predominantly located at the Gracidea Garden, but I’ve seen a couple around Sunyshore over the years. The family that guards it has made an agreement with the League to protect it as a Pokemon sanctuary, so now only trustworthy trainers with proper credentials can even think about entering.

It is also one of the first locations to have Porygon released into the wild as well as being a decent place to find the elusive Eevee. Apparently, Gracidea flowers grew there hence the name.

Suddenly I remembered something Volkner told me ages ago. “Hey Donut, your mother was caught at the Gracidea Garden. Maybe we’ll see some of your relatives?”

[Mmmm, I think I’d rather stop and eat those gourmet donuts that bakery is selling.] Donut’s eyes were firmly focused on donuts we did not have the time (or money, yeesh) to buy. [Anyway, ummm I dunno. I never met them, who knows if they were caught too?]

Zenara looked at us curiously. [Would they wanna? Cynthia’d make sure they can’t if they didn’t wanna be, right?]

[My mother was caught before Cynthia did her whole thing. She told me she went with Volkner because she saw Roland sapping electricity from a generator and she was curious. After getting a taste, she followed them out of the garden. If our relatives are anything like that, then they prolly did the same. As they should.]

“Oh? So being a glutton runs in the family?” I inquired.

Donut pouted. [We all have our vices. I have pastries, you have books. Yours is nerdy and boring though.]

I sputtered at his accusation, putting a hand on my chest in fake indignation. “ Excuse me for seeking out more knowledge. Not all of us can only think about our next meal and nap” 

We both laughed at my theatrics before continuing on. “Anyway, I doubt we’d see them around here anyway. Volkner got permission to enter deep into the garden which is where he found your mother, so the rest of them are probably still there.”

[It is best they remain there for their safety.] Violet spoke mentally without looking up from her tablet. [The follies of mankind do not end with weeding out Benedetto.]

[Whatcha mean?] Donut asked.

Amethyst gave a smirk. [If Benedetto’s holed up around here, then there’s gotta be someone who hired him in Highshire. We can get rid of him well enough, but there’d still be whoever it is who thinks it’s okay to hire a smuggler. So we need to get to the root of the problem.] She rolled her eyes. [Okay, a root of the problem. It’s Highshire . I figure there’s fifty of those roots. We just gotta find the one that has Benedetto’s ugly mug carved into it.]

Cenza hid deeper within my bag. [Is Highshire full of bad humans?] Cenza glanced towards Amethyst for an answer.

She motioned her head to Violet, who simply spoke mentally. [They are humans with large sums of money who would rather hoard it than use it for a good purpose. It is the same as if a Pokemon were to hoard a berry tree for themselves. Except for humans, it is for greed rather than survival. At absolute best , they are disgustingly ignorant. What is far more common is that they know such money could be utilized to help progress the world towards one that treats Pokemon properly, and they choose to keep it for themselves. Because in their eyes, the world can burn so long as they remain away from the flames.]

I focused before I began speaking mentally with everyone else. [Must be why they chose to live next to the Great Marsh, but with easy access to Hearthome. Isolated, but close enough to luxury.]

[Exactly. They have segregated themselves from everyone else to secure their secrets.] Violet sighed. [Unfortunately, I have not fully implemented a subsurface sonar into my tablet, so I cannot simply search for the tunnel that leads towards the Great Marsh from aboveground. Which leaves us with either haphazardly searching the Underground, or violently interrogating the humans aboveground to weed out our target.]

I noted how Lou perked up at the mention of interrogation and decided to hold onto him a wee bit tighter.

Bad soldier bug, bad.

Cenza hesitantly peeked out and began looking around. [Ummm, none of the humans around here smell like any of the kidnappers. They all smell… fine. Their vibe is harmless. So I don’t think this is the right area.]

Smell? Can she smell goodness since she’s a fairy? I should look into that later.

Amethyst pointed towards the main town. [They’d be thataways. The garden is north of us, we’re on the edge of the northern section of Highshire. The town’s that way for the same reason there’s a several mile gap between the Sanctuary and the rest of Pastoria. Humans aren’t allowed to build anything within a certain range of any Pokemon sanctuary.]

[This town contrary to the large estates isn’t really all that large or populated. If Cenza keeps uhhh, smelling the crowd, we should be able to find some bad apples connected to Benedetto,] I added.

This is a lot like a Manectric sniffing out a suspect. Exciting!

Zenara’s eyes widened and she hopped in place a bit. [Oooh, wait wait wait, what do the bad humans smell like? Do they smell like bad apples? Can we sniff them out if they smell like those bitter herbs Roland keeps telling me I need to eat?]

[Bitter herbs? Hmm, well I don’t like bitter things. The bad humans did kind of smell bitter though, like ganlon berries, yuck.] Cenza stuck out her tongue at the thought of one. [I’ve never really thought about it too much.]

Amethyst just smiled. [Just let us know if you smell that. Let’s just hope it’s not drowned out by bad cologne and perfume.]

[I’ll do my best! No worries though! People's scents and good scents feel way different to sniff. I won’t get confused!] Cenza announced proudly. She sniffed a bit more before pointing down the street. [I kinda smell something over there. It smells kinda weird.]

Lou snorted. [Onward then!] 

~x2x~

We followed Cenza’s nose till we reached a town plaza. Most of the people there were dressed in high-end suits or dresses, with prim and proper Pokemon standing by them. Cenza scrunched up her nose once we got close enough.

[All these humans… they all smell so… greedy,] She hid back into my bag. [Not as bad as the kidnapper, but close. Be careful.]

[If you don’t mind me asking Cenza, why did you not inform us of this ability earlier?] Lou asked which I honestly had to agree with. Would’ve made looking around the resort easier.

She looked down ashamed. [Mes excuses. My nose wasn’t working too well yet and I was tired.] 

I patted her on the head and Lou voiced his own apologies before I turned back to the scene ahead of me.

So now instead of interrogating rude teenagers, we need to interrogate possibly criminal rich people. This can’t get much worse can it?

At that moment, I heard some rich guy yelling. I turned to see a well-dressed man, with Voltorb fashioned cufflinks sitting at an ornate table with an iced tea next to him. He was looking angrily towards a Marill, who was clearly scared and backing away slowly. They looked to the approaching trio of Violet, Amethyst and Zenara (who was already sparking) worried. 

A purplish glow surrounded her as she was picked up gently and put next to her and Zenara, the two conversing while Violet stared- no. Daggers doesn’t do it justice. Stared a whole armory’s worth of Aegislash at the man.

“I take it you enjoy the visage of Voltorb."

He straightened his shirt before smiling self-importantly. “Yes, they are quite-”

“Interesting how you choose to waste your funds to have a human recreate an orb that looks distinctly like a Pokeball in direct response to humans using them so much. Tell me, has the slightest signal bounced between all two neurons within your cranial cavity that perhaps that money should go towards helping the affected Pokemon and not satiating your own desires?”

He looked genuinely taken aback. “Now, listen-”

“Oh I have done more than enough listening,” she interrupted. “I am well aware that you care more for the visage of Pokemon than caring for them as actual beings, as evidenced by how you shouted at a Marill simply for asking for help. You are a weak, cowardly mongrel not fit to walk the same earth as the Pokemon you decry.”

The gardener who was trimming the topiary in the background looked on absently before he went back to trimming.

He obviously isn’t paid enough to interject.

She didn’t even give him time enough to respond before she glanced to a couple who were now looking at her. “And you.” She turned, her eyes boring holes through them. “You walk past this place several times a day, and yet you say nothing. Either you are simply too foolish to understand what is happening in front of you, or you are complicit in such activities.”

The rest of us simply watched as she continued to berate any who got close. 

What is even happening? Should I be helping? 

Lou was eating ALL of this up. I could faintly hear him chant ‘Violence, violence, violence’ in my head. Cenza continued sniffing before she pointed to someone else. [Violet, the person with the Snubbull in her handbag smells even worse.]

Zenara was looking at this whole scene wide eyed and with a huge grin on her face as Violet turned to the person Cenza pointed out, and if she’d looked hateful before? She looked livid now. The woman actually took a step back, half expecting a portal to the Distortion World to open up beneath her and suck her through. And I couldn’t blame her, really.

“As for you . Are you simply one of the humans most inept at anything resembling common sense, or do I presume correctly. You do not have the Snubbull with you in a Pokeball, not because you actually care for their well being. No, you have them in a handbag because you wish to tout about what you see as a trophy to those around you.” She crossed her arms as her gaze darkened like thunderclouds looming. 

“Because as it is plain for all to see, quite possibly any natural habitat on Regiearth would be more hospitable to them than your sorry establishment. Calling you a toxic individual would be an insult to Muk the world over, as at least they do something important with their lives rather than simply lounging about like a self-important human .”

Snubbull actually looked enlightened by Violet’s words before they scrambled out of the bag, scattering the innards all over the ground and made their way over to Marill and the rest of us. The woman who was just flamed looked like she had just been assaulted as she took a step back in genuine fear. Her eyes were a cry for help.

Violet’s bad side is scarier than the Mankey that threatened to rip us apart.

I tried to get Violet’s attention, but she was already verbally assaulting some poor bastard who coughed at the wrong time. Everyone in the plaza had begun staring at us and I swear I could hear someone laughing in the background, although I don’t know who. Cenza meanwhile was sniffing the air before she nearly launched herself out of the bag.

[Violet! That man in the back! The one who is trying to leave! He smells like a kidnapper, like Benedetto!]

She turned to face him, clearing her throat in a way that rumbled like oncoming thunder causing the man to turn around in fear. 

“Precisely when did you decide that leaving would be acceptable? Unless , perhaps, you have something to hide. You are afraid. Not only have you complied with the disgusting actions of this town , you have decided that you are more . You have decided that simply amassing wealth that could be far better used anywhere else is not enough. No, you have decided you need to deal in lives . No. You see your own wants, your own selfish desires as far more important. Tell me I am wrong. Look me in the eye and tell me you are not a shining example of what makes humanity so foul. ”

The man fell to the ground and began scrambling back in fear. It was as though out of sheer anger her voice parted the crowd and caused him to be sent scrambling on the ground. All he could do was stammer, sputtering out unintelligible gibberish. I noted he was a portly, older man; he couldn’t outrun us if he tried. 

His face became a bright tomato red out of sheer anxiety at being incapable of looking into her eyes, but what I was truly paying attention to was his two hands reaching for his belt. I whispered to Lou orders and with perfect aim he shot a String Shot at our target, confining him to the ground and his hands away from his Pokeballs.

Several people in the crowd backed up at the sight of a Pokemon actually ‘attacking’ someone and several began reaching for their bags and purses, likely to call the local police.

[We got who we need, let’s move him elsewhere before police arrive,] I spoke into Violet’s mind.

[In a moment. Until necessary, I am going to make certain as many humans have their fragile worldviews shattered as possible.] She began walking towards the man, who was now squirming in fear and attempting to get away.

I watched several more people reach for their phones and begin speaking, pointing at us, likely describing what we all look like.

This was fun, but the show’s over. As strangely entertaining as this all is, we can’t spend all day doing this.

[Violet, they’ll get their due some other day. They don’t matter, the mission does. Remember our priorities.]

She stopped, sighing. [Fine. Though I will hold you to your word about the League being good at rooting out corruption.] She took out her tablet and tapped a button on it. In a flash, a large pulse of electricity shot outwards in a sphere. The street lights flickered, even though it was daytime and the people in the square were now looking at their phones confused. [Amethyst, would you please?]

[‘course,] she chuckled, [though it would’ve been fun to watch them lose their shit even more.]

And then the same vertigo from before struck as we warped, ending up in a dark alley with the portly man. After I recovered my senses I shook my head and looked up from the ground.

[An EMP? Really?]

She shrugged. [It will leave any devices that track teleportation inert within the radius. Not to mention that it is a distraction. Without a call about specifically what happened, any private police will investigate that area first. Which gives more time for the teleportation residue to dissipate, and thus makes us harder to track.]

Zenara groaned. [But what about beating up bad guys! They were all bad guys, we could take ‘em!]

Violet glanced to my bag, where Cenza was. [Usually, I would be more than happy to assist in dragging out all the selfish humans. However, we have Pokemon to save. Perhaps later we can come back and rain hell.]

[Yes, later.] I sighed before turning back to the man squirming in the String Shot. When we made eye contact he tried to scream for help and then Lou filled his mouth with a wad of web once again. Luckily not over his nose, but he did not enjoy all of that. “Yeesh. We need you to talk, so it’d be great if you didn’t scream the whole time. Unless you like web balls in your mouth?”

[I can spit much worse than web,] Lou threatened glaring at the man who shirked in fear at the little bug. Donut hopped out of my bag and stood next to Amethyst, they began attending to the Marill and Snubbull from earlier.

“You can try and hide it, but we know you’re one of Benedetto’s contacts,” I informed the man who went wide eyed before searching his pockets for his license and name. “Duran eh? So Duran, you carry a scent so foul fairies can find it. Tell us where to find Benedetto and we won’t… uhhh.”

Violet simply gave me a look before glaring back to the man, who immediately started giving muffled screams. “Or else you will have no one to hide behind. I have far more ways to make you remember what you have done than simply forcing you to be aware of it.” She pulled out her tablet again. “Perhaps a demonstration?” 

“As you can see, my comrade here has no issue doing… whatever she plans on doing to you and worse. But if you agree to talk, maybe we’ll be nice-r?”

Duran stared at the tablet as though a laser would come out before nodding slowly in my direction. At that I decided to cautiously remove the webbing from his face, causing him to gag before looking at the two of us.

“So? Speak. What route do you have to Benedetto? We know someone in this town has it, so if it’s not you.” I gestured to a growling Lou. “You’ll tell us who.” 

“Y-You kids shouldn’t get involved with Benedetto. I dunno what he did to you, but you’re b-better off forgetting about it,” The portly man stammered.

All I could was sigh as Lou leaned in closer, snapping his pincers. Meanwhile, Violet just raised an eyebrow. “At which point did we allow you to dodge the question?” She tapped a button, and her tablet began to whir ominously.

I decided to try again. “Rather than worry about the future, I believe your present seems to be in a great deal of danger. Let’s try again. What route do you have to Benedetto?”

He gulped in fear of the dangerously ominous sound emerging from Violet’s tablet before speaking. “There’s… an underground passageway leading to Benedetto’s rendezvous point. It’s where he unloads the Pokemon he gets from other regions while he’s in Sinnoh. Then he begins dispersing them to whoever requests them…”

I rubbed my chin. “Why base himself so close to Highshire?”

“The Great Marsh is one of the best places to hide, as even trainers aren’t exactly jumping at the bit to wallow in waist deep freezing bog. That’s only part of it though…” His voice trailed off. Hesitation seemed to stop him. I turned to Violet.

She pressed another button, and the symbol on the back of her tablet shone harshly. Then the clicking of various mechanisms could be heard as an even, feminine voice spoke. “Disintegration ray online. T-minus thirty seconds to full charge.”

What the fuck!?

“Okay okay I’ll spill everything! Turn it off!” He begged. 

She simply raised an eyebrow. “You have proven more difficult than required. It stays on until you elaborate.”

“Fine fine, I’ll tell you! Benedetto only came back to Sinnoh with his biggest batch of Kalos Pokemon because he wants to amass enough money and favor to join some syndicate in Highshire!” He rattled off quickly. 

Syndicate? What? Like the Ribbon Syndicate?

“I don’t know all the details. I’ve got money for sure, but Benedetto already sniffed out my dirty laundry. I work for him because I have to and because he wants my connections. He wants to be the new Hunter J, to join the big boy table of international criminal activity. This syndicate is apparently his way in, but I swear to Darkrai I don’t know anything else about it!”

I processed the information before mental speaking. [It sounds like he’s more ambitious than we thought. It’s not just money he wants, he wants power. Recognition.]

Violet continued to glare at the man. [Indeed, as is the case for many humans. However, he has danced around one vital piece of information.] Her eyes narrowed. “Answer this correctly and you will leave alive. Where is the tunnel that connects to Benedetto’s base? Be precise .”

He shivered at her words before speaking. “We rent a small storage facility that’s out of town and offroad a little bit. We dug a tunnel in the Underground to create a consistent path to the rendezvous point and the city. There’s a steel hatch covering up the hole, but you can just dig around it and follow it to Benedetto’s base.”

While that was all useful I had another question. “What types of cages is he using to store all the Pokemon? How does he transport them without Pokeballs?”

Duran squirmed before answering.“The old fashioned way, they sedate the Pokemon and transport them via trucks. The Pokemon in the cages are constantly guarded and kept in high quality cells, not easily broken by attacks from the interior. Benedetto shelled out some cash to attach teleportation devices to the cages so he can warp them between the rendezvous point and his submarine.”

“Submarine? I see…” 

Makes sense. Depending on the size of the submarine I could see how he could transport all these Pokemon from region to region without getting caught. I’ve heard Hunter J has some sort of elite airship. This must be of similar stock.

“There’s a catch though. In order to warp all those Pokemon, it needs time to initialize otherwise it’ll get… messy. So even if he wanted them back on the submarine, it’d take a bit. I dunno how long, by the way! If he catches wind of you kids running hell through one of his bases, he’s leaving the region with all the Pokemon he can take and I don’t think he’s coming back!”

“Hmmm.” There was a lot to take into account here. This secret syndicate, Benedetto’s true ambitions, warping cages and an elite submarine. “Good thing we won’t let him leave then. Tell us the address of the warehouse.”

He rattled off the details and Violet input the information into her tablet. She clicked a button and the whirring stopped, along with the light blinking out. The man sighed in relief before Violet grabbed him by the collar and suddenly he looked even more terrified.

“You may believe that we would be better off avoiding Benedetto. I am going to require you to use that feeble mind of yours. Imagine for a moment that I cut out your tongue, and we warp you to Unova’s wilds. The only ones around are Pokemon who you cannot communicate with past gestures. You do not know where you are, you have no way home, no one is coming for you. Look me dead in the eye. Tell me that preventing that for superior beings is something we should not do. That we should laze about and promote such activities as you have.” She let him go and the silk snapped back into position, slamming him back into the pavement.

[Lou.] I nodded to him and while the man was reeling from the pain of colliding into the ground, Lou promptly knocked him out. I reached into his pockets once again to take his phone.

“Whatever dirty laundry he has on his phone is now ours. Can’t wait to expose his ass,” I said, smiling slyly. “Now we’re another step closer.”

Amethyst nodded. [We’re close. All we have to do now is get going and Violet can fire her ‘disintegration ray’ at all the Benedetto goons.]

I squinted at them both suspiciously. “That’s… not actually a thing, is it?” 

Violet shook her head, putting away her tablet. “Not even remotely. I simply increased the fan speed, made the blazon glow, played stock tinkering noises and used text to speech.” She motioned towards the now unconscious man. “However, he did not know that.”

[Resourceful use of your abilities, Violet! Your interrogation skills are an example to us all!] Lou congratulated Violet.

She bowed to him immediately. “I do not believe it was all that, but I thank you for the praise.” She looked to him directly. “I could make such a ray, but I do not make weapons. As was clear, the threat of a fake weapon can be more real than any actual weapon.”

“They do say we fear the unknown most of all,” I pondered. “Anyway, how close is the warehouse to us?”

“Barely even a hike. Amethyst, would you like to be held on the way? So you do not expend energy you do not need to.”

She just laughed. [Weird way to ask if you want a hug, but sure!] She levitated herself up into Violet’s arms, Zenara bouncing beside her.

“Where did Marill and Snubbull go? Actually where is Donut?” I had noticed all three had vanished ever since we had begun interrogation.

[Ah, good you all finished up,] Donut announced, sauntering in on all fours. [I escorted Marill back to her parents. They welcomed Snubbull into their family with open arms. Another happy ending thanks to moi.] Donut made his way back to my shoulder before squeezing into my bag.

“Now you’re speaking French? I laughed before scratching his chin and stepping over our victim. We were being oddly casual since we were leaving an unconscious man in the middle of an alley, but… for some reason I wasn’t concerned. We were about to tackle a dangerous smuggler in his own headquarters. What are the posh police compared to that?

~One Hour Later~ 

It was a longer walk than expected. Just as Duran said, we had to leave town and navigate through some bog to reach the warehouse. On the surface it didn’t really look that interesting, a bit rundown, but otherwise average.

“Can you sense anyone inside, Amethyst?” I asked. Donut and Lou have their own unique sensory abilities, but few could compare to a psychic’s.

She shook her head. [Nope. They’re probably all at the base trying to get outta here as fast as they can. Which means we gotta be faster.]

Violet paused a moment and looked to Zenara. “I am sorry that it has taken this long, but if you see a human from this point on? Feel free to attack.”

Zenara just looked at her and me. [Cuz we’re only gonna find bad guys from now on, right?]

“Remember the goons who attacked us on Route 214? We’ll be seeing more of them. Please attack on sight,” I seconded.

Tired of getting ambushed. I bet Volkner doesn’t get ambushed.

[Finally! Zenara, it is our time to fight side by side and eliminate all who stand in our way!] Lou announced.

She squealed in delight and saluted with her tail again. [Let’s go kick bad guy butt Lou Lou!]

I smiled at their cute little exchange before walking towards the warehouse’s side door. I tried to open it, but it wouldn’t budge. “Huh. It’s locked. Lou?”

[Lou smash?]

“Lou smash.”

Lou hopped out of my arms, readied his pincers and charged straight through the door sending it flying into the warehouse. We all entered casually as we began looking around. Nothing particular conspicuous, just a warehouse with some crates and tools. In the center of the warehouse floor there was a steel hatch.

It’s screaming secret tunnel.

“This must be what he was talking about, definitely looks plenty big enough to fit a truck. There should be some mechanism to open it, but… Lou can always just dig a path for us.” 

Amethyst grinned, stepping forwards. [No need. I’ve been looking forward to wrecking some of Benedetto’s stuff.] Her ears unfurled, a harsh purple light surrounding the hatch before there was a horrible grinding sound. The hatch was crushed and mangled into a tiny ball of scrap metal, dropping down once she was done with it and leaving a heavy thud on impact. She just gestured towards the now open hole. [One hatch door closer to wrecking his shit.]

Okaaaaaaay, the Pokedex wasn’t kidding about Meowstic’s ability to grind down ten ton trucks.

Where she tossed the scrap metal left a twelve inch trench that kept going down. I peered down the hole to find an incline leading to a path filled with lamps. We began making our way down the tunnel when I remembered something important.

“Oh yeah, uh, I forgot to mention earlier, but in the warehouse by the resort. We found a Key Stone and this device called a Snag Machine in one of the crates. The grunts seemed adamant on getting them back to Benedetto, so I think they’re important to him. You know about Snag Machines?” I asked Violet.

Her face wrinkled up in disgust at the mention of it. “I am familiar.”

“So you know they come from Orre. Sounds like Benedetto has been there recently. I wonder if he’s trying to sell this to whatever syndicate he’s trying to join,” I pondered the possibility.

He’s a man fueled by greed, not just money, but power. He worked for the most skilled Pokemon hunter in the world and has now moved on. He’s not a man to settle for being a part of the best, he wants to be the best. What can this syndicate do for him that he risks everything he has coming here? It has to be more than simply accessing better clients. Does he want to capture legendaries for more money?

“I highly doubt it,” she spat out. “He would likely rather hold onto it. After the initial distribution of them in Orre, Pokeball code was extensively updated to reinforce them against such devices. The last functioning portable one was stolen some time ago and yet he holds another. Is it fully functional?”

“According to the code it works well enough, albeit it’s not perfect. I looked into them a bit more and apparently most Snag Machines were these huge hulking machines that took awhile to work, but this one is portable and judging by the internal data it should be nigh immediate,” I rambled off recollecting the data I had gathered last night.

I also found out that most of them were destroyed after some more research, making this even rarer. Apparently, a renegade had already done so, whoever they are doesn’t seem to want attention.

She grimaced, her eyes narrowing in thought. “I will look into it myself later. However, for now? It provides perfect leverage. Him losing such a device would not only disqualify him from entering the syndicate he so desperately wants to join, but draw the ire of humans the world over.” 

A small smile crossed her face. “The thought is amusing, but even so I doubt he will willingly leave the region without it. Especially knowing it has not fallen into the hands of the League proper.”

I nodded in agreement. “You’re right. With it we have leverage… I guess the Key Stone must’ve been extra cargo he was able to acquire during his last foray into Kalos. None of us can use it, but it’s better than him having it.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say none of us can use it? Do you not trust in your bond with your partners?”

I was genuinely offended. “No no, of course I do. We just don’t have a mega stone.”

Amethyst grinned, but Violet simply shook her head. “That is not what I meant. Key Stones appear to have more uses than Mega Evolution.”

[Oh you mean that whole empowerment thing?] Donut piped in. [You mentioned that a little bit yesterday, right Zio?]

“A bit, yes, the information on it is limited though. Most mega trainers keep the details of their power secret, though I do believe there’s a professor studying it.”

“That may be the case,” Violet continued, “however from what I have been able to gather, the bond between a human and Pokemon can manifest abilities neither could produce alone.” 

She rolled her eyes. “I doubt the validity of those claims, considering how it is the Pokemon doing the work, but nonetheless. Rangers make use of this phenomenon via Stylers, and a natural ore such as a Key Stone would likely produce similar results. Only more potent, as it is not human-made.”

“So the rangers utilize it too? I didn’t know that… we have a ranger base close to where I live and I see them around from time to time. I’ve even seen them use their capture stylers which was pretty cool, but I haven’t looked as deeply as I’ve wanted into them. The tech is also a trade secret.” 

Her eyes lit up ever so slightly at the mention of a Ranger base. “They are far more in tune with the wants and needs of Pokemon than any trainer region can claim to be. With the slight exception of Sinnoh, due to them having now worked closely with Rangers for a number of years.”

Donut looked at Violet curiously. [Wait? But the rangers are human. You actually like them?]

“A rare breed of human that actually understands their place in the world and treats Pokemon with the respect they deserve. I despise humans, but I am not blind to the actions of a sadly small minority to leave them to the lives they so richly deserve.”

Amethyst laughed a bit. [I like to call it her ‘human until proven person’ philosophy. Rangers, Nurse Joys, Cynthia, they’ve shown they actually care about Pokemon. So they fall in the people category.]

Lou nodded in agreement. [I see no issue with having higher standards. They all have admirable qualities worthy of respect.]

[So… these are the good humans? Nurse Joy did smell very nice,] Cenza chimed in. [That doesn’t sound like a lot though…]

“Your instincts do not lie.” Her eyes narrowed. “Far fewer than humans would have you believe are worth the air they breathe. Most are blind and do not care to listen to the woes of Pokemon.” She turned her gaze to me. “By listening, you already prove yourself more willing to accept the faults of the world humans have mangled into the state it is today than most of humanity.”

My expression grew serious. “I intend on making a difference, some way, somehow. My team and I have been training tirelessly to become a gym trainer at Sunyshore Gym, the strongest in the region. I believe in Cynthia and Volkner, but I don’t want to depend on them for everything. Donut, Lou and I can and will help too. It’s partially why I put so much faith in the League. I believe in what they do.” 

Also Volkner is my uncle. Ignore that crazy bias please.

When she looked at me I swear it felt less ambivalent than before. “Perhaps. Actions speak louder than words in this instance, and you have before you a prime opportunity to show that you are not all talk.”

Rather than get annoyed, I simply smirked. That was Violet’s version of ‘prove your worth’, I knew that very well from Lou. “I’m not one for talking anyway. Plus, I think we’re all a bit too deep to turn back now.”

Donut flicked his ears. [Good because we should all pipe down, I think I see the exit.]

We all immediately stopped talking when we came across a large metal door with a pin system in the corner. Near the ceiling there were some cameras as well. In the distance I could make out the sound of flowing water implying there was an underground river as well, likely due to the fact we are underneath a swamp.

“So, what’s the course of action?” I whispered.

Amethyst just gave Violet a grin, who nodded. She took a few moments to type away on her tablet before she stood up and walked over. “Follow.”

I raised an eyebrow, but followed regardless. Once we got over to the door, with no sound of alarms going off, she took out a small cord vaguely patterned like a Drapion’s tail and connected her tablet to the pin entry pad. She got to work while Amethyst smiled. 

[We’ve done this kinda thing before. Violet makes the cameras loop the past couple minutes of footage, so whoever’s watching them doesn’t think anything’s up. Meanwhile she gets an access point, gets aaaaaall their info, and then we walk through the place while I mess up all the bad guys.]

I wonder how many times they’ve done this before… why have they needed to do this before?

Zenara’s eyes lit up. [So when the door opens, it’s time to fight?] Amethyst nodded, which got a mental [Yesssssss] from Zenara.

[Finally! More violence! I crave a proper challenge for once, everyone we have come across has been inept weaklings,] Lou cheered before hopping out of my arms. [How will I ever test my strength if no one can measure up? I must know if I am worthy of combating injustice.]

Donut rolled his eyes and leaped out of my bag. Cenza hid deeper, in expectation for what’s to come. 

“We’re ready when you are,” I told her.

She nodded. “Let us begin.” She pressed a button and the doors whirred to life, opening automatically. 

Inside there was a grunt shouting orders looking away at the moment. “ Finally, took you long enough. You got those Mankey with you? The boss isn’t-” he stopped as he turned around. “What the hell-”

[FIGHTING TIME!]

~Chapter 16 Fin~

Author’s Note

Oopsie, who put that cliffhanger here?

~x~

Question: Do you like the use of telepathy in Pokemon fanfics?

~x~

Chapter Text

Topaz and his allies have located Benedetto’s rendezvous point and have begun the raid to save the Kalos Pokemon and put a stop to them. Time is of the essence for if they want to avoid this ever happening again they must cull the source: Benedetto himself.
~x1x~
Zenara full on tackled the grunt, sending him tumbling and crashing into a box. Lou charged in right beside her swinging on a String Shot while simultaneously using Iron Defense, turning him into a bug wrecking ball. He slammed into a careless Vigoroth who was sent flying into a crowd of grunts.
Donut sped past their defenses and directly within a crowd to let loose a Discharge, knocking out the humans and weakening the Pokemon enough for Zenara to launch several Shock Waves after them to knock them out.
I took out my combat baton once again just in case anyone got too close. My head was racing and my heart pumping, but not out of fear, from excitement. We were so close to our goal.
“Barrel through everyone in your way! We need to find where they store the Pokemon!” I shouted over the screams of our enemies.
The base itself didn’t look all that special. A glorified Secret Base with advanced equipment and large crates lying around. We were surrounded by rock walls and deep caverns.
Underground lamps were scattered all over leading to countless tunnels. In the distance, I spotted several trucks, small enough to fit through the tunnel and ramp we had traveled through ourselves.
Good, they are nowhere near close to packing everything up. They weren’t ready for this.
Violet had her nose in her tablet, meanwhile Amethyst was flinging any assailants around like ragdolls. She looked to Violet, who nodded towards a door to our left. Amethyst then unfurled her ears once more; stone, steel and scrap hurtling into one gigantic pillar that she then sent thundering through the door. It burst apart like wet paper, several humans screaming from that side as a gargantuan pillar of death went hurtling over their heads. Violet then looked at me and nodded, running towards the now open passageway.
We made our way down the passage, ignoring whatever obscenities the grunts had for us. Our Pokemon followed alongside us, Donut and Zenara dashing, Lou web slinging and Amethyst flying. More grunts began to emerge from other passages alarmed and armed. Zenara charged ahead and began firing off electrical blasts at every grunt in our way.
If a Pokemon managed to emerge from their Pokeball, Lou and Donut dispatched them as quickly as they came with combo attacks.
Whichever enemy that wasn’t taken out by those three was throttled by Amethyst till they stayed down. Her eyes glowing and ears unfurling unleashing the power she had been conserving for today.
She made use of the metal slag she had shredded from the door and began pinning enemy Pokemon to the wall so they’d stay out of the way.
All Violet and I could do was run ahead and stay out of their way. Attacks were flying from all directions, but Violet’s eyes constantly moved between her tablet and the direction she was going. Alarms began to blare for a solid 5 seconds before Violet’s fingers danced across her tablet and the sound ceased. It didn’t really matter as we had no intention of being quiet, but the extra noise was unappreciated.
As we made our way deeper into the base I noted how each path we took was marred with tire tracks and could easily fit the trucks we had seen earlier. I could only assume they had found a conveniently large cavern to convert into a holding cell for all the Pokemon, which was why they were so far away from the entrance.
The deeper we went the more resistance we faced. Although, it wasn’t much to speak of besides forcing Amethyst to throw three boulders instead of one occasionally.
Two Simisear swung in from the darkness launching two Flame Bursts straight towards our party. Amethyst’s ears just twitched as a door was pulled screeching off of its hinges, blocking the Flame Bursts. It then went careening towards the two, forcing them to dodge.
[Gotcha.]
Apparently right where she expected, as their feet were enveloped in a purple glow before they were swung like hacky-sacks right into each other. There was a loud clonk before they fell down, unconscious. As we all ran past them I could hear Violet shout out an apology to the fallen Pokemon before glancing back at her tablet.
She’s really gonna do that for every Pokemon we take out, huh.
Donut pulled me out of my thoughts by voicing his own. [Sheesh, are we there yet? How far did they drive?] Running beside me, luckily looking no worse for wear.
[Not far.] And to punctuate that, she stopped suddenly. Amethyst nodded, ripping off the garage doors to a room on our right.
So this is what a pissed off psychic looks like. I can see why they were so confident they’d need no help, Amethyst’s power is insane.
We made our way inside and the first thing that struck me was the smell. It was as though I was punched in the face upon entry. I thought wet Elektrike was bad, but this took the cake.
The air was tainted by a metallic stench mixed in with thick, unsanitary grunge. When I opened my mouth the taste of blood danced across my tongue before I recognized the familiar smell of ozone and electrical sparks.
The next thing to strike me was what I saw. As expected it was a large cavern littered with stalactites and several Pokemon transport vehicles. There were bioluminescent fungi and moss alongside the man-made light sources allowing us to properly see. Those were what allowed me a proper look at the cages themselves.
There were dozens of cages each of varying size and bars. Multiple Pokemon were entrapped in each one, what I began to notice was by typing. Each cage filled to the brim and they all looked uncomfortable.
Ghost Pokemon were kept within some sort of anti ghost cage barrier preventing them from phasing through.
Aquatic types were compacted into a large aquarium cage with reinforced glass.
Grass and Dragon types seemed to be trapped in a chilled cage, likely to prevent them from using their full power; meanwhile the fairies were within a cage with steel bars, their magic ineffective.
I took it all in at that moment. How many Pokemon were lying in pain with likely infected wounds, too tired to move or fight any longer. Others were up, gathering whatever energy they had left attempting to destroy their imprisonments. Their cages had the biggest dents.
What really got to me were their expressions. They ranged from anger, hate, sadness, defiance and pain. I had never seen so many Pokemon kept in such awful conditions. The idea had always seemed alien to me.
It was one of the worst things I had ever seen. It was one thing to hear about their awful conditions, but to actually see it. To be in the same room with them and imagine how long they had to suffer like that as they were taken from their home and transported to another country. It was sickening. Disgraceful. Vile. It was vile. Benedetto and all of his grunts were vile.
Cenza popped out of my bag and shouted something aloud in Pokespeak, waking me from my stir. Several Pokemon, mainly fellow electric types perked up at the sound before they all got up and began shouting as well. Their cries grew louder as more and more Pokemon realized their time to escape had come.
Among the first to stand up was an exhausted young Fennekin. It took her a moment to gain her footing, but once she had she began scratching away at the cage that confined her, claws glowing with basic energy.
A sullen Chespin began tackling his own cage along with an adamant Gogoat with gashed horns.
In another, I spotted a Noivern who had been huddled with two Noibats begin unleashing a strained Hyper Voice on her cage. The bigger of the two Noibat immediately followed with her own Supersonic, followed by the smaller.
The last I was able to catch was a Clauncher and Bergmite who convinced a timid Froakie to assist them in smashing their prison, fighting through their pain.
Cenza gave a few more rallying squeaks before she mind spoke to me. [Topaz, I’m gonna tell them who the good guys are just in case they get confused. I’ll be right back,] Cenza announced before she jumped out of my bag and began scurrying over to the electric’s cages.
“Cenza wait! Wait for us!” I chased after her only for both our paths to be blocked by two incensed Vigoroth. Zenara leaped in the way of one, the sound of a Shock Wave echoing around the cavern as it impacted both into them. It singed their fur, but not their spirit.
Before they could pursue they were both slammed with flying cage doors encased in purple light. Amethyst’s eyes were wide open, ears unfurled and all around the cavern I could see doors in the process of being wrenched off. The Fennekin from before jumped out the moment her door was off and sank her teeth into the leg of the nearest human.
[Lou,] Violet’s voice cut through, [how far are we from the surface?]
Lou stabbed an incoming Simisage before addressing her. [To use human measurements, we are around 500 feet below the surface.]
Her eyes darted to the floor for a brief moment. [Is there a way for you to detect fresh water in the area? For the water types. And a flood.]
My mind raced back to the flowing water we had been able to hear when we were coming here. It appeared the memory dawned unto Lou as well judging by his facial expression. [The ground becomes moister the closer you dig to water. I know of a nearby water source we can divert to this cavern. I can acquire it before you would even miss me,] He proudly proclaimed.
Violet quickly pointed towards a wall, closer towards the water types and further away from where the freed Pokemon were congregating. [Can you create the exit within twenty feet of that point?]
Lou grunted in affirmation before he swung over the entire battlefield, began spinning like a drill mid descent and dug his way through the earth faster than I had ever seen him.
[Major Donut!] His mind shouted.
Donut zapped at the cage of the normal types freeing a colony of Bunnelby before replying. [I’ll keep him safe, just try not to drown, mkay?] Donut said before working towards another cage. Lou simply grunted in response before he went quiet.
[You got this Lou Lou!] came from Zenara, currently electrocuting another cage. While all this was happening, a large haphazard half-pipe of metal was forming itself in midair.
Amethyst gave a cheeky grin. [Topaz? You might wanna move a bit to the right.]
She’s enjoying herself.
I made my way to the right where I spotted one of the guards of the cages slowly getting up after having been hit by a stray zap. I quickly bonked him on the head with my baton, knocking him right back down before turning back to Amethyst.
[All clear!]
Violet nodded, her fingers flying across her tablet. Suddenly, towards where she’d pointed, a truck with a mechanical arm on it roared to life. The headlights shone brightly, though redirected by the gigantic shovel now fused to the front of it. Rubber squealed against stone as it shot forwards, swerving around any Pokemon but conveniently burying a couple of grunts as a large trench was carved behind it. It continued rumbling onwards, skidding through the door and sending a grunt who was about to come in jumping out the way. Then it turned and screeched out of sight.
Violet simply looked at us. [A makeshift riverbed.]
I nodded in acknowledgment before I spied a grunt typing away at a control panel, standing with a limp due to stray shrapnel in his leg. I ran over and swiftly knocked him out before assessing what he had done.
Initiated teleportation procedure!? Flying cage 4 initialized for transfer in 10 seconds?
I looked up to see the cage with the Noivern and Noibats had yet to be opened, but the mechanisms on their cage began to light up. On it was Zenara trying to gnaw it open herself while a Hawlucha went to town on it from their own side.
[Zenara! That cage is going to teleport in 10 seconds!] I mentally yelled into everyone’s minds to alert them of the danger. As fast as I could I took out my own Pokedex and connected it to the mainframe. [I’ll try to delay the rest, but I can’t stop the transfer! It’ll alert you which cages you should prioritize releasing!]
Zenara’s eyes widened, glancing between the cage before she clamped down harder. [I’m going with them! I’ll free them and we’ll zap the bad guys! I don’t really know what a submarine is, but they’re not expecting me to shock ‘em silly!]
I gave her a confident smile and nodded. [Show them how it’s done, Sunyshore style.]
She gave a slight wave with her tail. [You know it! They won’t know what hit ‘em!] The light around the cage began to glow and Zenara bit in deep into the cage to hold on. The captives within looked around in concern at their forced disappearance before the light engulfed them all.
I looked down at the terminal before typing away at my Pokedex.
I can do this. Volkner trained me for this. I won’t let Sunyshore down! I may not be as savvy as him or Violet, but I can still hack. I know what I’m doing.
I found the override program I had made before I left Sunyshore yesterday. The last thing I programmed before I got caught up in this whole mess, with the aid of some of the more experienced programmers at the gym. Praying it would be enough, I had it activate for me to gain some semblance of control over the mainframe.
Come on, come on, come on, yes!
Once I had hacked in I began modifying the settings giving me the highest level clearance allowed in Benedetto’s code and setback all the timers for each function cage as far as I could, considering the mass teleportation could not be interrupted without danger to the Pokemon.
[I did what I could. The next cage is fairy 1, teleporting in 25 seconds.] I alerted the others. [Donut, you’re closest! The base of the cage should have the timer on it. Smash through the pipes with Brick Break!]
[On it.] He affirmed to me before making a mad dash towards the fairy cage.
An Ambipom and two Aipom tried to tail him, but Amethyst had him covered. Some of the mangled remains of cages battered the Aipom away, while glowing rainbow leaves, Magical Leaf, formed from the surrounding rubble and launched themselves at the Ambipom.
Without any distractions, Donut tumbled into a Rollout before his tail began to glow a burning orange indicating Brick Break. The fairies moved to the back of the cage as Donut became a blur before he spun through the entire cage, smashing a giant hole through the steel bars of their cage as he came out the other side, dusting himself off.
All of the Flabebe, Spritzee and Swirlix within tumbled out immediately and began showing their generosity by smothering him with hugs and pixie dust.
Donut tried to pry them off until he began gagging and sparking. [Ack, can’t breathe!]
[Awww, they’re thankful. Don’t shock them.] I chuckled at the sight as Donut managed to pry them all off before telling the weaker ones to hide with Violet and for the strong ones to come help out. The Flabebes whose flowers were still alive were eager to dole out some vengeance for their sisters as they accompanied Donut on his warpath.
[Topaz,] Violet’s voice rang out, [you need to stall Benedetto. Once Lou returns, Amethyst and I will handle the Pokemon. Make sure he does not escape.]
I raised an eyebrow. [Isn’t he on the submarine with Zenara or something? He’s prolly too preoccupied to escape. We just need to follow them.]
She shook her head. [We are destroying this base, but he will attempt to escape and cut his losses. You need to show him that he cannot leave.]
It took me a second to realize what she meant. [The cargo! The Keystone and Snag Machine! He can’t leave without them!]
[Precisely. Make him understand you hold them, and that I hold his receipts.]
His receipts? Okay, I guess.
[I don’t exactly have his number here on this terminal. Where am I supposed to go?]
She pointed to the trench, a grunt slowly sneaking up behind her. [Follow this. I crashed the truck next to the command room.] She then put her tablet in its holster, whipped out a knife and shanked the grunt in one swift motion. [We will handle this.]
Did she just- She has a- No. I can’t keep being surprised by her. Just expect the unexpected and head to the command room.
[I hath returned my General!] As if Dialga themself willed it I heard Lou’s voice echo through our minds once again. He spoke some more, but I was too distracted by the waterfall that began pouring out of the hole he burrowed out of the ceiling before he swung to safety.
The water began filling up the trench, distracting nearly everyone from the battle at hand to avoid being washed away.
[I am Lieutenant Lou and I bring to you the ocean!] He announced with grandiose swinging in midair before landing close to me. [Or swamp I should say. Speaking of water, I am parched. FOR BATTLE!]
I reached into my bag and took out an ether for him to drink and a potion to spray. [That was beyond brilliant Lou! The most badass soldier I’ve ever seen.]
As Lou preened under my compliment, Amethyst destroyed the glass containing the water types while some Espurr were huddled around her. There was more than enough space for them in the river as the water came pouring out, freeing them all in one go and allowing them to enter the fight as they pleased.
We had started out the battle with a severe numbers disadvantage (although our power made that trivial), but now we were backed up by countless tired, but enraged Pokemon. Benedetto’s crew and their Pokemon were being pushed back. Violently.
Cenza made her way back to me, tired and dirty, but more or less unharmed. [I did it. Everyone knows who the good guys are,] She cheered before collapsing into my ready hand as I placed her into my bag.
[Thank you, Cenza, take a breather. Donut, we need to go!] Not too soon after I called Donut came running, breathing heavily, but nothing an ether and potion couldn’t keep at bay. [We’re heading to the command room. I can see you two will have no problem holding down the fort.]
Amethyst looked at me, her eyes glowing. [You know it. Just make sure he doesn’t bolt, I’m kicking his ass today.]
I nodded just as Donut finished drinking his ether. We traversed our way through the battlefield, hopping past defeated grunts and enemy monkey Pokemon. The field had grown bloody, so I had to assume the worst. I wouldn’t blame them if they took some grunts’ lives today.
I passed by Violet who was surrounded by all the Pokemon too weak or weary to battle themselves. Her hands were flying, but not across her tablet. She had a pile of bandages and various Potions, Super Potions and Hyper Potions next to her. Not to mention piles of food, be that cooked or dug up, and plenty of fresh water.
She was feeding some Pokemon berries if they were too afraid of the potions, and she didn’t even look up to pay me any heed. She was just bandaging the Gogoat from earlier and spraying potion on their horns, speaking softly to them as she did so.
They’ll be safe with her.
~x2x~
We made our way down the trench down to where a destroyed truck was laying next to a smashed open cavern entrance. We ran up the rubble into another short passageway checking every door in between till we reached the last.
It was a large, barren room. Just some equipment, a terminal for communications, and a large projector monitor for face to face conversations.
“Okay let’s see if this still works,” I said as I turned it on, waiting for it to connect. “Good. Now let’s see what I can do here.”
I plugged in my Pokedex once again to override the password before looking for the way I could contact Benedetto.
“Where is the ‘call thug boss’ button?” I asked, scrolling the contacts.
[I’d help, but I can’t read,] Donut shrugged. I rolled my eyes and chuckled at his attempt to make light of the situation.
“Lou, what do you think I should be looking for?”
His face scrunched in thought before replying. [He’s on the submarine yes? Try home base or headquarters.]
I nodded before looking in the ‘h’ section until I found ‘Headquarters-Boss’. “This better not be some Kalosian restaurant,” I muttered clicking the call button.
[I hope they do takeout,] Donut joked, once again. Although knowing him, he prolly was legit hungry.
It rang a few more times before a grown man’s frowning face appeared. He was lanky with long black hair, a 5’o’clock shadow, and appeared to be of Kalosian descent. He wore a sherpa-lined long coat over a red shirt. All of it looked familiar until I stared into his eyes. That was when I knew.
The wanted poster didn’t do him justice. He’s uglier in motion.
“Benedetto, so we finally meet.” I spoke even and firm, just as I was trained.
He stared at me in confusion before his frown became an annoyed scowl. “What the hell am I looking at here? Is this a joke? Who are you, kid? How did you get access to this terminal?”
I stared right back at him. “Considering where I am, you should already know. I’m surprised you had the time to pick up considering you’re being attacked from the inside.”
The annoyance began to fade and was replaced by realization. “That’s… impossible…”
I had to smirk at that one. “Tell that to the Mareep that’s attacking your men. It’s not so fun to be ambushed in your own home, is it?”
Benedetto didn’t deign that response with a noteworthy reaction. No, he was different than every other thug I’ve come across the last two days. They’ve ranged from incompetent, exaggerated and useless; frankly I’m amazed they got anywhere at all. It seemed like Benedetto was the only brain in the operation.
“Looks like ya got me, kid. If you wanted to play hero, then congrats. You did it,” He stated plainly before clapping his hands together. “Did you call me for a li’l fun? Or did you want me to know the face of the boy I need to maim?”
The annunciation of ‘boy’ sent a dangerous shiver down my spine. He was livid, but he wasn’t acting as though he lost yet.
“Awww, the big man wants to beat up a little kid,” I taunted him on screen with fake crying theatrics, hamming it up to 11. His clenched fists looked prepared to smash the terminal. “How about I give you a chance? You come out of your little submarine and I’ll kick your ass on sweet, solid ground.”
At that line his expression softened to surprised, and then slight amusement. “You know I never cared much for children, no matter how gifted they claim to be. In relative terms, you’re pretty smart, boy, but on my terms you’re still just a whelp.”
I squinted my eyes at his accusation and so he continued. “When my men reported to me that two children and some mediocre at best Pokemon were ruining everything we had ever worked on a few minutes ago I had wondered if they had lost it. Except ever since yesterday I’ve been getting hacked, screwed and my men arrested. Even my wallpaper was changed to clowns.”
Definitely a Violet touch.
“At each incident though, children were involved. I had prepared for everything, but apparently when the kids in Sinnoh aren’t doing homework, they’re doing the League’s job. I am going to assume you’re intelligent enough to do this: You want me to come back to land, fix everything you ruined and then ambush us with the League or hell defeat me by yourself. Whatever monsters you got on your belts obviously seem to be working overtime.”
“You have no right to say that. The only monsters here are you and everyone loyal to you,” I shot back without hesitation.
He chuckled at that last remark before continuing. “I will admit. You fucked my operation baaaad. I can still rebuild though. My men will beat every creature on this submarine within an inch of its life and we’ll take off to sell them elsewhere. I knew there were risks to coming here and I’ve learned from this experience. I’ll have my chance another day.”
Now it was my turn to smile as I reached into my bag and popped open two capsules. “Are we sure about that?” I asked, equipping the Snag Machine onto my left arm while holding the Keystone.
Once again he held back the majority of his surprise, but I could begin to see the anxiety creep up on him judging by his microexpressions.
The tightening of his lip, the bulge in his eyes and I can practically see his eyebrows trying to remain in control. This bothers him, immensely.
“Before you ask, yes, I do know what these are. Really should’ve put a tracker on the Snag Machine… and get better security, your grunts make this too easy,” I chuckled, flexing my left hand. “Who knew training and practice could make such a huge difference for a combat unit?”
“You little shit,” Benedetto laughed, but his voice was laced with disbelief and hate. “You’re something else. Suppose that’s what I get for not handling the exchange myself… that still ain’t enough to keep me here. I can… live without them. You don’t own me, boy.”
As he continued ranting at me I began plotting out my next move.
Well he’s hesitant, but that wasn’t enough. Violet mentioned receipts? I’ll give it a go.
“Oh really? That’s not all I’ve got,” I chuckled, trying to push down my nerves because I had no idea what the heck I even had. I ushered him to lean in closer to the screen so I could whisper it to him. We both leaned into the speakers before I grabbed the mic and screamed. “I’ve got your receipts, you punkass thug!”
Benedetto jumped back ready to throw hands until he calmed down and glared.
“No… no, you can’t.” Benedetto opened up another tab before he began clicking away. He kept clicking the screen in anger multiple times before he tossed the mouse he was holding at the wall in anger. “How did you get past the security!?”
Uhhhhhh.
“Magic?” I shrugged. Donut raised an eyebrow and Lou had a perplexed look.
I guess she stole something from his database when she hacked into this rendezvous point’s network.
Suddenly, another video window opened up in the bottom right of the screen, glitching into existence. Violet simply had the tiniest smirk. “I must thank you for using your communication system to connect to a compromised network. Congratulations, you are phenomenally stupid. I can now transmit a signal beacon from your submarine. Unless, of course, you attempt to stop us.”
And then the signal cut off.
He squinted his eyes at the screen where Violet had just appeared before calming down. “I see… you kids really wanna do me in, huh? What’d I do, steal your mama’s Purrloin?” He chuckled before focusing his attention back at whatever tab he had opened. “She can’t access the files mid download so I’m safe for a bit. Alright, kid. We’ll play your game. Just don’t cry when I beat you… on second thought. Cry as much as you like, motivates me to kill you harder.”
Lou, Donut and I each gave him our most determined smirks. “Screw you, asshole.”
I cut off the connection before I could bother to get his response and unplugged my Pokedex. I activated its scrub protocol so he couldn’t track me down and gain access to my data before turning back to my team. “That went better than expected. Let’s keep up this lucky streak, alright team?”
“Not so fast, dirtbag!” A squeaky voice interrupted our peptalk causing me to look behind me and at the girl, who looked around my age and the adult next to her. More importantly though… “Are you really all that lucky when you get robbed right under your nose?”
The girl put a finger on her chin in wonderment as she held the keystone ore in her hand before looking up at the woman next to her. “Did I nail it, Galena?”
She smiled, ruffling her hair. “You did. I couldn’t be prouder.”
I looked down at where I had placed the keystone to find it truly was gone. Both Donut and Lou looked equally shocked (pun intended) to find it gone too.
Uhhhhhhhhhh!?
[Are my ears even working today? How did they sneak up on us,] Donut asked, mid attempt of cleaning his ears.
[Naturally we have spies among us. These must be Benedetto’s covert operatives. The scum has even accosted a child to assist in his dirty work, despicable.] Lou grunted.
The older woman, Galena, smiled smugly with several Pokeballs hooked to her belt. “You shouldn’t be so surprised. It’s not the wisest thing to shout about your secret plans on a train platform, little man.”
What is she-? Ooooh, the argument at the resort station. Damnit, I screwed up. Still though, did I mention the keystone? I don’t believe so. Was I really so suspicious it’d give them reason to follow us? No, children fight all the time over dumb crap. They have reasons beyond intuition.
“You two are pretty adamant stalkers to follow me into a smuggler base. Now that you’re here though.” Donut and Lou sensed the hostility in my voice and immediately stood in front of me ready for anything. “We’re not about to let you go.”
She just chuckled. “I’d apologize, but I’m really not sorry. You see, the small fry you’re dealing with right now isn’t really fair competition. We would’ve taken him out ourselves, but why not let you go at it? You’re doing pretty well so far, and even got us a Key Stone as thanks for our troubles.” She looked at the girl. “Jubi, you feel like showing him the gap between a half rate and Dispetto?”
I had to control myself from excessively rolling my eyes at the mention of Dispetto.
“You thugs just keep getting in our way… just accept your failure with dignity and leave us out of it.”
The girl pranced forward and revealed two Pokeballs. She was a black girl around my skin tone and age with curly black hair tied up into two puffs. She was adorned in a purple and black witch’s costume with a satchel at her side. A cheerful, happy go lucky smile was plastered on her face as she waved at me. This girl’s eyes sparkled just like the rest of her outfit. It was like if happiness was a person… but impeding your progress.
“Mmmm, sorry can’t do it!” She smiled right after her half assed apology which incensed me further.
“Can’t wait for your answer,” I exhaled, exasperated.
“Well you see, Dispetto was in the middle of an operation to take out those Benedetto goons at the beach warehouse. Newsflash, we don’t sell Pokemon, that’s messed up! So our guys were going to beat up or kill, whatever worked, everyone mean in there and go crush Benedetto!” She said, slamming her fist into her palm dramatically.
“But then you and your friends came and messed the whole thing up and got our guys arrested. How could you!?” The girl pouted and pointed at me accusingly as though I had spilled her milk.
Donut and I exchanged looks before shrugging in unison. “Uhhh, just like you are doing now, your people got in the way and were arrested. They all got what you deserve, don’t look at us.”
“Pouting, intensify!” She shouted, eyeing me even harder than before.
Uhhhhhhhhh again?
“Are you-”
“Anyway… my friend, Rin, remember the one with the Crustle? She was able to get out, but because of what your team did she’s got a concussion, a nasty scar and her Crustle is gonna need to make a new shell!”
[They were lucky to escape alive considering our combined power!] Lou thoughts echoed through my mind.
[Yeah… they were…] I mentally muttered. I felt a bit worse hearing that and it actually could’ve been a lot worse if they gathered even more power, but… we were just defending ourselves.
Can’t show weakness now.
I crossed my arms. “Good for them, are you done?”
I couldn’t really take her seriously when she pouted like that, but then she suddenly switched to a big smile. “She’s really beating herself up about failing the mission and it’s all your fault. You interrupted the raid, stole the keystone and got them arrested. So, no I’m not done. I’m only getting started.”
She tossed out the two Pokeballs revealing a Misdreavus and a large Mudbray, surprisingly enough.
“I’m Jubilee! Meet my beautiful Hecate and my trusty Merlin! We used her ghost magic to shroud us from all your senses! Even when you teleported in the middle of the city after you kidnapped that fat guy, it took awhile, but we found your trail. By the way, that was hilarious!”
The woman, Galena, smiled behind her at the mention. Donut and Lou’s stances tensed as Hecate the Misdreavus made the most unsettling faces and Merlin the Mudbray stood tall, ready to crush whoever got in his way.
[These people… aren’t normal,] Donut whispered.
[Good,] Lou huffed shifting position. [Maybe they’ll finally put up a fight.]
“I know you’ve got a whole thing going on, but if you can’t beat me here can you really beat Benedetto? Come on, let’s rock’n’roll!” Jubilee began air guitaring out of nowhere before she shouted out commands. “Psybeam Lou, High Horsepower Donut!”
Ugh, she knows our names too of course.
Back in combat mode I began relaying orders. “Dodge with a web sling, maneuver the attack and Tickle!”
Lou aimed for the ceiling and began retracting his line dodging the psychedelic beam. Donut made his way straight towards Merlin, jumping straight over him at the perfect angle before jumping onto his back to begin tickling.
The Mudbray halted abruptly before his body began turning a sheen silver before Donut could even tickle properly. Donut swiftly jumped off realizing the futility of continuing until Merlin shifted his whole body into a side tackle, slamming Donut into the wall. Merlin began running forwards for a follow up attack.
Lou attempted to shoot at his assailant a String Shot to slow him down, but Hecate manipulated the string with some haunted energy to wrap around Lou before screaming in his face with a horrific Astonish, sending him hurtling into a boulder.
Galena was barely even paying attention to the battle, just looking at Jubilee. “Having fun?”
“Absolutely! Winning is the best,” She cheered.
I chose to ignore them and relay my next commands.
Donut knows what to do in situations like this, but fighting a ghost? That’s never easy. Poor match-ups for both of them, but it’s workable if they switch.
“Donut, wake up and spring! Lou show her what a real scream sounds like!”
Before Merlin could smash Donut through the cave wall Donut slapped his electric cheeks creating an intense Flash, momentarily blinding Merlin while giving Donut enough time to scramble out.
Hecate hissed in disdain at the sudden light show, making her susceptible to Lou’s own Screech as she began to wonder if she should use her hair (I’m just gonna call those tendrils hair) to cover her eyes or ears.
Jubilee covered her face with her hat. “Oooooo. Aaaaaa. That’s so bright. How about we try… shadow ball sonata and rock slide roll! Let’s make ’em work for it!”
[Sonata? Roll?] Lou questioned.
“They’re going for combo moves, defensive positions and then counter!” I relayed. Hecate began to sing the most cursed song I had ever heard before several Shadow Balls began forming around her. With each horrific high note she screeched a Shadow Ball was launched at my team, even I had to hide behind some boulders to avoid getting hit.
“Isn’t she the greatest singer? Oh yeah I forgot to mention, sorry not sorry if they accidentally or purposefully hit you!” Jubilee apologized as I somersaulted out of the way of another Shadow Ball. “You’re pretty jumpy. Like a Bunnelby or a Buneary! Hip hop hip hop.” Jubilee sang as I dodged for my life.
Lou shot out a Spiderweb to catch some of the balls, but at the pace she was launching them even that wasn’t enough to stop them all. To make matters worse, Merlin had finished charging whatever he had been building.
He had been amassing the rocks in the room to create a giant boulder. He turned around and gave it a hefty kick at the perfect position sending it careening straight towards Lou, slamming the poor bug and crushing him against the wall.
[Lou!] I shouted as I ran from my hiding place barely noting the shadow balls flying around me. [Lou, answer me! Are you alright?]
[No need for concern, General.] Lou pushed the boulder off him revealing him badly bruised, but his body sheening from his last minute Iron Defense. [Hehehe, finally! An opponent draws blood. Donut, deal with the banshee, my quarry is with the ornery steed.]
[He’s fine. What next?] Donut said as he deflected another Shadow Ball.
I rubbed my chest to erase the near panic I was sent into before accessing the situation.
[She can’t keep up that pace forever. When you find an opening use Quick Attack.]
[Wait. I thought normal moves didn’t work on ghosts?]
[They don’t. Which is why she won’t bother to dodge.]
Donut looked at me understandingly before continuing on. Merlin began to kick over more small rocks and boulders, but Lou flushed them all out of the air with a thick Mud Shot. Upon seeing his attack interrupted the serious Mudbray turned his attention to Lou with a dangerous expression.
“Awww, c’mon Merlin! Enjoy yourself!” Jubilee shouted from the sidelines.
Merlin rolled his eyes and began stomping on the ground as if he was doing a tap dance. “Yay! You go Merlin! Live your best life! We practiced that for ages.”
Is this real life??? Am I really dealing with this?
They were interrupted mid dance when a Mud Shot was doused all over him. Lou stared at him with a deadly look.
[I will not allow my first worthy opponent in the last two days to make light of our battle. I will destroy you, fiend!] Lou shot a web straight onto Mudbray’s chest and with blinding speed reeled himself with glowing pincers, stabbing them directly into his chest.
“Show no mercy, Acrobatics!”
They are dangerous, we’ve got to go all out.
Lou dewedged himself from Merlin’s bleeding chest before he began flipping in the air with an almost unnatural ease. Slicing at Merlin over and over as he tried to get him off.
Meanwhile, Donut finally seized his chance by climbing up several boulders and launching Quick Attack straight through Hecate. As expected, the normal energy did nothing to affect her, but the brief shock wave Donut emitted as he passed through worked wonders. With her paralyzed, Donut was able to let loose a Thunderbolt galvanizing the Misdreavus and causing her to descend.
That’s going well, now how is Lou? Wait.
With each strike he landed on Merlin, his muscles tightened and the wounds became less and less severe.
Mudbray’s ability is Stamina… his defense increases every time he’s hit!
“Lou, immobilize him and stick to ranged attacks!”
“Oh no you don’t, Bulldoze through it!”
Lou covered him in a thick webbing that did indeed impact his movement, but the stubborn Mudrbay simply charged through headbutting Lou straight towards a particularly spiky boulder.
“Lou return!” I took out his Pokeball and recalled him charge forcing Merlin to skid to a halt in surprise.
“Lou use Mud Spin!” I tossed the Pokeball right behind Merlin before he could turn around and Lou immediately torpedoed the ground, lobbing heavy globs of mud all over the Mudbray, each one slamming painfully into his body.
“That’s cheating! Hecate, teach him a lesson!”
Hecate, ignoring the paralyzation, flew straight into the mud shots protecting Merlin with her ability, Levitate and began slowly charging a Shadow Ball. Taking note of her crippled speed Lou launched a ranged Spark causing the attack to explode in her face.
“Thanks Hecate, Merlin, don't waste this chance!”
“Donut, intercept with a charged spin dash!”
Merlin got up shakily before shaking off the mud. His body glowed with brown energy as he made his way over with another High Horsepower. In conjunction, Donut had begun rolling out in place, charging up his spin dash to match up with the larger Pokemon’s superior strength, defense and mass.
When he was finally ready he took off like a bullet, leaving skid marks in wake zooming across the battlefield. Merlin reared up on his hind legs and clashed with his forelegs. Each Pokemon pushed against the other neither giving in. Donut kept on spinning while Merlin kept trying to shove him into the ground.
Unfortunately, neither side was able to claim victory as both Pokemon reeled back due to overexertion, cutting their attacks short and panting heavily, both injured.
Lou and Hecate got ready for their follow up attacks until Jubilee clapped her hands together.
“Okay, I’m done!” She cheered as she tossed away the flan pudding she had been eating into a garbage that I swear wasn’t here before. “That was delicious, does anyone want some?”
“Oh so now you’re done because you were losing?” I taunted. “And when did you start eating that?”
[More importantly, will she share it?] Donut asked.
“Noooo! I’m done because my flan is finished and because you’re not the bad guy here,” Jubilee explained.
My face couldn’t decide on which emotion to land on, so I decided on angry disbelief. “Then why are you getting in our way? We’re trying to stop a smuggler here!”
Jubilee ignored me as she began passing out flan pudding cups to all the Pokemon that participated before coming up to me. We were around the same height and she looked skinnier than me, but I didn’t dare let down my guard around her.
Donut on the other hand was gorging on flan while Lou looked ready to stab her. I was inclined to let him do so in case she tried anything.
She’s too much of a wild card and we already know we can’t get complacent around her team.
“I know and that’s super cool. Saves Dispetto some trouble too, we were gonna shut down this whole operation ourselves and booooy would it get messy. That’s what my big bro says anyway. He says I can’t come along the ‘messy’ missions. Treating me like a baby is so not cool!” She pouted once again before smiling, taking my hand and putting a flan pudding cup in it.
“Remember? Rin’s mission was to recover the keystone and I’m here to complete it. I just wanted to get a little bit of revenge, but you’re better than I thought so I think it’d be silly to have our friends fight so brutally when we both have other stuff to do!”
I looked at the pudding cup and back at her, smiling as usual until she seemed to catch a whiff of something. Jubilee began sniffing the air curiously before she took in a deep sniff of my scent before returning to a knowing expression.
How many crazy girls am I going to meet before the month is over?
I began eyeing Lou for aid, who for some reason had decided now was the best time to ignore me and eat the flan. “What… are you doing?”
“Oooh you smell interesting.” She giggled before bonking my nose. “I should ask you the same thing. I can smell you’ve got potential, but all you do is rely on the Devil. You’ve got so much passion within your soul, but you’ve got to let it loose. Stop thinking so much! Trust your gut and speak from the heart. Show the world how you truly feel. If you can do that Ben-Ben will be cake!” She winked at me. “Open yourself to new experiences and you’ll discover your truest self.”
I stared at her dumbfounded before replying. “And how exactly do you know that? Why the heck do you even think that?”
She waved me over to lean in so she could whisper in my ear. She placed her hands on my ear, leaned in and whispered.
“Magic.” She leaned back quickly as I stared at her quizzically. “I’m also pretty good at reading people, but that was mostly magic. Talking like an adult all the time would make me boring.”
This girl… was really weird. Her and Violet were on the opposite spectrums, yet had equal talent at making me confused. At the same time though, all I could do was laugh.
“Haha, adorable. Thanks for the advice, but I trust my training and my team’s skill. Benedetto will be easy as… flan.” I looked past Jubilee and pointed to Galena. “I’m not ignoring what Dispetto has done either just because the fight is over. I’ll take you all down too. Just not today.”
She just rolled her eyes and gave a bemused grin. "Sure, sure." She pulled out a gun shaped device with a hook at the end. "You should worry more about right now instead of false bravado towards Dispetto. And learn how to be discreet. Jubi, you ready to go?"
She saluted Galena cheerfully before recalling both her Pokemon and prancing back to Galena’s side. I noted that once again the keystone had seemingly vanished since I last saw it, as well as the finished flan pudding cups. “Yuppers!”
Galena nodded, grabbed her around the waist and, without looking back, fired her grappling hook. Jubilee was whooping the whole way as the duo swung off.
… I want a grappling hook.
Donut and Lou made their way over to me, both seemed to have caught their breath, but their injuries were apparent. I took out the healing items I bought from the store and generously began applying them to each of them. After that fix me up they already began looking significantly better, so I decided to finish my pudding cup.
Cenza just needed a little zap from her generator and she was back to normal.
“Looks like that stamina training is paying off. You two feeling okay? Donut, is your back still hurting? Lou, you still dizzy? Cenza, all charged?”
Cenza stretched. [I can’t believe I napped through the whole battle. Yeah, I feel way better!]
[The flan fixed everything important. I’m back for business,] Donut replied, rubbing his cheeks.
[The only thing hurt is my pride. We lost the stone,] Lou grumbled. I rubbed his head to smooth out his anger.
“You did the best you could. Even if you two had won, we’d have to handle the other woman, but we… we can’t focus on the keystone. I let it out of my sight and now it’s gone, that’s my fault, but the Kalos Pokemon’s lives and Benedetto’s imprisonment are more important. You may have lost this battle Lou, but I know you won’t fail against Benedetto. We all know you’re better than that. I’ll do better too, I won’t let you down again.”
[General…] Lou stared up at me in awe before focusing straight ahead. [You are right, as always. Thank you for reminding me of the mission. We will complete it, whether that warlock tells us to or not.]
I nodded in agreement, but his words sent me back to Jubilee.
The Devil? Does she know about the cards? I clenched my chest. What did she mean?
I put the snag machine away as we all got up and made our way back to the cage cavern to where Violet was still treating Pokemon.
~x3x~
Once she had finished treating the Pokemon (who would glance warily in my direction every so often and need reassurance from Cenza) she put away the leftover supplies she had. Though she left the berries out for whoever wanted any.
“So I've got great news and bad news. Great news I highly doubt Benedetto is leaving now. Bad news Dispetto took the keystone and were following us this whole time, which is scarily good considering we’ve got Amethyst with us.”
Violet just looked unperturbed and shrugged. “I fail to see how the bad news is bad.”
Amethyst smiled a bit, clearly glad at being able to help her fellow Pokemon. [It’s not that big a deal. They don’t mess with Pokemon, it’s not like there’s more Keystones in the world, and I’ve been busy. I’m not omniscient after all, and if they had ghosts or dark types that makes it way harder to notice unless you’re looking.]
They don’t seem bothered in the slightest, guess Dispetto isn’t a priority for them at all. I don’t like the stone being in Dispetto’s hands, but it’s not like I can do anything about it right this second.
“You’re right. So,” I scanned the cavern to see that every cage in the cavern had been opened yet they were still being warped away. Every enemy grunt and pokemon had been defeated as well. “Are you ready to head to the submarine?”
“In a moment.” She took out her tablet, quickly typing in a command. Donut and Cenza’s cheeks sparked ever so slightly, but past that nothing happened. Meanwhile, she let out a breath. “No tracking chips. Fortunately.”
“Oooh, smart move. The snag machine didn’t have one either so it looks like Benedetto doesn’t bother with them.”
She looked then to Lou. [That water source you found. Does it connect to a river?]
Lou thought for a moment before answering. [Yes. It is not the deepest, but it connects to more of the marshlands.]
You didn’t need psychic abilities to see that Violet’s mind was racing before she nodded slightly to herself, then glancing at Amethyst. Who just gave a confident smirk. She then turned to the Pokemon that had been freed.
“Those of you who wish to exit, follow the path of destruction Amethyst has carved. There will be a large door opened without force. After traversing the path you find, the warehouse at the other end connects to open air. I recommend going away from the human settlement, but otherwise you should be clear. Any aquatic Pokemon, simply follow the river we created upstream. It connects to the Great Marsh, as well as several other rivers that trail across the region.” She bowed to them all.
“I hope that you can enjoy life in this region that is not your own, and if you ever require help, the humans in red and black clothing with spherical devices on their wrists are Rangers. They can assist you.”
I looked at her as though she were crazy. “I can just call the League and they can bring them home if they want right now! The rangers too if they want.”
Violet looked to me as Amethyst spoke to them. [Look at it from their perspective. They have just been kidnapped and abused by humans far worse than most humans can even imagine. And yet this is far from abnormal for Pokemon. I would prefer they could go home to Kalos as well. But they do not trust humans. We have no right to force them to agree to being taken across the ocean again without airtight confirmation that they will be taken home. Sinnoh at the very least has more than enough wild area for them to find their own homes without disrupting the native Pokemon, as well as a system that forces humans to be kinder than they would otherwise. Kalos still has not made it illegal to catch wild Pokemon without their consent. What we want cannot get in the way of their lives. Human vices have ruined them already. We must let them choose their own way. Watch. If they wish to go home, and are willing to trust humans, they will stay with Amethyst.]
As if on cue, Amethyst began to wave and every Pokemon that wasn’t traveling with us ran. Fast. The fluffle of Bunnelby started bounding down the hallway, the Fennekin from earlier sprinting right alongside them with nary a look back.
The Gogoat charged onwards, Fletchling and Fletchinder flanking them. A few were carrying Swirlix and Helioptile that needed time to rest. Vivillion carried Scatterbug and Spewpa away while a pride of Pyroar and Litleo ran out with a few Furfrou among their ranks. The group of Espurr around Amethyst said something in Pokespeak before scampering off as quickly as they could.
Meanwhile, the Froakie from earlier was nearly up the waterfall already. Jetstreams shot out from the Clauncher and Clawitzer, rocketing them towards the opening. Inkay and Malamar seemed to fall up the waterfall, with the slower Skrelp helping Binacle get up and out. Chespin nodded thanks to us before racing off to join the others.
Not a single Pokemon looked back. Not a single one was hesitant. Even while usually some might fight over food or territory? In this, they were all one. All helping each other escape, leaving the human world far, far behind. Violet said nothing. She simply glanced in my direction after observing the mass exodus.
“I don’t agree with this. Of course we had every intention of saving them, but it’s nearly winter. Even in southern Sinnoh it will get brutal and resources will become more scarce with the sudden population influx. There will be conflicts with the local wildlife, many of those Pokemon still need further care and innocent humans may accidentally agitate them,” I said as I watched the last few Pokemon leave our view. “We should’ve called the League this time. Actually…” I took out my phone and dialed Volkner.
[Please don’t.]
I turned to Amethyst as the phone kept dialing. “Why? They need to go home, it’s what’s best. For them, the local Pokemon, everyone.”
[If it was what’s best, why didn’t any stay? I told them the League and Rangers could help.] She gestured to Violet. [That she’d personally go if it made them feel better. You know me and her could go on about why this is better for them. Ask us later. But right now, we’ve a Benedetto to deal with. Call the League and tell them to make sure nobody messes with them if you want, but don’t try and force them to come back.]
Her eyes looked far away for a moment before refocusing. [I know that in their position, no way in hell would I be taken again without fighting for my life.]
Donut and Lou looked at me curiously for my response until Volkner finally answered, putting my answer on pause.
“Topaz, where’ve you been? I know you’re not with Jade, so spill it,” Volkner asked. He didn’t sound mad, just neutral and a little curious.
I glanced at Amethyst before responding. “There’s a situation by Highshire Town. The Kalos Pokemon that Benedetto smuggled into Sinnoh have been released; contact the rangers to maintain peace for native and foreign parties. They no longer trust humans and will attack if they feel threatened.”
Volkner’s breath hitched slightly at my matter of fact response before he responded in a more professional tone. “I’ll contact the Great Marsh division to look into it. Are you and your team alright and where is Benedetto?”
“We’re fine and he’s got a rendezvous point underground off the coast of Highshire that can be accessed via an abandoned warehouse,” I rattled off the address before looking at Amethyst’s face once again. “Benedetto’s location is unknown, but most of his subordinates have been detained for now. Come get them and the Pokemon.” I sighed before speaking. “I have to go now, see you later.”
Before Volkner could say anything else I ended the call. Donut raised an eyebrow in surprise, but kept silent.
“Handled. Now let’s go,” I said, facing them.
Volkner will understand. He’s done crazier at my age. I think?
There wasn’t any questioning, there was a teeny smile on Violet’s face. Amethyst meanwhile was clearly happy. [Great! Now who’s ready to say hi to Zenara and see what she’s been up to?]
[Are we going inside one of those contraptions to warp over?] Lou questioned staring at the still disappearing cages.
Amethyst just raised an eyebrow (I think? You get the idea). [Why would we do that when she’s still linked? We’re just gonna warp to her.]
[You’re still linked? So you know what’s been happening this whole time on this submarine thing? Is everyone still alive?] Donut asked. Which was a valid question, they did jump into the Vespiquen nest.
She nodded. [They’re fine. I’ve not been focusing on her perspective, but given how I can hear her yelling ‘Justice!’ and ‘C’mere and get some!’ I think she’s fine.]
[Wow Lou, how much did you train her? She’s been going at it pretty well.] Donut looked over to Lou who beamed with pride.
[You would know if you didn’t nap through all of our training sessions. Regardless, I am ready to join another fight!]
“Is it safe to teleport all the way to an underwater submarine when we can just go inside these cage thingies?” I had faith in Amethyst, but I already wasn’t a huge fan of warping.
She rolled her eyes. [Yes it’s safe. Me and Violet can go there if you wanna go hop in a cage and sit there waiting to be transported. I would prefer to not do that.]
I was tempted to say yes, but Lou zapped me and turned towards Amethsyt. [Now while he’s distracted! Time is of the essence!]
She laughed. [I like you.]
And then the now familiar tunnel through spacetime was formed, dragging us through.
On the other end (after I got my bearings) we saw Zenara with random bits of cloth and metal stuck in her wool, but she was grinning bright and defiant as ever as she kept zapping. Only now alongside her were the Noivern and Noibat from before, covering her.
I noticed several grunts were bleeding from their ears. Meanwhile, there were others with limbs bent in ways they probably shouldn’t be as the Hawlucha was standing atop one of them… posing?
Lou surveyed his surroundings before turning to Zenara. [Excellent execution, Zenara.]
We were in a relatively tight spot and I could hear fighting from other parts of the submarine from the other Pokemon who had warped in. The alarms blared until Violet swiftly turned them off.
“So we need to get this thing back to shore. Question is how far we are to shore?” I asked.
Violet gestured towards the rest of the submarine. “We are about to find out.”
Zenara meanwhile turned to us, scuffed up a bit but looking like she was having the time of her life. [Lou Lou! Amethyst! Donut! We’re beating up all the bad guys!]
I knelt down with a potion and ether in my hand. “We can see that, now let’s get you fixed up so you can keep going,” I said as I began treating her while Violet fiddled with her tablet.
Amethyst and Donut were speaking to the Noi-family and the Hawlucha while Violet pointed down the hall. The Hawlucha was cradling the smaller of the two Noibats implying they may be the other parent.
“The control room is there.” Violet pointed on her screen.
I nodded as we began to make our way through the submarine. It was a maze of pipes and machinery for a variety of purposes. According to Violet it was a Hoenn model, some of the best in the world, and one of the largest, with a bevy of advanced functions. The holding bay where they kept the Pokemon was at the bottom of the vessel, while we needed to head to the front.
Our Pokemon had to be careful fighting inside, but whatever resistance we faced was easily dispatched. It didn’t take too long before we all made it to the control room. A giant glass window was displayed in front of us showcasing the ocean and all the Pokemon swimming within it. Schools of Finneon were swimming past, with the occasional Lumineon swimming gracefully past. Pods of Mantyke cast their shadows from the surface, indicating we were fairly deep.
There were a few men inside manning it, but Lou easily secured them all with String Shot before we made our way to the controls themselves.
“Stop! We’re the only ones who know how to pilot this vessel. If you want to get out alive, cease this at once. We can work together-” The pilot began.
Violet just punched him in the face to shut him up before looking over the controls. “Give me a minute, maximum.”
“Oh, okay then. Will do…” I awkwardly stepped over the unconscious man with a bleeding nose that she somehow managed to knock out with one punch. I wasn’t familiar with submarines at all, meanwhile her eyes seemed to be analyzing them at an inhuman pace.
I turned to the flying family that had followed us to this point. They kept their distance, but weren’t hostile. It seemed they truly did trust us, but simply weren’t comfortable yet. The larger of the two Noibat noticed my gaze and stared right back at me.
She was dirty and malnourished, but her expression was fierce and memorable. I also noticed her tuft was a bit larger than most Noibat, likely due to her Hawlucha blood. Her demeanor definitely screamed fighting spirit.
I like the look in her eyes.
I took out some berries from my bag and placed them on the ground before them. They all seemed hesitant, but the larger Noibat took them gratefully, nodding her head at me before sharing them with everyone else.
“Done.” Violet alerted us as she took a seat in the now empty cockpit and began turning gauges, flipping switches and pressing buttons before she pressed on a foot pedal and turned sharply to the right. The water rushed past as the submarine turned, the Sinnoh shoreline coming into view in the distance. She then flicked a few more switches, pressed the foot pedals and stood up. “The vessel is now on a crash course with the beach.”
Cenza peeked out of my bag. [Is crash course a Sinnoh term or do you mean we’re about to crash?]
“That is a very important question and I would very much so love to know the answer,” I followed up, equally concerned.
“It means precisely what it sounds like,” she stated plainly.
Zenara’s eyes lit up. [Is it gonna explode? Do we have to escape an exploding submarine that’d be awesome!]
Violet shook her head, seeming almost dejected now.
“No, given the make of the submarine and the land we will be impacting the worst that will happen is some jostling. The engines are set to deactivate so nothing catastrophic happens.”
Thank Arceus for not indulging in Zenara’s fantasies. There’s only so much thrill I am willing to escape from.
[So now what? We just wait? Where’s Benedetto?] Donut spoke up once again, asking the important questions.
Zenara was actually the one to speak up. [While we were fighting some of the bad guys, there was this big whoosh noise that went towards the beach. Maybe he can swim really fast?]
Amethyst shook her head. [Probably an escape pod. He’s a coward who can’t even stay on his own ship. Good thing Topaz baited him.]
Lou nodded his head in agreement. [The craven is being driven into a corner and cut his losses with the submarine after it became overrun by his own captives. He must be desperate and thus he will make mistakes. For now we must wait and track him on land.]
We all looked out the submarine window, watching the ocean move past us as we made our way to the shore. As we had time, Lou and Zenara caught each other up while Violet and Amethyst spoke with each other. Cenza had hopped out to speak with the fellow wild Pokemon.
In the meantime, I began checking my Pokedex to make sure everything was alright and reread some entries.
Oh wow, it scanned basically every Pokemon that was in the cages. I’m suddenly significantly closer to completing my Kalos dex… not how I wanted to do it at all.
I looked down to Donut who was admiring a very aggressive Remoraid chase down a Mantine.
[That Remoraid reminds me of Lou,] He pointed out, chuckling. I laughed alongside him before we both went quiet. There was a long pause before he spoke again. [I’m surprised you didn’t tell Volkner to be more hands on with the Kalos Pokemon.]
I had a feeling this was coming. All my life I’ve admired Volkner and everything he did, even if I never openly said it. It was one thing to omit the truth, but to lie to him… Donut wanted answers. I exhaled deeply before replying.
“They genuinely do not trust humanity anymore. We can’t change their minds just because two human children helped them. It sucks and it would really make things easier if they could, but they can’t risk it. Volkner will understand.”
[Do you think he’ll understand why you’re facing an infamous smuggler without League backup?] He inquired. Another surprisingly good question.
He’s even more perceptive than I thought.
I closed my eyes, thinking about how much I respected Volkner, Cynthia and everyone else in the League. Then my mind raced back to saving Cenza, Amethyst’s speech on the train and witnessing all the Pokemon in cages.
“It doesn’t matter if he does or doesn’t. This is something I have to do, to be right with myself,” I answered, opening up my eyes. “I’m going to need your help too, partner.”
Donut gave a little smirk before turning back to the water. [I’ll always stand by you, Zio. With or without the League, my help is guaranteed. Plus, seeing Cenza being all roughed up left a bad taste in my mouth, of course I had to help her out.]
“Just admit you’ve got a secret hero complex and wanted to do the right thing,” I laughed rubbing his head playfully. He pried my hands off and gave me a rueful look before we both began laughing. “It’s nice being able to talk to you like this. A proper conversation I mean.”
[Not so much for me. Now I have to actually pay attention when you speak,] Donut joked. [But yeah. It’s… not so bad, I guess.]
“Tsundere,” I whispered.
[I heard that!] Donut shot back. Before I could tease him further the submarine’s terminal alerted us that we were close to shore and about to impact it. [Looks like we can go now. We need to head to the hatch thing to leave, right?]
I nodded as we all got up to head to the submarine exit. It was a bit unsteady as we were about to hit shallow waters, but we got there just fine. Amethyst sent out a telepathic message to all the Pokemon inside that we were finally about to escape and soon enough they all flowed in to join us, several Honedge, Spritzee and Inkay huddling together.
We all braced ourselves as the submarine crashed onto solid ground, sliding up the sandy beach we had landed on before stopping. Violet’s tablet dinged, informing us it was safe to exit.
[Finally! Blow open the hatch! My time in this submarine has confirmed my suspicions. I am not a navy bug,] Lou exclaimed, causing some of us to laugh a bit.
Violet made her way to the terminal and unlocked the hatch for the loading dock, more than large enough for all of us to exit.
Due to the positioning of the submarine we had to get off in the water a little bit, but Amethyst psychically lifted us over to the dry shore. The rest of the Pokemon clambered through the water without problem making their way into the forest or into the ocean. Cenza waved to quite a few of them until it was just the Noivern family and Hawlucha left. They all said their thanks in Pokespeak and our Pokemon responded in kind, but the larger Noibat looked at me one last time and nodded.
I nodded back at her and while she didn’t smile, her hard expressions softened ever so slightly before she flew away with her family. She was a tough Pokemon, I knew she’d be fine. Her and her family.
I looked around to find us on an indiscriminate beach. I checked the map on my Poketch to see we were close to South Sinnoh Port, the southernmost location in the region. In other words, exceedingly far from where we had begun.
Donut and Zenara were sniffing the air, while Lou was sifting through the sand. Violet was checking her tablet for something while Amethyst seemed… disgusted.
“Lookie what we have here?”
We all whirled behind us to find a tall, lanky man standing on top of a large rock next to an escape pod merely 20ft away from us. Benedetto’s tone was friendly, but his glare seethed with fury and hatred. He began pointing at us one by one before addressing us once again.
“I spy with my little eye, seven livestock to be slaughtered.”
~Chapter 17 Fin~
Author’s Note
The final battle between our heroes and Benedetto approaches! I definitely knew this chapter would be a long one and a doozy, hopefully it wasn’t confusing. Things are heating up, but it’s nothing compared to what happens next.
~x~
Question: Favorite combo attack so far? Any ideas for combo attacks? In general, just how do you feel about combo attacks?
~x~

Chapter Text

Topaz and friends have invaded Benedetto’s rendezvous point and rescued the captive Kalos Pokemon. After a brief distraction from Dispetto members Jubilee and Galena, the team was able to infiltrate Benedetto’s submarine and send it crashing to the shore. With his entire operation ruined and all his exits destroyed Benedetto gazes upon those who have chased him all over southeast Sinnoh to take him down.

~x1x~

The sun shone down upon us all, the ocean’s waves crashed against the shore rocks with purpose and authority and the smell of salt hung in the air. The cold autumn breeze filled my lungs, yet my body remained warm and heated as I stared down Benedetto, standing tall with his coat billowing in the wind.

He stood firmly on his rock perch, both feet firmly on the ground with his arms crossed. As soon as he had made his presence known the tension in the air became palpable, all of our eyes were glued on him and his on us. He jumped off his perch to stand on equal ground with us, his annoyed scowl remaining.

“So. You are the kids who destroyed everything I have ever worked for, huh,” He stated. It wasn’t a question, more like an observation. 

Violet simply raised an eyebrow. “Ah yes. The work that you did. Of course.”

His attention turned to her. “I’m guessing you’re the little stalker that has been tracking my signal for the last few days. Aren’t you a little go-getter?” Benedetto hissed.

“Weeks.”

He clicked his teeth. “Even better.” He turned towards me. “You said a lot of shit back on the terminal. Can you back it up now, boy? ”

Donut and Lou had been on high alert, ready to pounce as soon as he had made his presence known, but I kept my breath even and my voice neutral. “I should be asking you that. We didn’t chase you all the way here to turn tail. We even got rid of every avenue of escape so you could finally face us.”

His eyes twitched ever so slightly at that statement. “I’ve noticed. Wrecked a magnificent piece of machinery right there,” He said pointing to the submarine. “It’ll take ages to get a replacement. It’s a shame. A real fucking shame.”

I grit my teeth. “Boohoo, cry me a river. You’ve displaced countless lives and all you care about is your glorified boat!”

“That boat cost more than the lot of them! Course I’m disappointed,” He scratched his hair in annoyance. “All those expensive cages are busted beyond repair too, you think this shit grows on trees? And I gotta get a new crew too. Hopefully some with brains or something resembling spine. Got their asses kicked by some goddamn kids and housepets.”

Does… does he really only care about money? The monetary value of others?

His eyes scanned us once again before falling on Amethyst. He squinted at her a bit in contemplation. “A female Meowstic, huh? We didn’t bring any of those this time… unless you’re from an old batch.”

He faced Violet once again. “What? Your cat has beef with me? Is that it?”

Suddenly, sand flew up and clumped up into one large mass. Within seconds, a gigantic sandy hand giving him a middle finger was formed. Violet just glared. “She is not mine . She belongs to no one. And she has been waiting years for this day. I doubt there is enough gray matter in that cavity of yours to remember, but she was not part of any batch. ”

Ignoring the surprise sand sculpture, Benedetto took heed of Violet’s words and stared at Amethyst again. Her face was completely stoic, akin to her prevolution Espurr, although I could feel her immense fury from where I stood as sand particles orbited around her, passively forming into small nails.

Benedetto’s eyes slightly bulged when realization dawned upon him. “You. You’re my Espurr from before, haha. The one with the freaky eyes, yes, how could I forget?” He chuckled as if he was revisiting some happy memory. It was sickening.

He turned his attention back to us humans. “I remember trying to train it and it wouldn’t budge, no matter how many times Pancham had to beat the sense into it. Would go without food and water, just to be rebellious. Whenever we camped out it would just stare. Stare at us with those baneful eyes.”

He shook his head at the thought of those fond memories before continuing. “I met a gorgeous lass back in Fura City and figured she’d love an exotic Kalos Pokemon, considering it’d been useless to me the whole time. What do ya know, she finds the eyes creepy too! Now that I look at it now…” His eyes fell upon Amethyst once again before his tone turned malicious. “They’re even more vitriolic than before, gaping blackholes devoid of light. No one with sense would spend a dime on you.”

Her eyes just narrowed and began to glow slightly. [ Like you’re one to talk. ] I held my head at the sudden pronouncement; it was loud . Whereas before she would speak at what’s the mental equivalent of an inside voice? I could hear her words echoing from Benedetto’s mind. I can’t imagine what he was hearing. [ You were never worth my time, and you’re only shittier now. It’s adorable how you think you matter. ]

Benedetto staggered, one of his legs nearly buckling, gripping his head and staring banefully at Amethyst before… grinning? It took a few moments for him to regain his head before he replied. “Aha, so you weren’t a complete waste of space after all. Though now I know your words are as foul as I thought.”

He poised himself once again before continuing. “Female Meowstic for lack of a better word are… difficult, by nature. Aggressive, spoiled and selfish. Some people are into that, but in my opinion disobedience isn’t cute.” He reached for his belt and took out an Ultra Ball. “Male Meowstic on the other hand.”

He clicked the button and a male Meowstic appeared. Compared to Amethyst’s white fur with blue accents and swirling orange eyes, he had blue fur with white accents and turquoise eyes. The more minor differences was the slight shagginess to his fur and the unnerving presence he gave off. His gaze remained on Amethyst slightly longer than the rest of us before he moved on.

“Male Meowstic are obedient, protective and selfless. Good natured little fellas. If I had known that when I was younger I’d have never bothered with you,” Benedetto said as he knelt down to his own Meowstic and gripped his shoulder before pointing at Amethyst. “You see that? That’s your predecessor. She was selfish and aggressive, if she had just listened to me she could’ve lived a life of luxury. You would never be like her, would you Meowstic?”

As soon as Benedetto removed his hand Meowstic instantly shook their head. Donut looked sickened by the whole display, his fur puffing out in disdain. Amethyst however just glared, ears unfurling dangerously. [ I’d sooner die than be your slave . If he knew what was good for them, he’d move. ]

Meowstic immediately stepped in front of Benedetto, his own eyes glowing and ears unfurling. I repositioned my stance, both versions of Meowstic were easily capable of unbelievable destructive power and I was not keen on personally experiencing it from the enemy’s side.

“It’s a good thing I have every intention of killing you all today,” Benedetto snarled, his tone barely containing his anger. “I never thought mere children would be my downfall, but it appears I underestimated the power of a vendetta. I’ve had to crawl my way up to where I am and I’m not about to be done in by some ornery whelps. You’re all too dangerous to let live, I’ll take what belongs to me and leave your corpses for the Corphish.”

“So even after all we’ve done, you still think you can defeat us?” I had to ask. “We took out your entire force with barely any trouble, remember?”

“Every reprobate on my crew was a means to an end, hired help. Easily disposable. That’s how it was with J and that’s how it is with me. You can’t expect anything but the bare minimum and if they can’t even do that then you cut them off. I know my own strength and even if my former Meowstic gives us trouble, the rest of your motley lot won’t mean much,” Benedetto before he growled out his next statement. “Honestly, you should be licking my boot in mercy. What’s your involvement in all this, boy? I sure as hell never dealt with your Pokemon. Why die for this girl? No. This Pokemon’s problem?”

My eyes widened in disbelief before I began shouting. “It became my freaking problem when your goons chased an abused Dedenne right to my feet! When someone runs to you for help, do you just walk away?” I shot back.

He stared at me as though I was crazy. “You’re just some privileged little boy, who doesn’t know shit about the real world. You think playing hero will get you anything but killed? Only people with power can play hero and what does that truly get them? A lifetime of expectations, responsibilities and challenges thrown at them at every possible avenue. If you were smart you’d have turned a blind eye. Your little pets are gonna die because you put your nose where it didn’t belong.”

“My team aren’t anyone’s pets! Why are you like this!? You said you crawled out of the gutter and now you have enough money to buy a super submarine? How much more do you need to not feel powerless!? How much more money do you need to join some secret society?” My volume rising. “The world can’t function if we only think about ourselves.”

“This is the modern era, as long as I have money to spend, I’m helping someone in my own way. I ain’t got a reason to go beyond that. You think the world stopped being dangerous because a little girl took the throne of this region six years ago? News flash brat, there’s hell brewing all over the world and there’s nothing you can do about it, so I’m just preparing myself so I can survive!” His expression was manic and disgraceful. “I’m an ambitious man. I worked for the best hunter in the world and that still ain’t enough for me. I’ll climb my way even above her and I’ll be set forever because I focused on the big picture! Me! Whoever is smart can stay in line and I’ll lead them to riches.”

His words echoed through my mind. My answer was already in my throat before he even finished speaking, yet it stopped. Jubilee’s words came to my mind instead.

‘You’ve got so much passion within your soul, but you’ve got to let it loose. Stop thinking so much! Trust your gut and speak from the heart. Show the world how you truly feel.’

So I’ve just got to express how I truly feel huh? What do I feel? What do I truly feel?

I looked Benedetto straight in the eyes, standing behind his Meowstic who was ready to lay down his life for him. They were not equals, Meowstic was not even his subordinate. He was his scapegoat, his slave. A tool Benedetto has constructed for his own utility. Whatever luxuries he afforded Meowstic were likely a surplus of basic wants and needs he believes they would want rather than what they may truly desire in order to keep him loyal. 

My mind raced back to meeting Cenza tired and dying, scrambling for an ounce of sympathy after being hunted. 

The coordinator who was too lazy to put in the effort to raise a Pokemon, so he resorted to illegal means to purchase one. The speech Amethyst gave us on the train about all the sins of humanity. 

The cages full of tortured Pokemon whose only mistake was living in the wrong place at the wrong time. I thought back to every time Violet ranted at every random person in the way and how I had thought it was excessive. Finally, it came back to Benedetto.

Ah, so that’s it..

“ Pffffffft ,” My lips sputtered as I tried to hold in my involuntary laugh.

All eyes were on me. Donut tilted his head ever so slightly in confusion.

“ Pffft haaaaaahaaaaa! Aaaahahahaha!” I continued to laugh. With my whole gut. My body shivered and quaked with how much I was laughing. The ability to stand had become too difficult due to how much I was laughing.  

Donut and Lou huddled around me in confusion, but I waved them off as I clutched my stomach and laughed like I had never laughed before, tears streaming down my face. I could only imagine my face was turning a brownish red as well. 

Violet turned to me, likely wondering if Benedetto had made me snap or if I was reverting back to my primal instincts. Zenara seemed unsure whether she should be laughing as well, confusion clearly written on her face. Amethyst’s gaze did not leave Benedetto for a moment.

Near the end I was wheezing and my stomach had begun to hurt. I didn’t know how long I had been laughing, but it seemed like everyone was courteous enough to not do anything until I was done. I think I lost the ability to stand for a second.

When I finally managed to catch my breath and stop wheezing, I could feel a massive weight leave my chest. My head was clearer than it had ever been before and my body felt lighter. I looked up to see even Meowstic confused and Benedetto more than annoyed. That made me smile a bit more. 

Heh, Jubilee was right. It does feel good to let it out.

“W-what the hell is wrong with you? What’s so funny?” Benedetto demanded.

“I should thank you, Benedetto. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard,” I said stretching, squeezing out any nerves I had. “I’ve never heard someone spout so much bullshit that it made me nearly blow an aneurysm.” 

“Heh, so you think this is funny, boy ?” He muttered cockily, as if he had any right to speak so condescendingly. 

“First of all, my name is Topaz Heart of Sunyshore City. My friend here is Amethyst and she’s a girl, not a thing. Second of all, oh absolutely you’re funny. It’s funny that you’re even more shallow, vile and greedy than I had ever thought possible. You are single handedly one of the worst people I’ve ever had to share air with. Everything you say and do makes my skin crawl in a way I didn’t know was possible,” I stated swiftly, a wide grin plastered on my face.

“You’re right, I am privileged. I’ve never been left wanting. I’ve got clothes on my back, food in my belly, a place to call home and a family that cares about me. Always have. I don’t know your past, but I can speak about your present and I’d say if you can afford a huge ass submarine and all these cronies to follow you, you can afford at least three of the things I brought up. Sorry you can’t buy a loving family, even if you deserved one.” 

I rubbed my eyes in fake pity at that last remark. 

“So, you have nearly everything you could need and could certainly afford a lot of things you want and yet still you decide to satiate your own greed you will kidnap intelligent beings from their homes and sell them to the highest bidder. Now that’s just the kicker for me. How you don’t see that as abnormal? Sadistic? Cruel? Are any of these adjectives registering for you or have you become so desensitized to evil that it’s just the norm?”

“You better shut the fuck up or you’ll regret it. You know nothing about your own region do you? What dangers lurk? I’m doing what I have to to survive what’s coming!” He shot back at me and I simply rolled my eyes. I was beyond done whatever excuse he came up with. “It doesn’t matter though since you won’t survive today.”

“All you’ve done is run away and talk shit. In my eyes, action is the only truth, so until you’re jumping on my throat , I won’t stop talking. I will speak out for every Pokemon you’ve hurt over the course of your miserable life and my team and I will show you what a true bond looks like,” I snapped at him whipping out my baton as Donut and Lou sprung forward ready to fight. 

“As I said before, if everyone fought only for themselves, humanity and Pokemon wouldn’t be where they are today. It’s those that are willing to put their own well-being aside and fight for the benefit of all that truly make a difference! You’re too scared to fight for anyone but yourself, which is why we can’t allow you to go free!

I looked down at my team thankfully before addressing them, confidence filling up my chest. “I’m sorry that I can’t fight like you two. I’m a powerless kid who will always have to rely on you when the going gets tough. Even so, I’ll do everything I can to support you two to the best of my ability!”

Donut huffed. [Thanks for the reminder Zio, but I always knew that. Nice little speech there, we’ll make sure to hammer your feelings into their skulls.] 

[Your words have inspired me more than ever before, General Topaz! I will use every ounce of my power to bring these wretches to their knees!] Lou grunted.

Cenza popped out of the bag and gave Benedetto a middle finger. Je ne vais plus m'asseoir et regarder! I’ll give it my all!]

I nodded in understanding of all their feelings. I wasn’t sure if it was because of the psychic link or because I just let loose, but I could feel strength coursing through me and into my team. I could even sense the determination of Amethyst and Zenara rise as we all geared up for battle.

This feeling… I’ve felt something like this before. When Donut evolved. Back then it was happiness. Now? It’s power!

Benedetto sneered at us all one last time before he removed three Ultra Balls from his waist, throwing them all onto the field. Right beside Meowstic emerged a Trevenant, a levitating Dragalge and a wicked Pangoro. He gave Amethyst a mad grin and huffed a few words at her in the pokespeak. Whatever he said caused her to emit even more energy.

“If you don’t wanna die, kill them all. You lose this fight, we lose everything we’ve ever worked for,” Benedetto barked madly. “I don’t care if the League takes me down or not, don’t stop till they are dead at my feet!”

Pangoro sprung first, his fists coated in a steel film indicating a Bullet Punches aimed towards Zenara. Donut was the first to react, deflecting both attacks with expertly timed Brick Breaks, shattering the steel film immediately. 

Donut, in midair, charged his cheeks for a rapid Thunderbolt until I noticed Pangoro adjust the leaf within his mouth ever so slightly before he dodged the Thunderbolt at point blank range and nailed Donut in the stomach with another rising Bullet Punch. Donut tumbled through the sand a bit before he regained his footing and landed on all fours. 

Good thing I memorized most of the Kalos dex entries.

[The leaf in Pangoro’s mouth allows them to detect enemy movements. Be wary when he adjusts it,] I warned everyone mentally.

[Got it!] Zenara replied as she went right for the Dragalge, sending out a Thunder Wave volley. 

Meanwhile, Violet sprinted right for Benedetto while whipping out her knife and Amethyst turned the huge sand middle finger from before into a sand fist, launching it at Meowstic and burying him.

I shielded my eyes from the sandstorm that had just been created, peeking through to see a large psychic shield surrounding Meowstic whilst Benedetto was blocking a knife strike from Violet with his own baton. Before I could relay my thoughts on how dumb it is to run headfirst into a Pokemon battle, I noted the Trevenant flee to the nearby woods and Dragalge float over into the water with Zenara pelting them from behind.

They’re heading to where they fight best. None of our electric types work well in the sand, but we’d be at a disadvantage if we let Trevenant gain control of the woods or Dragalge get comfortable in the water.

[Lou cut off Trevenant, Donut send a Thunder Wave volley at Dragalge as well,] I asked my team and they immediately followed through. Lou shot a String Shot onto Trevenant reeling himself at phenomenal speeds before embedding himself into their wood with a painful X-scissor. 

Donut jumped onto the rocks to minimize the sand’s effects on his electric moves before also lancing Dragalge with several Thunder Waves.

Before the Thunder Waves could hit their mark Dragalge turned around and launched a Thunderbolt eliminating them in the air. Trevenant ignored Lou trying to gnaw off their branches as they made their way to the grass before they ripped Lou off and threw him into a tree.

Amethyst hissed something to Pangoro in Pokespeak, which caused him to laugh and run towards her while cracking his knuckles. Her paws glowed in dark light, and the moment before he struck she flipped over the punch and gave him a nasty jab in the face. 

Zenara and Donut meanwhile seemed determined to electrocute the whole ocean if it meant zapping the Dragalge. They endured the shocks with their draconic skin and fired back with Sludge Bombs.

At the same time, Violet was ruthlessly pursuing Benedetto. For every swing of his baton he made, she swatted it aside and continued slashing towards him in a fervor. And each time, she struck closer. His eyes narrowed a moment before he grabbed her knife arm and began to bring down his baton until Amethyst sent Meowstic hurtling into him as a makeshift projectile. Which threw him off just enough for Violet to wrench her arm out of his grip, countering with a shank to his side.

He gripped his side momentarily before smirking and revealing a thin layer of body armor underneath. His own Meowstic’s eyes glowed before Violet was sent flying into the sand while Amethyst dissipated whatever Shadow Balls came close to her friend.

[Violet…] I scanned the battlefield quickly to make sure everyone was alright before gripping my baton and making my way over to her. [We’ll strike together. Cenza, look out for us.]

Violet simply nodded, a cascade of Shadow Balls from Amethyst covering her as she simply shook herself off and ran right back towards Benedetto. Amethyst was making her own mad dash, clobbering the opposing Meowstic with another Sucker Punch and sending waves of sand to throw off Pangoro.

Benedetto acknowledged us both coming for him and seemed to welcome the challenge. I met him first this time clashing my baton against his own. His superior height, build and strength made me waver causing my baton to nearly buckle, but I let it fall to give myself a chance to kick at him. He back stepped to avoid the kick only to immediately block a knife strike from Violet.

We’re doing it. We’re working in tandem.

“So you kids aren’t all talk, huh? You’ve been trained!” He laughed before repelling her blow to go for a heavy swing. Luckily, there was enough space between them for me to jump in front of her and block the overhead strike by raising my baton above my head with both hands, giving Violet another chance to get a slice in.

Whoever trained her knew what they were doing.

Before she could stab into a vulnerable area, Benedetto was surrounded in a psychic glow as he was pulled back by his own Meowstic and Pangoro quickly replaced him ready to crush Violet and I with violent Hammer Arms.

[I’ll save you!]

Cenza popped out of my bag with a green glow and nailed Pangoro straight in the nose with a U-turn none of us were expecting before she flew back into my bag. Pangoro’s attack dissipated as he clenched his sensitive nose, while Violet and I fled.

[My apologies that you were forced to act to save us.] Violet immediately apologized. Cenza popped out of my bag and shook her head.

[It’s okay, I want to help, like everyone else! I’m gonna be brave!] She cheered earnestly.

Violet paused for the briefest moment. [Then I am glad my life was of use to you.]

Suddenly, a cascade of stone and metal barraged Pangoro and forced him to block, pushing him backwards through the sand. I glanced over to see Amethyst’s eyes glowing bright, chunks of stone from across the beach being thrown at him along with mangled pieces of submarine she’d ‘repurposed’. Some of the wires trailing about were sparking, due to the Charge Beams she was mixing in. 

Meowstic raised his hand and Light Screens surrounded him, Benedetto and Pangoro minimizing the damage from the charge beams, while Pangoro stopped blocking and began spinning with wicked energy as he began his Darkest Lariat zooming straight past us before finally scoring a hit on Amethyst, the first one I had ever seen her take.

Her eyes only narrowed as she flew backwards, glancing for a moment to Violet who’d looked over in concern. The two just looked at each other silently for the briefest of moments before Amethyst swung around midair, zipping right past Pangoro (though not without sending another few rocks his way) and blasting right into the other Meowstic kicking up a wake of sand behind her. Only this time, the dark energy around her paws left them and swirled into a Shadow Ball around Meowstic, engulfing him within the Shadow Ball.

Meowstic, swimming painfully through the ghastly energy, reached forward and grabbed Amethyst’s paws before his face contorted into an unnatural fashion, denoting Mean Look. 

Amethyst only Leered back, but the effect still carried enough weight to limit her movements long enough for Meowstic’s eyes to glow again before he shot a purple bolt of toxins straight into her body. 

Immediately after he fell on the ground roughly and looked towards Pangoro who nodded.

[Donut! Amethyst has been badly poisoned by Toxic, cover her!] I mentally shouted, drawing Donut’s attention from his arduous battle with Dragalge who was giving them more trouble than expected. Zenara was more than happy to keep sending bolt after bolt after Dragalge. At the very least, due to it being Shock Wave, they had to either block it or take it.

The toxins and Mean Look caused Amethyst to stagger, leaving her vulnerable to Pangoro’s incoming Night Slash. Donut jumped over head and let loose a mighty Thunderbolt forcing Pangoro to dodge, crystalizing the sand where he once stood. Pangoro rebounded to strike at Amethyst again, but Donut twirled in midair and launched a Quick Attack straight to where he predicted Pangoro to move. Pangoro’s Night Slash and his Quick Attack clashed, forcing both parties to back off, with Donut standing in front of Amethyst defensively while Pangoro looked thoroughly amused.

[He hits like a truck, sheesh,] Donut muttered, rubbing his head before getting on all fours ready to pounce. [You good?]

Violet used the moment to pull out an Antidote and throw it towards Amethyst. It quickly got enveloped in psychic energy and she drank it, breathing for a moment before her eyes narrowed. [Yes.] 

A shining, stary veil enveloped us all as she went right for Meowstic again.

[Safeguard.] Violet informed me.

[I see, everyone will be protected from status ailments. Donut, take on Pangoro,] I asked. 

Donut nodded in acknowledgement as Pangoro moved his leaf around his mouth, likely evaluating Donut’s movements and shifting his stance in response.

Amethyst took a moment to register this before there was a sudden rustling. I glanced over to see that Trevenant was being… deforested? Amethyst was ripping the leaves off of them to pelt Pangoro with a makeshift Razor Leaf.

Pangoro raised his left hand before it erupted into flames as each and every leaf was burned, then raising his right as it turned into a saber of dark energy. With both elements in hand he ignored Donut and ran straight for Amethyst, causing Donut to chase after him.

What is she doing? She went to attack Meowstic, yet pulled Pangoro away from Donut?

Naturally, Trevenant did not take this disrespect lightly as they paused their altercation with Lou to gather more of the forest’s power before the normal trees themselves began to become engulfed in a mystical light. Seconds later they began shooting Magical Leaves at Donut and Amethyst.

In the distance I could see Dragalge move up a river into the forest with Zenara chasing after him shouting at him. Meowstic also had begun to psychically carry Benedetto into the forest, flying through the air avoiding Amethyst’s assaults while Pangoro occasionally launched his own volley of attacks at her.

It barely took a second for me to realize their change of tactics. [Meowstic is likely relaying his own connection with everyone else. They are heading into the forest by the river so Trevenant and Dragalge can fight at full strength. It doesn’t matter to Lou and Donut though, they welcome fighting outside the sand.]

Amethyst paused in midair, chuckling before full on laughing. [Oh that’s adorable , they think they’ve got the upper hand in a forest . You ready Violet?]

[Always.] She looked towards me. [They believe they are retreating to a battlefield where they have the advantage. Their guard will be down.]                       

[Lou and Donut’s mobility will be increased with all the trees around and the sand won’t get into Zenara’s wool,] I stated before my mind quickly recalled everything I should know about the Pokemon we were facing. [Judging by Trevenant’s adeptness at handling these trees, they are used to manipulating forests on foreign soil, likely because of all the Pokemon they’ve caught within them. Their hold isn’t perfect as they are a foreign entity, but I believe if they force control they can override that part.]

I watched Dragalge disappear from sight and shouted at Zenara to stop. [Dragalge is luring you in, Zenara. They control the water and will likely begin polluting it with their own toxins to gain more manipulation of it, using their draconic energy to enforce it like they were against you and Donut. Amethyst will be able to manipulate it much easier with psychic energy.]

[Pangoro on the other hand is a wildcard with a massive movepool that can be used anywhere. We have to adapt to his adaptations, but it’s likely his ranged prowess is lacking. Understood?] I asked everyone.

Zenara huffed at not bolting after Dragalge immediately, but nodded. [Sure, but they’re gonna get zapped super hard for trying to run!]

Violet meanwhile was deep in thought before speaking. [Donut, Lou, how good are you at detecting opponents?]

Donut and Lou made their way back to us before responding. 

[My ears are pretty good, I can usually pick someone up,] Donut explained.

[My own senses are not as keen as Donut’s, but I can sense the shiver of dark and psychic types well enough,] Lou brought up. [What are you thinking?]

Amethyst smiled ominously. [Remember how we met?]

Lou screwed his face. [I sensed something was off and then you and Amethyst appeared right behind us. Even if you were allies to be, I still admonish my senses for failing to detect you both.]

Amethyst shook her head. [It had nothing to do with your senses. It’s a little something me and Violet worked out. Topaz will probably nerd out over it later, but for now? Just know that I can make a veil where only people I want to can detect who I want to. So how about we let them think we’re nowhere to be found before they get assaulted from nowhere?]

Sheesh, what can’t she do at this point?

[Do you plan on-. No, not right now. Let’s do it before he actually decides to run away. Can’t believe he’s still making us chase him,] I sighed annoyed, but ready to go.

[I told you. He is a coward.] Violet stated before we all ran into the forest.

Chapter Text

~x2x~

We didn’t have to go too far before I felt a slight tingle. [You have now arrived in Amethyst’s spy bubble.] She flew in front of us, smiling. [So long as you don’t run straight up to Benedetto and start yelling nonsense, they won’t know what hit ‘em.]

I observed the world warp around me as we were all surrounded by a strange feeling. Pachirisu ran right past us and didn’t even look at us twice. I had numerous questions and theories, but I put them aside for now as we began walking to where we believed Benedetto to be, with Donut and Lou (sitting atop Zenara) using their senses to detect where they were.

It didn’t take too long for us to find them in a clearing, obviously to suit their needs. The river was much larger here and from what I could hear, led to a waterfall upstream. Dragalge floated in the river, gathering energy via their crest. The area around them was covered in sludge slowing the stream and the repugnant smell mixed with the earthy musk around us.

Trevenant’s eye was closed, as they seemed to be focusing on bending the trees to their will, causing the light filtering through the leaves to shift and blink out in certain areas. Meowstic was sitting and Pangoro stood over Benedetto vigilantly as he stuck his head into the river for a few seconds before coming out.

“Those fucking shitty little twerps!” He shoved his head right back into the water and screamed. Pangoro ignored him, arms crossed, while Meowstic hesitantly began patting his back. Benedetto immediately popped out and swatted away Meowstic’s paw. “Ne me prenez pas de haut!”

Meowstic took a step back and closed his eyes, I could sense him trying not to flinch. Benedetto calmed down a moment as he shook the water out of his long hair. “I don’t need your sympathy, Meowstic, I need you to get me out of this alive. Those little fuckers think they can take me down themselves and it looks like I underestimated their vermin. You know what you have to do if things get dire? Don’t you?”

Meowstic’s expression flickered and Pangoro gave the slightest side eye at that statement. Meowstic looked downtrodden for whatever reason before nodding slowly. Pangoro simply scoffed and looked away.

Does Pangoro actually care about Meowstic? 

Benedetto patted Meowstic’s head roughly before standing up. “Atta boy, now that’s a last resort, you hear? Remember you’re doing it for me okay? But you won’t even have to if everyone put in a bit more effort.”

At Benedetto’s annunciation Trevenant and Dragalge paused in their antics before continuing, seeming to understand the silent command. Pangoro huffed in response, not bothering to look at his trainer. 

So Meowstic has a last resort type of move and his Pokemon seemed to be fairly whipped by him. Pangoro doesn’t seem to get the same treatment though. He seems to be perfectly comfortable standing by him. Are they partners?

[Meowstic doesn’t… seem all that bad,] Cenza noted. [I dunno about the rest, but Benedetto is still super mean.]

Zenara huffed. [He’s just manipulating him! It’s so obvious, it’s awful to watch. We gotta beat up Benedetto, that way he can figure out that he doesn’t have to listen to evil humans!]

[Or put them all out of their misery,] Lou grunted, mostly to himself I felt.

Donut seemed to ignore it as he whirled around to Zenara. [Wait, you noticed the manipulation too? So you actually did pay attention to your starter lessons? I’m legitimately surprised.]

[Duh!] she looked at him almost hurt. [I like kicking butt but I gotta know who’s butt to kick. There’s a reason I didn’t go with anyone else, and I’m not gonna go with someone who’s a meanie face.]

While those two continued bantering, Benedetto took out a phone and began dialing. “Duran better pick up. I need reinforcements and a ride off this bloody region. And I can’t call J after all this time. She’d prolly use this as a chance to wring my neck herself.” 

It took only a few seconds before my backpack began ringing. 

[Crap crap crap,] I quickly reached into my bag as everyone gave me a ‘are you serious’ look. I opened it to find Duran’s cellphone, the one I had confiscated him after we finished interrogating him. The one I meant to investigate earlier, but had forgotten. I looked at everyone and Violet silently screamed ‘answer it’ so I did. 

“Duran, réponds plus vite quand j'appelle. Tout est parti pour la merde,” Benedetto said in French.

I decided to take a gamble. “Uh… bonjour monsieur Benedetto. Comment allez-vous?”

There was a painfully long pause. From the distance I could see Pangoro’s nose twitch and ears flicker. The other three Pokemon remained unaware.

I just stared at Benedetto’s dumbfounded expression till even I felt awkward before he finally responded.

“You have got to me fucking with me right now.”

“Uhhh, wrong numero?” I guessed. Amethyst’s face screwed at my butchering of her native tongue. Donut urged me to keep going. “No hablas frencho.”

“Where are you boy, I’m ready to go again!” He shouted as all his Pokemon looked at him in confusion.

Zenara had this huge grin on her face. [Mess with him! Mess with him more! This is awesome! ]
Meanwhile, Violet had snuck away slightly. She picked up a stone that fit comfortably in her hand before chucking it right at Benedetto. It clonked him right in the shoulder.

[I need to work on my aim. I was going for his face.]

Benedetto gripped his arm painfully as all his Pokemon stared in confusion. Only Pangoro seemed to be semi aware of their current situation which gave us ample time to mount our attack. Everyone spread out to set up their points of attack.

“Oof that looks like it hurts. Too bad there’s more to come,” I chuckled. “Preemptive strike!” 

Everyone ran straight for the Pokemon and let loose devastating attacks before they could even react. Donut jumped straight into a Rollout barreling Meowstic into the river. His head shot up gasping for air, but it was met with a wicked Thunderbolt as Donut tried to keep him from retaliating.

Pangoro was quicker to react, being able to block Lou’s swift Acrobatics but was left with String Shot all over his arms. Unable to move how he wished, Lou tackled him into a boulder with a vengeful Spark, making sure to dig his pincers into Pangoro’s thick fur.

However, that momentary distraction was more than enough for Amethyst. The ground beneath Pangoro’s feet suddenly flowed out from under him like loose sand, dropping him into a large pit several feet deep with a thud. Before he could even react, water and sludge from the river cascaded into the hole before she covered up the top with dirt. 

Lou, surprised by the sudden landslide, barely had enough time to swing away before whirling around on Amethyst.

[Warn your comrades before you begin firing into the battlefield, soldier!]

She narrowed her eyes. [Warn me when you intend on getting the first shot on my enemy.]

Lou’s face contorted with anger as he launched a tirade towards Amethyst on the etiquette of war. Amethyst ignored him and pulled Dragalge from the water before they were unceremoniously slammed on top of the hole, keeping the dirt plug in place.

Benedetto fell back and shouted orders at Trevenant who was contending with Zenara. They pushed her back and began manipulating the closest trees near them to fire off an onslaught of Magical Leaves. Whenever she had to defend, Zenara puffed out her wool buffering the damage before hitting them back with Shock Waves.

Lou ceased his tirade long enough to come to Violet and I’s defense using Screech to knock out any of the leaves designated to come our way.

[Help the helpless! I don’t need any foolhardy soldiers watching my six,] Lou shouted after his Screech. Lou turned to us to confirm our wellbeing.

[Thanks Lou, we’re okay!] I shouted back.

[Amethyst isn’t foolhardy,] Violet stated. Not aggressive, just matter of factly.

She talked back? To a Pokemon!?

Lou was about to fire back a tirade on her before Zenara baaahed at being ignored before opening her mouth, concentrating a ball of energy that flashed all colors of the rainbow before she let loose a screaming Signal Beam straight into Trevenant’s eye.

They staggered back in pain and surprise before she charged towards them with an Iron Tail and swung it like a wrecking ball, smashing the Trevenant into the dirt.

[Signal Beam? That’s new,] I muttered. [I don’t remember Iron Tail either.]

[Signal Beam! You’ve done it!] Lou cheered with pride, quickly forgetting his anger. 

[Huh, so she finally figured it out,] Donut’s thoughts passed through our minds.

Zenara puffed out her wool, smiling to herself. [Thanks to you guys! Now to do it again!]

Zenara charged up another Signal Beam pelting Trevenant in the face over and over again, until they snapped. They inserted their roots into the ground and mere seconds later Zenara’s entire body was entangled in a mess of roots. The roots began to dig into her very skin, turning her body a leafy green. Her electrical shocks of resistance were tempered by Trevenant slamming her back into the ground. Before each impact she used Cotton Spore to dull the damage, but there was only so many times she could manage that.

Were those leaves in her wool there before?

Zenara continued charging up and sparking in order to ignite the vines. While her expression indicated no fear, I knew Trevenant’s plans were grave.

[Trevenant is inflicting Forest’s Curse on Zenara to turn her into a grass type or in this case, an actual plant!] I informed the group. 

Lou shot a string shot close to Trevenant in order to swing in and stop the onslaught on his student when Pangoro returned to the fray digging out of the ground, soaking wet, poisoned but alive, holding a miserable looking Meowstic. With a heavy poison laced punch he haymakered Lou with a destructive Gunk Shot, sending Lou careening in the air before Amethyst adjusted his landing to be a bit more comfortable. Pangoro growled with satisfaction before he placed Meowstic back on the ground gently.

“Lou!” I yelled in concern. He rolled groggily to confirm he was okay.

At the same time, Violet had sprinted over to where Zenara was and began cutting through the roots with her knife, going after the most dangerous ones first. When she noticed Pangoro looking at her, she reached into her satchel and threw a small pellet at him. It just bonked off his chest harmlessly before it began hissing, spewing Smoke Ball style smoke everywhere.

As I began to step out of the Smoke Ball’s range I began to hear choking sounds and gurgles nearby. I looked over to see Amethyst giving Benedetto a death glare as she began to psychic choke him in midair and slowly bend his limbs in all sorts of unnatural ways.

Her torment of her former captor was short lived as a shrill feline screech pierced my ears as Meowstic had picked up an entire tree (psychically of course) and barreled it into Amethyst, forcing her to drop Benedetto as they disappeared deeper into the forest briefly.

Trevenant in the meanwhile had gotten infuriated with Zenara’s attempts to survive by burning his vines and elected to just fling her at Lou, who was able to give her a safety net to fall into with Spider Web. 

Right after I saw Amethyst pushing back Meowstic with the tree in between them as she took control of it, reeled it in and swung it like a baseball bat. Meowstic, relenting control, backpedaled to create a Shadow Ball spinning faster than a saw blade with an ominous hum whining. The tree was swiftly cleaved in twain before a barrage of shadow saws were launched right at her. 

Amethyst either deflected or dodged each one until I noticed Dragalge take aim from the ground. [Amethyst, Dragalge is about to shoot!] I alerted her just as they launched a Dragon Pulse in the shape of a crazed seahorse, a watery roar piercing the forest.

Her eyes simply narrowed to slits before she forcibly dragged Meowstic in the way of the blast, shoving him against it mentally. Meanwhile, Violet was taking advantage of the chaos and keeping Benedetto far too distracted trying not to get stabbed to actually help with the battle.

Dragalge ceased their onslaught when they realized what they were doing before electing to lob one last Sludge Bomb into the air. Meowstic managed to wrest enough control to psychically catch it and throw it in Amethyst’s face. 

He then made his descent back to ground level where Trevenant and Pangoro were facing off against Donut, Lou and Zenara. He clapped his hands above Pangoro, boosting his offensive prowess with the Helping Hand.

Pangoro let loose a fierce battle roar as he punched the ground creating a terribly large Rock Slide heading straight for the trio. Lou elected to swing away, Donut jumped headfirst in an attempt to dodge them himself while Zenara puffed out her wool and hid within her Cotton Guard.

The two split ends of the tree were then ripped to pieces before a hailstorm of razor sharp spikes raining down on Pangoro and Dragalge. Amethyst then sent Meowstic hurtling into the river, a cloud of silt and dirt poofing up as he was embedded into the riverbed. 

Donut, having avoided all the rock slides, let loose a mad Discharge shocking both Pangoro and Dragalge. All Pangoro could do was take it, but Dragalge unfortunately was able to fight through a spew a Sludge Bomb at him knocking him out of the air. Before I could come to his aid he gave me a look and returned to battle.

Violet then glanced at me in the middle of her scuffle with Benedetto. [Zenara. Heal.]

I looked over to see Zenara crawling out of the rubble Pangoro had made, her wool instantly deflating before she collapsed on the ground incredibly bruised from the Rock Slide and bleeding from Trevenant’s torment. I immediately ran over to apply super potions and ethers wherever I could, while also trying to stop whatever bleeding I could. Trevenant’s curse was a long way from going into full effect, but it did not stop her from wincing at the potion spray.

[You okay girl?] I asked.

[I’m fine,] she panted with a grin, [Never better!]

[Be careful, you’re pushing your limits. Your wool can’t take much more of this,] I warned her.

She just smiled. [I can’t break ‘em if I don’t push ‘em!]

Before I could reply Pangoro came leaping in with Donut’s head in his grip, smashing him down in front of us. I immediately shielded Zenara before we were both blown away by the sheer impact. Pangoro leered down at my friend, readying his fist to beat him into the ground.

“Chuu…” He groaned.

[Use Thundercloud! Now Donut!] I mentally screamed at him to use the technique we’d been practicing. Donut’s eyes shot open at my request.

“Piiiikaaaaaa!” Donut raised his paw into the air and a thundercloud formed above him. Pangoro paused to sniff the air before a bolt of lighting emerged from the thundercloud striking them both. Pangoro was left singed and fell to one knee while Donut was able to scamper over to my open arms, pained, but alive.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” I whispered to Donut as I held him close and stroked his head. I quickly applied potions to ease his pain.

Pangoro jumped in to finish what he started prompting Lou swing in activating an Iron Defense to create his makeshift wrecking ball. Unfortunately, Pangoro seemed to be getting a knack for all of our fighting styles. He caught Lou in his bare hands barely budging, before flinging him at an airborne Amethyst.

Amethyst was still applying pressure onto Meowstic, but managed to turn around just in time to catch Lou. She was unfortunately not ready for Pangoro to have followed up by zooming above her with an Aerial Ace and slamming a boulder down onto her as well, knocking both Pokemon out of the sky.

“Zenara, use Cotton Spore to break their fall!” I shouted. The healing already was working its magic allowing Zenara to launch clumps of wool where they were all going to land giving the Pokemon a cushy landing. 

I turned around to see Benedetto pressuring Violet, doing whatever she could to avoid getting her head bashed in. Cenza popped out of my bag and turned to me for orders. 

“Cenza, use U-turn on Benedetto.”

Cenza immediately surrounded herself in a green aura before slamming right into Benedetto’s side giving Violet an opening. Before Dragalge or Trevenant could catch her, she flew right back into my bag, breathing a sigh of relief.

[I did it!]

Violet wasted no time, plunging her knife into his arm. When he opened his mouth to make some sort of pained noise, it was cut off before it could even begin by Violet shoving another Smoke Ball pellet in his mouth. His eyes widened and she retreated, with him suddenly coughing profusely as smoke came pouring out of his mouth.

Amethyst then yelled something in Pokespeak, another veil coating the area. This time however it was a deep purple and almost psychedelic, Amethyst’s eyes glowing brighter along with the organs within her ears. Immediately after she tore Trevenant off the ground and slammed him into Pangoro, sending a tidal wave of Shadow Balls blasting towards the three Pokemon.

Lou made his way off the cotton spore pillow safely as I observed Pangoro. Once again he had managed to catch Trevenant and had created a makeshift shield with Stone Edge.

[Amethyst, ignore Pangoro,] I asked her as she was about to launch another volley of attacks. [Even with your overwhelming psychic powers, his physical strength allows him to literally catch whatever you throw at him head on. Donut, time to break out old strategies.]

The ground itself seemed to shake as Amethyst launched her next volley straight for Pangoro. [No. I’m kicking his ass. I don’t care if you or he or whoever the fuck thinks it’s the better option. He’s mine. ] She punctuated this by making the ground beneath him fall away again. 

Even though he was expecting it this time, he wasn’t ready for the ground where he was going to suddenly cascade upwards and slam him in the stomach. The tube of earth kept propelling him through the air as the stones he’d brought up as a shield were wrenched from the ground, streaking towards him and sandwiching him between stone and earth.

He roared at her, attempting to slash her with a Night Slash. However, all that happened was a slight phasing noise as she appeared behind him and drop kicked him in the back of the head. While they were still stunned from the unexpected assault, Amethyst began warping away, grabbing boulders, warping back and slamming them into Pangoro. Combined with shredding the remains of the tree further into wooden knives and embedding several within his form, even with use of his leaf he was having trouble figuring out what to do next.

Due to her little tantrum though it made her vulnerable to Dragalge’s Sludge Bomb once she reappeared with yet another boulder, knocking her off balance and allowing Trevenant to appear above her with a Phantom Force and shove her head straight into the rubble she had buried Pangoro in. 

I heard her wicked retaliations from where I stood, but Pangoro had managed to dig himself out and uppercutted her with a mindblowing Payback. Her expression twisted in pain and hate as Trevenant held her down with ghost energy while Pangoro smashed at her relentlessly with dark energy. 

I grit my teeth in genuine annoyance. She’s letting her emotions get carried away. She’ll level the whole forest at this rate and will just keep attacking everything with minimal self preservation. 

Meowstic had managed to get the smoke bomb out of Benedetto’s throat and dispelled the smoke around him. Violet continued to glare at him as Meowstic lifted a hand to attack her.

“U-turn on Meowstic,” I whispered at Cenza once again. 

She flew out of my bag without question and knocked Meowstic over enough to cause the Shadow Ball meant to kill Violet to explode only near her, merely sending her crashing into the ground a few yards away. Somewhat worse for wear, but alive. 

Meowstic still took aim at Violet, so I had to make a risky play. “Cancel U-turn and use Play Rough,” I asked Cenza. 

[Compris!] She said before cancelling U-turn’s green glow and surrounding herself in a pink glow. She jumped onto Meowstic and began scratching, biting and pulling wherever she could. Meowstic fumbled about trying to get her off, but she kept on going. [I’m not scared of you!] She declared.

Unfortunately the glow from Play Rough could not last forever and as soon as she had slowed Meowstic caught her with a Mean Look and yanked her off with his left paw. 

[Cenza, get out of there!] I desperately shouted.

Cenza squirmed in panic, even attempting a Thundershock out of pure instinct, but it ended up doing more damage to herself as Meowstic just glared. He raised his right paw and fired a Psybeam at point blank range knocking her several feet away, squeaking horribly the whole way. She rolled on the ground a bit aways from Violet before becoming motionless. 

Nooo! I pushed her too hard, she doesn’t have enough battle experience for this! Please be okay, please!

Violet, ignoring her own injuries, immediately scampered to her feet and bolted for Cenza. She picked her up the moment she was close enough and held her close to her chest, pulling out several Sitrus berries and a Max Potion.

When they didn’t immediately bring her back, she reached in and brought out a Max Revive. The whole time her hands were shaking and she was just softly repeating  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” over and over.

Meowstic dusted himself off before taking aim once again to finish the job. He eyed Violet’s panic with a stoic expression.

[Lou, hurry up we need you! Donut, focus on Pangoro and strike him with Spin Dash! Zenara, slow down Dragalge’s movement with Cotton Spore and hit with him more Shock Waves!] I relayed orders to all three of them as I made my way back into the fray to fight Benedetto myself.

We’re losing too much ground, everyone is losing ground.

Violet looked towards Meowstic. “I know Benedetto has made it seem as though he is all that matters. That you fight for him at this moment. However, while I draw breath you will not kill Cenza.” She held her close to her chest, keeping her back turned so there wasn’t a ghost of a chance of her getting hurt.

Meowstic tilted his head in confusion before shooting a Psybeam right next to Violet.

She did not flinch.

With even more confusion written on his face he shot her, right in the back and she merely held onto Cenza tighter, blowing open her shirt and leaving a nasty, distorted psychedelic mark on Violet’s back. Meowstic’s face was riddled with conflict as he lowered his hand until…

[ You will not strike my compatriots EVER AGAIN! ] Lou swung in madly screaming in a visceral way I had never heard before, pincers glowing. Meowstic whirled around slower than usual, leaving him exposed to Lou raking his pincers straight down his face.

Meowstic screamed in agony clutching his now bloody face until Lou exploded with energy and speared him into the water with a merciless Wild Charge. Rather than continue the assault he waddled over to Violet and sprayed a String Shot over Violet’s back, stopping the bleeding.

Her face was tense and smeared with dirt, and yet it still seemed melancholy rather than pained. [My sincere apologies Lou, for demanding your attention when you are amidst a battle.]

Lou simply grunted. [I have been slacking this battle, I do not deserve apologies. Attend to Cenza while I finish this myself.]

[Give him hell!] I shouted. 

Lou turned to Meowstic who appeared to be in agonizing pain, but worked through it and shot a Psybeam at Lou. Lou shot straight through it with a thick String Shot and reeled himself in before smashing into Meowstic once again.

Lou was done being pushed around.

Zenara had run over to Dragalge, spinning around and throwing Cotton Spores everywhere. A Thunder Wave sent both Dragalge and the spores sparking and jolting, making it almost impossible for him to avoid paralyzation and some nasty aftershocks. With the electric wool and her never missing Shock Waves, even Dragalge was having a hard time keeping up.

[Amethyst! I gotcha!] She sent another volley of Thunder Waves towards Pangoro and Trevenant, attempting to force them off of her.

Pangoro and Trevenant were forced to dodge dropping a bloody Amethyst on the ground. Her legs quaked in pain and her pristine white fur was covered in all sorts of debris and blood, but she did not fall. Pangoro aimed a Dark Pulse right at her, but Donut came in clutch and cut right through it and Pangoro’s hands. 

As Pangoro clutched his hands in agony, Donut appeared behind. He was badly bruised in his own right and was favoring his left, but his face had the same determination it had when he fought Flax at the Little Cup. Except this time he wasn’t going to lose.

[You see what happens when you try to do everything yourself, Amethyst?] He stated casually, although his tone was deadly serious. [I know you’re angry, but you’re losing control. Just this once, I’ll show you how it’s done.]

He leaped onto Pangoro and began using Maneuver, Tickling every inch of his body, gradually lowering his attack and defense. Pangoro flailed in response trying to latch onto Donut, but Donut ripped his leaf right out of his mouth and kept going. 

He finished by jumping directly on his head and nailed him in the nape with a Brick Break, sending him on his knees gasping for air. Donut was panting, but he still had enough energy to launch another Thunderbolt at the downed Pangoro.

Amethyst grit her teeth before she smiled, chuckling a bit to herself. [And now I’m getting lectured. Fine then, you know I’m more than ready to rock!] She ripped more leaves off of Trevanant, fashioning them into elongated claws. 

She didn’t give Pangoro any time to breathe as she began mincing him. Amethyst started darting about, using her much smaller size to her advantage as she streaked around him. Blood began erupting from the backs of his legs, his stomach, throat, arms, everywhere. 

She was a blur of purple and red and she kept going until he was barely keeping himself upright. She then streaked between his legs, raking her claws all the way up his front and leaving gashes that only ended at his chin.

She landed gracefully in front of him, with her back to him as he fell to the ground with a thud. Down but not out. She just smirked. [How’s that for ‘bitchy little cat’ huh?]

Trevenant began moving towards the duo to help their teammate, but Amethyst just rolled her eyes and the leaves gave way to razor sharp claws that seemed to suck the light out of the air itself before she raked them across their eye. [Donut, enjoy yourself.]

Donut got on all fours before he began charging a steel Spin Dash. The air around him crackled as more and more electricity gathered around him along with the smell of ozone burning before he went flying. Trevenant sharpened Shadow Claws to grab him and while they did manage to hold him back, he also managed to rip their branches to shreds and drive them into the dirt. 

Donut jumped off, stumbling a bit before getting up panting. The Trevenant was alive, but their bark had been scraped to hell and back, cracks all over leaking out their ghostly essence.

[Woo, you’re making me work,] He exhaled, exhausted. [But I’m not done.]

Donut launched himself high up into the air before he surrounded himself in a large Thundercloud. With a roaring ‘Pikaaaa’ he shot out of the Thundercloud encased by his own lightning, spinning the whole way down. When he collided with Trevenant there was a blinding explosion before he rolled off the haunted tree, whose shadow was trying to repair their shattered body.

During all of this I had been combatting Benedetto, getting used to his tactics. I noticed that his movements were more pained, likely due to Violet’s rock throw and stab earlier. We clashed and he brought his face as close as he could to spew his vile garbage. 

“I haven’t had this much fun in a looooong time. Killing you all will be just the kick I need,” He whispered pushing back on me. “You ruined my life, so every time I think about everything I’ve lost, I’ll think about how I got to watch the life leave your eyes!”

I tried to kick him away, but he dodged and swung his baton at my head. I managed to duck right under it, but he kicked me in the chest, sending me sprawling to the ground. I rolled to regain my footing just in time to block another strike so I could whack his leg hard. He punched me in the face in retaliation, but I simply rolled with it and created some distance rubbing my face in pain.

Work through the pain, fight through the pain.

I charged at him again as he made another wild swing. I had been watching him fight Violet for a while and just as Volkner taught me, I had analyzed the movements he favored and went for a feint. He fell for it completely, allowing me to slam his dominant arm with my baton and kick him in the ass. Literally.

He stumbled forward before turning around in a rage, tackling me and pinning me down. His victory was short lived however, as I saw Violet run up in his blind spot. Her eyes were glinting an ominous red as she cut Benedetto deep in the back of his legs, before she slashed him across his uninjured arm and kicked him off of me.

She lent me a hand and pulled me up. “Thanks,” I muttered. “Are you and Cenza alright?”

She nodded. “Cenza is as well as she could be at the moment. I am ready to fight thanks to Lou.”

We glanced over to Benedetto who was groaning on the ground in agony, rolling in the mud from the river and the blood from his many open wounds. Due to how Violet stabbed him he couldn’t walk and could barely lift his weapons.

“Meowstic, Dragalge! Help me!” He wailed for his Pokemon. 

As soon as he did, Meowstic flew in and shot a Psybeam… relatively close to us. Violet couldn’t move as well so I pushed her to the side so we could avoid the blast. The Meowstic’s left eye had a deep gash in it and was still bleeding. Judging by his extensive wounds Lou had indeed put him through hell, but he still began searching through Benedetto’s bag for medical supplies.

“Meowstic, he’s a bad man! You don’t have to keep fighting for him anymore!” I shouted trying to win him over. 

Instead, Meowstic turned towards me, only one eye glowed but a wave of psychic overload flooded my mind forcing me to clutch my head. All I could feel was pain, sadness, solitude, all of Meowstic’s feelings overloading me.

Is this Extrasensory?

Meowstic’s eyes flickered and all of a sudden the connection broke, leaving him clutching his own head. I could hear Amethyst giggle in the back of my mind. Likely due to her breaking the imposed link from Meowstic.

Meowstic ignored me and was about to take out a potion for Benedetto, but Lou tore open the very ground below him and dragged him down into the mud like a Trapinch, shocks and explosions flying from the hole Lou had made and the angry bug out of sight as quickly as he’d showed himself.

Dragalge flew over and began spewing Smokescreen around Benedetto to hide him and take pot shots at the rest of us with Hydro Pump. I dragged Violet behind a rock to shield us from whatever they attempted.

The point was moot however, as Zenara came hurtling down from the sky with her tail glinting like metal before swinging it directly onto Dragalge’s snout. They started coughing and sputtering at the unexpected backlash as Zenara, now supercharged, began rolling in place right on his face. They were jerking about from the paralyzation, jolts flooding their body and a mace of an Iron Tail smacking them in the face repeatedly. 

Bluish draconic energy began to envelop them for an Outrage before Zenara yelled [Get dunked on!] and slammed her tail right into their skull. All her stored electricity went crackling through their body, locking them into place midair before they fell to the ground. Unable to levitate themselves any longer.

“Useless… seahorse,” Benedetto coughed.

Violet and I peeked out of the rock to see Zenara proudly walk off of them. Patches of wool were missing, I noti ced her lim p in some places and she was obviously very tired, but I had never seen her happier. 

“How did you get so strong?” I blurted out. I don’t think trained Ampharos were as unabashedly badass as her.
She smiled, skipping a bit. [Lou Lou helped me train a bunch, and I don’t need a trainer to get stronger! I’m gonna learn how to kick butt all on my own if I have to. After seeing Lou Lou and Roland and everyone be so strong? No way could I just laze about and wait for someone to train me! If I wanna be trained, I’ma train myself!]

“Good on ya, Zenara! Keep at it,” I cheered for her until I heard a strange rumble below my feet. Mere seconds later the ground below us erupted as a severely wounded Meowstic crawled away from Lou. Lou on the other hand was raring to continue.

[Fight me like a true soldier, coward !] He screamed before shooting another String Shot at him. Meowstic was pinned in midair and fell down near his trainer.

“Fais le,” He whispered to Meowstic who nodded solemnly. “Je me fiche de ce qui se passe, tant qu'ils meurent! Raser cette forêt au sol, Meowstic!”

“Uhhh, what did he say? I don’t speak generic French villain,” I asked genuinely backing up from the vibrating Meowstic, whose ears unfurled completely, resonating with power.

My Pokedex began beeping obnoxiously so I took it out to check what the big deal was:

Danger! Danger! Danger! Dangerously high levels of unstable of psychic energy have been detected in your area. We recommend you retreat and alert anti-psychic operatives to assist you at this time. Would you like me to call them for you?

Well that’s new. And foreboding. They’ve been throwing insane psychic energy all over the place, but I’m guessing this is the really insane, run for your life kind.

Amethyst just floated over and smiled, smirking through the blood on her coat and looking more worn out than I’d ever seen her. I’d only seen her for two days, but still. 

[What he just said was ‘I’m a bitch baby coward who can’t accept defeat, use your last ditch attack to kill them all and me so I don’t have to live with the knowledge I got my ass whooped’.] 

[That wasn’t a direct translation, but I think you get the gist,] Cenza’s tired voice squeaked through our minds.

Oh thank goodness she’s okay.

Amethyst glanced towards me. [No worries, I got this. Violet, you okay?]

Violet simply nodded before Amethyst stood in front of us. [Now, lemme show you why listening to a cowardly bastard isn’t ever gonna work out.]

“Don’t you need like an ether or something?” I looked her down. “Or intense medical care?”

She sighed and shook her head, shrugging. [Is now really the time?]

“Oh no, don’t mind me, please stop Meowstic’s attempt at reenacting armageddon,” I nervously laughed. I really wasn’t in the mood to watch Meowstic pop off for a man like Benedetto and bring us all down with him.

Amethyst rolled her eyes and smiled as she flew up to meet Meowstic face to face. His left eye was barely glowing and it seemed like his body was going to give out any moment considering all the blood that wouldn’t stop seeping out, but he kept going. 

Strikes of navy blue psychic lightning began to surround him as he became engulfed in a swirling blue sphere that was gradually growing. The wind began to howl as the sphere amassed more power. Whatever material that happened to touch his sphere was immediately disintegrated, turning the web around him to ash as he began to levitate off the ground.

Amethyst merely scoffed and began amassing her own power, her own violet lightning crackling off her body, but in a much more controlled and stable manner. The wind began howling in accordance with her energy rather than Meowstic’s. She closed her eyes and unfurled ears before she opened them, shining brighter than ever.

For a moment, the two Meowstic were the source of light in the clearing. Everything around us was bathed in clashing violet and navy light. The trees, abused by Trevenant, groaned in the wind as leaves whipped about. A pressure from them both could be felt, as if we were staring down a bomb about to go off.

Seconds later Meowstic was encased in a gemstone cut prison that he desperately tried to break out of. No matter how much pressure he applied, Amethyst did not flinch.

As she began to shrink the gemstone, Meowstic stared angrily at Amethyst with one eye which she returned with a condescending expression.

‘You were never a threat, even at your best’ was the expression she gave him. 

To emphasize the fact she immediately shrunk the gemstone all the way to his fur and forcibly dissipated his psychic energy. With one last sly chuckle, she Sucker Punched him to the ground where Lou was ready to tackle him once again with Wild Charge. Meowstic rolled to the ground by Benedetto, defeated in body, mind and spirit.

I just stared in awe as Amethyst floated back down to us as though she had done something like walk down the street, not looking for any praise. I decided to give her some anyway, because holy shit.

“Holy shit, he didn’t stand a chance! That was amazing, Amethyst! Nice touch with the gemstone too!” I, admittedly, fanboyed.

She just waved me off with a smirk. [Autographs later. For now, let’s end this shall we?]

She pointed behind us to show that Pangoro had managed to regain enough stamina to try us again, Trevenant had repaired enough of their body and Dragalge had managed to gain control of their levitation. Benedetto cackled in agony and delight at the sight of his Pokemon returning to the fray.

Donut on the other hand audibly groaned before he turned to Violet. [So, if we win you’ll get us donuts right?] He asked genuinely.

She nodded, a small smile dancing across her face. [I will purchase whatever sort of donuts you like, and anything at all the rest of you would want.]

Donut gave her a cute smile despite all the bruises. [Perfect, motivation. My favorites are glazed and jelly, but I love them all.] He turned to the rest of the Pokemon. [So we’re gonna blow them up.] .

[Are you implying we use Battery Volt?] Lou asked.

[Yup, Zenara and Amethyst can help too.] Donut turned to them to explain. [Lou’s weird ability Battery makes ally special moves stronger and he’s got loads of electricity he doesn’t use stored in his body. Battery Volt is when we take that energy and use it to blow people up. You guys in?]

Zenara’s eyes were wide, a huge grin across her face. [I get to help blow them up? I wanna help blow them up! I’m gonna help blow them up!]

Amethyst couldn’t help but chuckle. [I might not be as enthusiastic as her, but yes, I’m more than happy to blow them up.]

Donut nodded with determination. Cenza led us humans to a safe location so we didn’t get caught in the crossfire (very far away), meanwhile I handed Violet some noise cancelling headphones and sunglasses. Everyone gathered around Lou, whose ability had been active passively the entire time, as he began releasing even more power. Donut and Zenara began using Charge to build up their own energy as Amethyst began to concentrate the ambient electricity into a Charge Beam of her own.

It wasn’t unlike the psychic battle that had just occurred, though the remnants of the Psychic Terrain seemed to be sucked into the orb Amethyst was charging. Ozone filled the air once more, with long arms of lightning raking across the ground and carving gashes into the earth. The orb in front of her began growing and growing, first to the size of a berry, then a fist, then a Cherubi, then almost as large as Amethyst herself.

Lou dispersed energy to all three pokemon while the Donut and Zenara charged their own in order to transfer it to Amethyst. Their synergy was immaculate and powerful as they all grinned in the face of their opponents.

“Kill them already!” Benedetto screamed, as his Pokemon began to lob Gunk Shot, Dark Pulse and Shadow Ball at our team. Unfortunately for them, Donut said the magic words.

[It’s time to get the donuts. Battery Volt mkIV, fire!]

For a second, the world went deaf. All Violet and I saw was a flash of light shining out from our Pokemon, who all glowed in a golden hue, with a couple blue highlights around Amethyst. The orb suddenly condensed to the size of a pin head as Amethyst put her paws in a gun position and fired a freaking rail gun of light straight through every attack in their way. Benedetto’s team could only stare in futility as they and everything behind them was engulfed in a gleaming, thunderous roar. 

Even with the headphones and sunglasses on Violet and I had to hide from the shock waves the attack let loose. We could only hear the Earth rend from behind the rock we hid as the beam was launched miles into the ocean.

When the dust settled, the three enemy Pokemon were lying in a charred pile, with everything surrounding them leveled to the ground and some clouds in the distance blown clear through. Luckily they had aimed towards the ocean where there were less trees, but whatever was there had vanished.

Destructive finish.

I removed my headphones and sunglasses once it was deemed safe meanwhile Violet ran right along with Cenza in her bag. The Pokemon looked well enough, but positively drained. Violet and I congratulated them all as we took out max ethers and hyper potions to share amongst them all, to temper the severity of their wounds until we got them to the Pokemon Center. The potency of all the quick fixes was wearing off, they were all going to need proper medical care.

I noted how Amethyst’s body still crackled with wild blue electricity which looked a bit… out of place, for her species, but I decided to ignore it as our Pokemon’s conditions began to get better.

“That… was badass,” I had to laugh as I said it. I had never seen anything like it. “Nice leadership Donut and Lou you really came through, as always.”

Violet was smiling at the whole group. “You have proven your strength unquestionably.”

Zenara was clearly tired but rolling a bit with a blissful look on her face. [I helped fire a laser! I helped fire a laser! I wanna do that again!]

Amethyst meanwhile was smiling at Donut specifically. [Thanks. I don’t usually get so worked up, so the grounding’s appreciated. Funny it came from an electric type, but y’know.]

Donut groomed his ears quickly before replying. [I’m used to bombastic personalities and explosive outbursts. It happens to the best of us, it’s no problem. Someone has to be the mellow one after all.]

She nodded before walking over to Benedetto. [So, Benjy. You feeling like the piece of shit you are? Since you definitely look like something that came out of a human’s rear end about now.]

Benedetto sputtered at the mention of the name ‘Benjy’ as Meowstic psychically lifted all four Pokeballs off his belt and sent them to mine and Violet’s hands. We got the message loud and clear as we recalled all of his Pokemon. They all immediately went into stasis mode upon entering, my Pokedex notifying us they needed medical attention to end stasis mode.

I could go for some medical attention myself, I did not appreciate Benedetto’s child abuse today.

“That’s not… my name… give me back… my Pokeballs,” He grunted, propping himself up on his arms. “I command you, Meowstic.”

She just rolled her eyes and kicked his arms out from under him, sending him back to the dirt. [If you mean him, he’s unconscious. You put him through plenty of abuse, more’n just physical. And if you mean me -] She punched him in the face. [My name’s Amethyst . Besides, they’re not your Pokeballs. You stole them just like everything else you think you own.]

He groaned in pain before replying. “Hehe, I don’t remember ever naming a Pokemon Amethyst. You may think you’re hot shit now, but you’re still the miserable Espurr I found on Route 6. You’ve just evolved, so your name is also Meowstic. As if you deserve a true name, don’t make me laugh.”

Amethyst just propped up her head on a paw. [Y’know. I was wondering how’d you respond to losing everything and your inevitable end. This about fits, you’re too cowardly to face it when you’ve lost Benjy. ] She looked to all of us. [His name’s Benjamin, by the way. He just calls himself Benedetto to sound cooler ‘cuz he thinks he’s a hotshot.] She laughed and made a smallish Light Screen. [He’d even stand in front of the mirror and shoot finger guns at it while introducing himself as Benedetto like this.]
She then proceeded to flail her arms goofily at the mirror. [My name’s Benedetto, I think I’m cool but I’m not! I just tell myself that because I can’t do anything and this is all I have!]

Okay so that is pretty hilarious, even moreso because it’s mocking him.

All of us began to chuckle as Bene- Benjamin slammed the ground in anger. “Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up! No one gets to talk to me like that. I didn’t bust my ass working for J to be mocked by a cat!” Benedetto tried to stand, but his limbs were just not cooperating. Which left him left on the ground as Benjamin.

Amethyst just rolled her eyes. [Oh, so would you prefer I mock you about that time I burned a hole through your favorite sleeping bag and you cried for two hours? Or how about that time Pangoro had to pull you out of the river because you got dared to jump in and your dumb ass was so focused on looking cool you forgot you couldn’t swim . Oooh oooh, or that time you screamed loud enough for all of Lumiose to hear because a Scatterbug had fallen asleep on your face when you were napping after having Pangoro beat me up?]

Amethyst wasn’t kidding. This man is a mess. Not even a hot mess, just… a messy mess.

Benjamin reached towards Amethyst who simply sidestepped. “That’s what… Dragalge is for… so I don’t have to swim. Yveltal damn you! Your bitchy trainer stabbed me just so-”

At this point it was impossible to hear him over Amethyst’s laughter. It took her a solid ten seconds to regain any composure. [You still can’t swim? You bought a whole submarine, made it your main way of transporting stolen and abused Pokemon and you never learned how to swim?! Oh my Arceus, I knew you were a coward afraid to do anything yourself, but that’s hysterical! ]

“Aghhhhh,” Benjamin slammed his fists in the mud once again, blood mixing in. “Why me?” He whispered. “Of all the trainers who release their Pokemon why did mine have to come back? I let you go, why isn’t that enough? You’ve taken my business, my future, my Pokemon, I can’t even bloody walk! I never wanted to see your damned face or those cursed eyes ever again. What do you want from me!?”

Amethyst’s eyes suddenly glowed harshly, Benjamin’s body lifting up from the ground. 

[You think letting me go was enough? Releasing me into a region that’s not my own, in the middle of that horrid city with no idea where to go or what to do in the middle of winter ? In the middle of a bunch of other humans who’d gladly try and use me the same way you did? Oh sure, that’s acceptable.]

Her ears unfurled dangerously. [Your business built off of murder and slavery? Your future of forcing other innocent people into lives shortened by your abuse and auctioning them off like things to be sold? The Pokemon you stole and abused into following you? You’re gonna be whining about a lot worse than some cuts on your leg pretty soon.]

Leaves began lifting themselves off of the trees.

[As for what I want from you, Benjy? It’s not much, really.] Amethyst inhaled deeply.

[ Your life. ]

Donut’s ears perked up and my face screwed in concern. [Isn’t this the part where the humans take him to jail or something? He’s been bleeding for awhile now…] Donut voiced his concern. 

Amethyst’s eyes didn’t waver, the leaves reorienting themselves with their pointed ends aimed towards Benjamin. [Won’t matter how much he’s bled if he’s dead, now will it?]

O-oh.

“Wait wait wait, no no stop! I’ll give you anything, just not my life! Put me down please, I’m sorry! Amethyst, I’m sorry!” Benjamin squirmed under Amethyst’s grip before he turned to us standing by. “Stop her please, help me! Do fucking anything!”

Amethyst just glared as a leaf shot past him, leaving a paper thin cut across his cheek. [ Sorry? You think sorry’s enough? You think anything you have to offer is worth fuck all? I know damn well I’m not the only life you’ve ruined. You made a career out of it! It’s all fun and games and shit talk until you’re in the hot seat, isn’t it?]

Another leaf cut across the arm Violet had hit with a rock. The girl in question was just standing there, watching with her arms crossed. Her face was void of any sympathy.

[You really think I’m about to let you go? Let some humans determine your fate? No, Benjamin. Before you die, I’m going to make you understand exactly what it’s like to be powerless. What it’s like to have your life wrenched from your hands, placed in the hands of someone who doesn’t care if you live or die. What it’s like to not be able to defend yourself. ]

Her eyes narrowed to slits as his squirming ceased, Amethyst’s grip on him tightening. [ What it’s like to be at the mercy of the people you think are nothing. ]

And with that, the torrent of leaves descended on him. None of the cuts she inflicted were actually bleeding, they weren’t even deep enough to draw any blood. But each one was oh so clearly painful.

I looked over to Violet. “Was this her intent all along?”

She simply nodded, her face and posture calm. Her tone perfectly even. “It has been for years. She desires revenge. He has taken many lives and ruined far more. A fitting end for a waste of matter such as him.”

“I… see…” I said slowly, my stomach turning at my weak statement.

I’m supposed to denounce this right? A true League official wouldn’t condone torture of any kind and arrest the perpetrator. Yet… my heart isn’t in it. 

I clenched my chest and my heartbeat was disturbingly calm. 

I can’t even say this bothers me. He deserves this. Is it any more humane than a normal execution?

[Violet, is this really okay?] Donut asked her, causing her to look down at him. [Do you really want your best friend to live with the knowledge she tortured someone to death? I know Pokemon killing is different than humans killing, but isn’t this… excessive?]

Violet simply shook her head. [I do not believe so. A question for you all. You remember what we were told about the mass teleporter, yes? How precisely do you believe they found out that attempting to speed up the process results in death for the Pokemon involved?]

All of our voices hitched at the thought. Cenza’s eyes began to water, but she spoke up first. [I… I still don’t think this is right,] She said. I looked down at her and most of her fur was pretty messed up from the Psybeam earlier and she could barely stand. 

Amethyst glanced back for a moment, Benjamin currently trying to scratch at his mouth and nose where sludge-filled water was blocking his airway before turning back to what she was doing. Violet simply gazed at Cenza. [What would you have her do instead?]

[Everyone was saved and all the bad guys were beaten. That’s all I wanted. No one has to get hurt anymore, I just wanna go,] She pleaded. [I know I haven’t done as much as everyone else so you don’t really have to listen to me, but please!]

Violet shook her head quickly. [How much you have done has nothing to do with this. You have done far more than should ever have been asked of you.] She gave a quick side eye to me before continuing. 

Not as vitriolic as I expected. I can’t blame her though, I asked for a bit much, but it was so we could all survive.

[Would you truly trust humans to punish him properly? He clearly would prefer to live, and human society is built around preventing human deaths. Meanwhile, were he left to the world outside of the fragile bubbles humans have made for themselves? He would be dead within days.]

Cenza spared the quickest glance towards Benedetto. [I think he’s suffered enough. Donut said the good humans take away bad people like him, let’s go get them!]

[And leave the chance he can go back to whatever he wants?] Amethyst’s voice rang out. [If he’s alive, Hunter J could easily force him into working for her as a meat shield or something. And then he could break away. If he’s dead? He won’t hurt anyone again, ever .]

[You’re going too far Amethyst, if you’re going to kill him, just do it. Stop toying with his life.] Donut stated.

The water pulled itself out of his lungs, and as he was gasping for air blades of grass began slicing through his skin. [Oh, so I should care about his feelings? He toyed with all of our lives! You’ve heard it yourself, he never gave a damn! I literally can’t hurt him as bad as he’s hurt Pokemon combined. But I can make him understand exactly how we felt before he dies.]

[Lou?] Donut whirled over to Lou who was oddly quiet. [Well?]

[In war conflict can become a bloody affair and we perform cruel acts we would never do otherwise. I am not above such violence, but I’m also not one for tormenting the weak. This cur is bloody, battered and broken. If it were my decision I would dispose of him and the rest of his team, but it is not my call to make,] He stated rather cordially before side eyeing me subtly. 

[So….?] Donut asked.

[The mission is complete, rescue the Kalosians and defeat the perpetrators. We have no reason to stay any longer. I don’t even know why we are arguing this. Let us make our report to General Volkner and await orders,] Lou finished.

That’s rather controlled of him. Although he has always been mission oriented.

Donut rolled his eyes before looking towards Zenara. [Zenara, you remember all the lessons we got? You should know this isn’t okay.]

Zenara took a second before responding, her stance more serious than I’d ever seen her. [I… I don’t think that’s right. This is a human who’s based his whole life around killing and selling Pokemon! Amethyst’s been around before me or you were even born and he’s been at it since even before that! I know death isn’t something good, but-]

Her wool ruffled a bit as the sand from the beach was pulled out of it before Amethyst began using it as sandpaper across Benjamin’s skin. [Oh uh thanks for getting that outta there Amethyst!]

[No problem.]

She looked back to Donut, who seemed even more flabbergasted. [Anyway, I know you don’t like this, but I also know that Amethyst is really nice. You know she’s really nice. Everyone here knows she’s really nice. Sure, she doesn’t like humans, but think about how she’s treated Topaz so far. Even when she barely knew him, all she was was sassy and talking like she knows more. Which she does. They know more about the world than any of us except for Lou Lou. Think about how awful he has to be for Amethyst to not just be okay with this, but more than happy to do it herself? And besides, you gotta remember the Helheim class we got. We’re not the ones Benjy screwed over, Amethyst is.]

[Not everyone is able to get first hand revenge, which is why humans go out of their way to make proper punishments. This is excessively cruel, we are above this,] He countered.

She gave him a confused look. [But Roland said we should listen to the people who got hurt in stuff like this. Cenza doesn’t want it, but Amethyst does. And Violet’s known her longer, wouldn’t she know how important this is to her?]

[But remember Froberge said we have to exercise our own judgement and remain a neutral party. If Topaz and I let Amethyst and Violet do whatever they want, they’d both be dead.] Donut stated once again. He never once raised his voice. 

Zenara paused a moment before shuddering. [Well if we’re supposed to make our own decisions… I’m not stopping them. I can’t even imagine how many times other Pokemon were put through that awful cage room thing earlier. And if he only did it once, maybe I’d think differently.] She stamped her foot on the ground definitively. [But he didn’t. He does this for a living! I can’t look at him and say he doesn’t deserve this after what he’s done.]

[Wisely said. You are both brimming with conviction,] Lou complimented them. [Your answer, Donut?]

[If that’s your decision then mine is that Amethyst stops this and we get the League,] He stated once again.

Cenza nodded fervently. [I agree with Donut!]

While they were arguing philosophies, Amethyst seemed to be systematically breaking every last one of his bones, still pelting him with leaves and sand.

Cenza covered her ears and Lou’s expression remained neutral. I hated watching them all fight, but the only way I could see them stopping Amethyst was to attack her themselves.

Donut stared at me in absolute befuddlement. His world was getting rocked and I felt bad for him. He’s a good Pokemon. A good partner as well. [Zio. Please tell me you think this is wrong.] 

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, reorganizing my thoughts and tuning out the noise.

All my life I’ve looked up to the League as the golden standard. That I should be as noble as Cynthia or as cool headed as Volkner. That I had to uphold its code and protect my region. Except…

In the pit of my stomach I could feel the two forces that had been fighting within me all this time finally cease. The Devil within me began to move in tandem with the The Strength I had earned over the last two days. At its core was The Fool, me. Who I am as a person.

I may not know everything, but as I am now, I know what I want to say. Jubilee said listen to my heart? Well it’s a good thing it felt talkative today.

I smiled down at Donut rubbing his head before I calmly walked over to Benjamin.

I’ve considered everyone’s feelings and my own. Time to make my own stand.  

He looked down at me as though I was his savior as he began pleading for help.

“Boy, I mean, T-Topaz right? Please help me, you’ve got to save me!” His eyes were streaming with tears as he begged for aid. 

Pathetic.

I turned towards Amethyst. “Don’t kill him.”

She looked at me as though I had spoken gibberish before preparing another onslaught. Violet stared at me, thoroughly calm about to begin another lecture. [Why do you-?]

I put up a hand to stop Violet’s thoughts before I turned to her. “Let me finish for once, please,” I asked before turning to Amethyst once again. “Do not kill him. Make him wish he was dead.”

I could sense confusion emerge from everyone behind me.

Amethyst then looked at me proper. [Okay you’re gonna need to explain. This bastard is terrified of dying. It’s the last thing he wants. If he wants to live, he dies. If he wants to die, he lives. And he wants to live.]

I strolled up to Benjamin floating in the air. My heart was scarily calm and my eyes focused. “Are you sure you want to live, Benjamin?”

His eyes bugged out as he fought through the pain to yell at me. “Of course I want to fucking live! What the hell is wrong with you!? Make her stop!”

I shook my head, my expression remained steeled. “I literally can’t make her do anything unless I wanna end up like you. I can only suggest an alternative course of action. Which is to allow you to live. As a broken, useless failure. Amethyst says the thing you fear most is dying, but what else do you have to lose?” I honestly asked.

His ragged breaths actually paused.

“Let me count. We’ve destroyed your operation, ruined your reputation, stolen your goods back, all your subordinates will be arrested, your chance to join the syndicate is gone, your submarine has been destroyed, your Pokemon taken and your body will never move how you want it again unless you get extensive medical care,” I paused putting a finger on my chin. “That you can’t actually afford because the League will freeze all your accounts due to illegal gains. So you’ll get what the courts allow.”

I had to chuckle at this one. “Hell, you’re actually a burden alive. I’m sure you’ve let down a lot of important people’s expectations due to the colossal failure the last two days have been. That was… around ten or so reasons why you should want to die, yes?”

Whatever hope Benjamin had in his eyes vanished. Amethyst’s gaze changed a bit behind the glow from her eyes and my own morals were trying to catch up to everything I was saying.

When did I become this? 

He deserves it.

I sound like a sicko. 

He deserves it.

I never wanted to be this person.

He deserves it.

Each breach of hesitation was quickly sealed by that phrase. Finally Benjamin replied, gravely.

“You’re… you’re just like them. You’re a monster! All of you are monsters! ” He began squirming in terror and I simply frowned. “That look you bear. It’s the same!”

“I don’t enjoy hurting people if that’s what you think. No one here does. We just don’t think it’s a flaw to believe that those who practice slavery should be punished for it,” I said before my voice grew dark. “Being called a monster by an abomination means nothing to me. No matter what happens today, whether Amethyst or the League gets you, neither will ever allow you to hurt anyone again.”

I let out a deep sigh and turned to Donut whose expression was stern. I could only hope he understood. “I don’t think I would wish this on my worst enemy and I’m not really keen on watching you suffer, but I won’t apologize. Not to you.” 

I turned back to Amethyst.

“I’ve said my piece, do whatever you want until the League gets here. Even in the middle of nowhere this battle would’ve been noticed. There’s barely reason to call at this point,” I said as I walked back to everyone else.

Amethyst nodded to me, a genuine smile on her face. [You made some good points. Good on you.] Then she looked back to Benjamin. [So, Benjy , you still wanna live so bad?]

~x3x~

After moving out of screaming range, we stood on the grass closer to the ocean. Violet meanwhile seemed legitimately happy at that. “I am glad you understand that this is her decision, and hers alone.”

I sighed. “I think I’m beginning to talk like you now, all of that sort of came out . At the same time, don’t think I did this for anyone but myself. I considered everyone’s feelings as well as my own on the matter.”

She gazed at me for a moment. “Perhaps, but ultimately you did not attempt to force her. Merely suggest. Which is perfectly acceptable.”

I looked down at Donut who looked forlorn. [Zio… you know this isn’t… right, right?]