Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

Amethio POV

Panting heavily, I stopped, catching my breath. Dammit, how did this all go wrong? I knew, logically, the process of my mistakes, but critically, not why. Glancing back at the dusty bowl of earth I had scrambled out of, I could see that pink mist still billowing around, probably spreading further.

Enough panic. Grandfather wouldn't panic; he's an Explorer. And I am too. I just need to calmly evaluate the situation. Drakloak drifted over from where he'd been hovering, giving me a pitiful sound, half between a hiss and a croak. The worry he had wasn't due to his injuries but for the fate of his friend, his eyes glancing down at the Pokeball gripped tightly in my hand.

Leaning against a tree stump near the cliff edge, I tried to rest up a moment more, only to stumble and fall as the rotted wood gave way. Hitting my chin on the way down, I tumbled, landing near the edge. Panic seized me for a moment before I realized I wasn't at risk of falling off here. Still, I'd rather not find out what that mist does to humans.

I must really be out of it; I haven't failed to notice something that obvious in the wilderness since my survival training… with Nemona… As I slowly got up, my thoughts drifted towards my young rival. She was a Champion-ranked Trainer now, argued to be the best in Paldea.

It felt hard to consider her a 'rival' at this point (is that a feeling normal people get? I see it mentioned in media, but how do you know? There's so much of everyday communication I don't seem to understand as an Explorer). Nemona had rocketed past me, with Gym Badges and Legendary Pokemon to her name and skill in battle that had far outpaced my own. Seeing how much she'd grown had inspired me to take this mission, something I was now regretting.

Those doubts were also what held my hand from calling her for a minute before I caved and pressed the button on my Rotom Phone. Giving up and walking empty-handed to the base and having caused a potential natural disaster feels worse than calling her, so I'll see if she can help. Grandfather had been clear that this (much like the rest of our operations) wasn't to be publicized to the outside world, but Nemona was an Explorer. Sort of. Kind of.

It rang three times, longer than usual for Nemona to pick up (if only because Miles recognized my number and would answer it nearly immediately). When it did, I saw her on the other end of the screen, a light sheen of sweat on her skin and a few flecks of sand in her hair. There was a grassy field in the background, so she was likely training near her house. "Hey Amethio, what's u-"

"I need your help." My clipped words had her snap into focus.

"What can I do?" I breathed a sigh of relief at her quick acceptance. Not that I expected less from her, but still. Helps make this feel like everything isn't ruined forever.

"I need you to come here and help me deal with this… anomaly." I told her, sending her the coordinates.

"Mind clarifying what the anomaly is? Like, are we looking at a rip in the time-space continuum, a bunch of Pokemon spontaneously Terastalizing, or everyone doing the chicken dance?"

"What?" I couldn't help the baffled words slipping out of my mouth. Note to self—research this 'chicken dance' to see if it's popular/a thing kids my age should know about.

It was hard to tell with some of those offhand comments Nemona could make. Sometimes (as confirmed by the rest of her friends on the group chat), they were elements of 'everyday' child life that they all knew of. Sometimes, it was just Nemona being weird.

"Just a heads up on what I'm getting into," she said, quickly moving about and gathering her team into their Pokeballs. And why aren't you coming to pick me up?" She inquired. "Armarouge teleporting us there would be a lot faster."

"He's been driven into a rage. I-" my breath hitched for a second before I regained my composure. "I had to knock him out. He's in his Pokeball now."

Nemona's eyes sharpened. "Drakloak?"

"He's fine; he didn't breathe in any of the mist. The anomaly is a pick crystalline structure, but when I attempted to move it from where it was lodged in place, it began spreading a pink mist. Upon breathing them in, Armarouge became stronger but refused to heed my commands."

"Sounds like Beserk Gene, but I've never heard of it crystallized," Nemona muttered. "Alright, thanks for letting me know. I'll have to get the harness, but I should be there in a few minutes." It was impressive and faster than I thought she'd be capable of riding her Gliscor, but I wasn't about to turn away good news.

Ending the call, I turned to look at the mist below, waiting. I don't think it's growing, or at least not much. Despite that, there was still some danger, as I spied a pair of Rockruff down below looking to investigate closer.

"Drakloak, go scare them off. Carefully," I added as I saw the Dragon warily eye the mist below. With a slightly disgruntled sound, my Pokemon flew quickly around the mist and took aim, firing the Rotom atop his head at the ground right in front of the wandering canine Pokemon.

The impact the ghostly missile made in the ground as well as their ferocious battle wail (or as I knew better: a cry of joy and delight), and the Rockruff nearly jumped out of their skin before they scampered away. The Rotom shook themself off and floated back happily to roost atop Drakloak's head. It's been nice having them work together like this. Drakloaks get very upset without a Pokemon to look after, and this gives Rotom a taste of what battling is like while they're still deciding if they want to join my team permanently.

With the other wild Pokemon following the Rockruffs' lead, we didn't have to worry about anyone else getting too curious. At least not before I saw someone approaching from beyond the horizon.

The red-hot object burned through the sky, like a comet travelling parallel to the earth. I had to squint to get a closer look, but there I saw it. Nemona, she's being carried by- ah, right. Radiance. A Legendary Pokemon from the depths of history and Area Zero that she had somehow found. It was a discovery that earned a note of approval from Grandfather and had Spinel grinding his teeth in envy.

With the incredible speed they were moving at, I didn't have to wait long upon seeing them streaking across the horizon for the pair to come to a stop in front of me. All six of Radiance's wings were shooting fire out of them to propel the Legendary Pokemon (and their rider) forward, coming to a harsh stop in front of me. The wave of heat that came with them had me blinking my eyes, and I heard Nemona yelp, "Hot hot hot!" As she dismounted.

"Okay, the harness still needs some work," the girl muttered before peering down the cliff. "That's it?" She asked, pointing down at the mist. I nodded.

"Yes. I don't know how to remove—" I began as she started releasing Pokemon until she had six of her team out.

"Anya, will my plan work?" What plan?! You haven't said anything yet! That was hardly an obstacle for the Psychic type Gothorita, however, the Pokemon pausing for a moment before bobbing her oversized head up and down.

"Can she really see the future?" I asked. You hear stories, but I've never seen it myself. Then again, Spinel's, Agate's, and my Psychic Type all focus on different aspects of that power. Beheeyem was an expert at hypnotism, Agate's Medicham used psychometabolism to power herself up physically, and Armarouge mastered psychokinesis.

"Close enough - it's a good predictor that this won't blow up in our faces at least." With that reassuring comment, Nemona turned back to her team. "Miles, Radiance, take point around the mist, but don't let it touch you. With Dun, we're going to do that thing we practiced."

"I'm not sure we have the strength necessary to send it all the way into orbit, bzzt," Miles interjected, some sort of speech box obviously integrated into their fan body. "If it's carried up and disperses in the atmosphere…" They trailed off ominously. My eyes widened as I heard the scope of her plan.

"We don't need to make it that far - I can see tiny particles reaching us here. It looks like mist doesn't have an effect when only in microscopic quantities. Once we've got the mist out of the way, Notch can deal with the crystal." Nemona declared in rapid fire.

"Wait!" I shouted out, and everyone stopped, the girl and her Pokemon turning to stare at me.

"What's the issue?" Her question was fast, feeling more like a demand, and I froze. What really is the problem? Is it just moving too fast? I shook my head.

"Will the crystal be destroyed? I'm supposed to retrieve it." I could make an argument it was going out of control and had to be destroyed, but that feels as bad or worse than returning to the Explorers and leaving it active.

"No, I don't know what destroying it might do. Don't know how it's doing any of this in the first place—how does it produce mist without losing any mass? Is it a Psychic based effect, and if so, would dark types be immune? Eh, questions for later. It's showtime."

Nemona's mechanical Pokemon flew out over and around the mist, waiting for their trainer's signal. When she gave it, they and Dun flapped their wings (or, in Miles' case, spun their fan blade) and began whipping up the wind around them. A storm gathered over a hundred meters in diameter, covering the entire field of mist and carrying it up.

The funnel of wind rose up high, the three Champion-tier Pokemon beating the wind hard and not letting any of the mist they were sucking out of the area escape to the sides. I had to crane my neck, staring high into the sky and not able to pinpoint the exact spot where it broke. It looks like it just goes on forever and ever.

I couldn't figure out the exact mechanics, but I felt like each of the three Pokemon was focused on different parts in making the storm. One of them likely focused on containment, another on power, and maybe a third for the sheer length? That's how I might divide it up. If I had that many Pokemon that were that powerful. Beside me, Drakloak cowered slightly, shocked by the power they displayed.

It was hard to keep my eyes open even nearby the storm, the wind around us being torn ferociously, even if it wasn't directly part of a storm so strong it would rip someone apart. Still, I focused my vision around to see the crystal, unobscured, glowing pink, sitting as innocuous as it had been when I'd found it and tried to pry it from the ground. Or almost as much; I think it's still trying to make mist, it's just that the mist is getting drawn up instantly.

"Notch, now!" Nemona cried over the wind, and her Diancie grinned.

['Got it!'] The telepathic cry was easy to hear, even despite the rest of the noise, as the Legendary shoved their hands out as if they were holding the gem physically. As the rest of the Pokemon let go of the hurricane, Notch pulled the crystal from the ground telekinetically. It was an angular prism; the previously buried underside was much the same as the part that had protruded from the ground.

It also proved to be angry at the attempt to stop it, pulsing and causing mist to slowly seep out again despite the grip. At least it feels angry. How is it doing this? What can we—?

['Oh no you don't!] Notch redoubled their efforts even as I saw Nemona raising the ring at their side. ['It's fine, we don't need that.'] They said, their gems lighting up slightly as they concentrated and somehow pushed the mist back into the crystal. The crystal pulsed harder, but Notch drew their hands out wide before slamming them together. With that, a sphere of solid diamond blinked into existence around the pink stone.

It pulsed once more within the glittery prison before apparently falling inert, unable to best the Legendary Jewel Pokemon's prison.

We stood there in silence for a minute, staring, waiting for the other shoe to drop, until eventually Nemona relaxed, lowering her hand with the keystone on it. "Amethio?"

"Yeah?"

"What the fuck was that?" I winced at her words. I find it hard to deny them, though. What was that? I know I talked myself up and said I could handle it despite Hamber's concerns, but still! It's supposed to be the key to helping people.

"I—that's classified," I began before Nemona put her hands on her hips.

"Nuh-uh," she said with the grand maturity of a ten-year-old. "I'm a Champion-ranked Trainer; nothing is classified to me anymore." I felt that wasn't entirely true, but that the difference was also academic. So instead, I struck from the emotional angle.

"I didn't demand any answers from you when I took you to the forest and you came out with a 'Hisuian' Zorua." She frowned, her lip twitching, unable to deny my words fully. She still placed a hand on my shoulder to hold me back as I peered over the edge, looking for a safe way down (and wondering how I was going to carry that lump away).

"You didn't, but I also only called you for a ride there. And say this was a fair bit more involved than that." I paused, glaring down at her. She doesn't get the kind of pressure I'm under! My family has a mission grander than anything ever undertaken in human history. Even if I don't know all the details, I have to fulfill my duty. So why am I wavering?

"C'mon, that kind of crystal looks almost identical to any of the other Tera gems that litter Paldea! I need to know if they're a danger to the land."

"...Raquirium. They're called Raquirium, and they're very rare," I admitted. "The goal of the Explorers is to seek them out." It's not the only goal we have, and from the look on her face, I think she understands that too. Luckily, she chose not to press me on that, Hone Clawing in on the pink crystal.

"And what are you going to do with this Raquirium? That stuff seems pretty dangerous," she commented, gesturing at the scorched stone and rock shards that were all around the bottom of the canyon, where I'd fought my Armarouge.

"We want to study it. I was supposed to take it to Exceed, but when I tried to move it, the mist started rising up. I backed away before it could reach me, but Arma…"

"Got caught up in it. And given how bad Drakloak's looking there, I'm guessing he got a power boost from the mist too, to do so much damage despite the type advantage and having you on Drakloak's side."

I'm reminded why Spinel is so scared of her. Nemona has more than just a strong team; she's incredibly sharp too, putting it all together that fast. Hamber had praised my intelligence; Grandfather had even said I was a credit to our lineage in how quickly I learned, but next to a girl three years younger than me, I felt like a dullard.

"He didn't flinch when hit hard or anything either. Armarouge attacked randomly, making careless mistakes, and we still nearly lost." Drakloak whined, and I scratched the top of his head. Not your fault here; this is on me. I'm the Trainer and I haven't managed to get you to your final evolution yet.

"Stuff like that usually dulls the pain receptors, not makes you outright tougher. Means more chance of permanent injury." Her clinical words caused me to sharply take in a breath, and she flashed me a sympathetic smile. "We'll get Armarouge checked out. If you didn't notice anything in his battle, he's probably fine. Still, I get that it's worrisome. Almost as much as you wanting to take the Raquirium to Exceed."

"What did you say?"

"That I don't trust Exceed, not fully at least." Nemona let out a long sigh. "I take it you've got some personal reason to take offense at that?" She said, jerking her head at my clenched fists.

"... The president of Exceed is my father," I admitted. Grandfather feels he's 'abandoned our cause,' but my father is still willing to help, and having a huge company to research this can only be a boon. Staring defiantly at her, I added, "He'll help us get to the bottom of the phenomenon surrounding Raquariam and help keep people safe from its effects. I'm sure of it."

Surprisingly, considering how stubborn she could be, Nemona raised her hands up in surrender. "If that's so, it's a good thing, and I'll trust that you know your father better than I do. It's just…" She hesitated, likely debating with herself on what to say before continuing. "You remember that time you teleported me near Zapapico, and I came out of the forest with Phantasm?"

Right after you had a big fight with Arven, then a mysterious phone call, you swore loudly, the first time I'd ever heard you do that. "Yes. It left an impression," I snarked, and her cheeks became dusted with red.

"Right. Well, there was a project run by Exceed there. A friend of mine had been looking into it, but the day-to-day was run by some Exceed researchers that were negligent, and well, it nearly killed Phantasm. Should have, honestly." Is that how-? Pieces clicked into place about why Nemona had always been so evasive in answering questions about that member of her team.

As my mind was whirling, she continued. "I don't think Exceed is some big evil corporation hel- Distortion bent on destroying the world or whatever. If it was, I'd have done something about it," she said as almost an aside. It seemed laughable, a ten-year-old girl able to take down a large business, until I remembered who her parents were and the power she had just demonstrated. "Just be careful about who you trust to research this."

With the permission given, I sighed in relief. What she says about Father's company is worrying, though. I'll be sure to warn him about this. He can make sure that only us Explorers study the stone in the labs. That thought quickly soured in my head as I realized that Spinel was the only scientist familiar with Exceed within our organization. Problems for the future.

Hefting the diamond-encased Raquirium was a bit of a challenge, but with Nemona's help I was able to carry it out. With the help of her Pokemon, we carried it out of the canyon and to Exceed's main headquarters in Mesagoza.

"Alright, I hope you'll keep me updated if anything goes wrong, but it looks like that is settled for now. Do you want a hand in checking on Armarouge?" Nemona offered, and shamefully, I nodded my head. Feels like I've relied on her far too much, but I can't deny that I still could use her help. Looking after Armarouge comes before my pride.

"Thank you. Do you know how to undo this effect?" She shook her head.

"No, it's pretty new to me. It might have worn off with time too. Let's go near a Pokemon Center to check on him." We did so, going to the Pokemon Center stationed just past Mesagoza limits. Before I released my starter, she had Notch and Miles released in front of us, with Athena out ahead.

The first two covered us in psychic barriers to shield us, and I knew they could raise more potent defenses should the need arise. "Athena says she can't sense any rage off of him, so let him out, and we'll see if it's the same outside of a Pokeball." Pokeballs contained the Pokemon in a state of semi-stasis, so the reading Nemona's Lucario got off him likely wasn't perfect. I was still hopeful as I pressed the button and released him, however.

He flashed into existence a few meters ahead of us, looking around confused, then angry, his eyes bugging out under his helm. Before Athena could do anything, however, he went back to being confused, looking around and wondering where he was.

"It's alright, we're safe now. The Raquirium affected your mind, and- well, you're fine now." I caught the flash of distress that crossed his face as he picked up my meaning, though I wasn't sure if he remembered the incident or simply picked up the clues from Drakloak, still slightly singed, floating beside me.

Athena gave a bark of approval, and Nemona nodded. "Looks like it doesn't last that long. Though I wonder if the Auric reset of a Pokeball sped things along or even delayed how quickly it would have faded?" She mumbled to herself for a few seconds, the scientific parts of her brain clearly going at full speed, before shaking it off. "We should get you checked out at the Pokemon Center just in case."

The nurse took them in, clearly having her fair share of questions at our request for a deep scan and blood analysis, but was slightly cowed by the presence of Paldea's newest Champion-rank Trainer and withheld from asking them. It took a few hours, and Nemona and I passed the time catching up. We talk often; it feels like the message group is constantly 'spamming' me with new alerts, and I've gotten a few glances and comments of disdain, and Explorers like Spinel mention 'distractions.' And yet I feel like there's still so much missing from my friend's life that I can't see from those chats.

After I got the blood test back, which only showed the barest traces of Raquirium in Armarouge's system (and had entirely faded after he had been healed), I said farewell to her. "Thank you again for all your help today. Without it… I don't know what I could have done."

"It's fine, I'm glad to help. Glad you trusted me enough to call me in on this."

"You're still an Explorer, even if you don't come around often." Even if we have secrets we keep from you… And you have your own mysteries surrounding you, Nemona.

"Well, I'd be a bit busy for anything like this in the near future anyways, going to Blueberry and all. I know you have your issues with some of the others—and I don't blame you; guys like Spinel are jerks—but I hope you have some help if you're going to go out on missions like this in the future."

Frowning slightly, I replied, "I don't think I'll be going after Raquirium any time soon. That small piece was all we could find in Paldea after years of searching. You're right about backup, though. There are a couple of new recruits who look promising." I think I'll take a long break from fieldworkin any case and focus on powering up my team first. It's clear that I'm a long way from where I need to be.

She grinned broadly. "Sounds good; you could use a few more friends." Then she had the audacity to reach up and ruffle my hair before jumping back as I swatted her hand away, the girl laughing all the while. "Alright, see you around!" She exclaimed, hopping atop Radiance and flying away.

Gah! That girl… she can be so serious one moment and so carefree the next. Shaking my head, I called upon my healed Starter and said, "Take us home." With a flash, he teleported us back into the base. The dim atmosphere was definitely a jarring shift from how bright and sunny it had been outside, but it was one I was used to.

Hamber was waiting for me already, and he motioned for me to follow him down to Grandfather's chambers. "It appears you ran into quite the excitement on your mission."

Stifling a grimace, I nodded curtly, not offering any explanations. There's no point here when Grandfather will want a full recounting as well. After leaving the elevator down to the secret sublayer (where even teleportation couldn't work), we walked down the long hallway before stopping in front of the glass that revealed the pink shrouded room my Grandfather resided in.

"Explain," he demanded as he got up from his chair and walked to his side of the glass, towering over me.

"I located the Raquirium with ease based on the information I was given. When I attempted to pull it out from the ground, however, a complication arose. It began releasing a pink mist," I faltered for a moment, my eyes flickering to the room the leader of the Explorers was in. Is that the same mist? Is it what's given Grandfather his longevity, or does it serve some other purpose? If it is, why does it have such a different effect on him and not drive Zygarde mad?

Gibeon snapped me out of my thoughts with a, "Continue."

"Apologies. The mist drove Armarouge mad when it touched him, and he lashed out. In that berserk state I was barely able to stop him with Drakloak. We retreated out of range of the mist, fearing what it might do to him. Then, I called my fellow Explorer, Nemona, in to help." Gibeon snorted at the framing I used but motioned for me to continue.

"She responded quickly, flying over with her Iron Moth."

"Iron Moth?" Hamber inquired.

"Ah, that's the species name for Radiance. It was called 'Iron Moth' in Professor Heath's Violet book two hundred years ago."

"Right… That girl does have such a penchant for ancient history, doesn't she?" Gibeon mused before shaking his head. "That's irrelevant, however. We've received word that Exceed has indeed secured the sample you gathered, so how did she do it?"

"She had three of her Pokemon disperse the mist through a powerful combined Hurricane the-" likes of which I'd never seen before? True, but Grandfather doesn't want to hear that. "Then she had her Diancie secure the Raquirium."

"Really? Just like that?" Gibeon pressed.

"It looked like a bit of a struggle at first, the crystal trying to release more mist. Notch had to push hard to contain it within a cage made of solid diamond, but it worked. They didn't even need to use Mega Evolution."

"Impressive, I never would have thought such a Pokemon could do so. Even Zygarde struggled with…" Gibeon muttered to himself before snapping out of it and staring at me. "While you went against the spirit of the mission and failed -" I winced. "-you ended up achieving the end goal we desired and have revealed valuable information to us. You're dismissed."

It was hardly the praise I'd hoped for when I'd set out today, but not the disaster I had feared after failing. As I left, I caught a snippet of Hamber talking to Gibeon.

"What are the chances we could obtain that Diancie? The girl is too willful, but that Pokemon could be useful to us." Is Grandfather really thinking about poaching Nemona's Pokemon!?

"Negligible, sir. I fear she's progressed beyond our organization in power at this point. And even if we could remove her from the equation, her close bond with her Pokemon means they wouldn't listen to us." That's true; it looks like Hamber has been keeping up to date with Nemona and her recent achievements, at least.

"Still, there are other methods we could pursue to obtain a Diancie of our own, courtesy of Nemona's assistance…" Their voices trailed off as I entered the elevator, unwilling to risk staying any longer.

To consider taking Pokemon for their goal, it must be really important. That's the only reason why they would entertain such an idea. And they aren't even going through with it and are instead going to get a Diancie through regular means, so that's fine, right? I tried to push aside any niggling worries as I settled back into my home, crashing on my bed. Despite only being a few hours, it already felt like a long day.