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Borne of Caution (Pokemon Isekai)

Reader mode
Let's be honest Lee's situation is most definitely worthy of the big fours attention and in all honesty they are probably keeping an eye on him arcius because Lee's not one of his creations palkia because let's be honest the event that brought him here ripped space apart and that is very much his domain dialga I'm unsure and garintina same
 
This is a really amazing story. Corviknight's whole arc is really quite something, and that battle on top the volcano was an absolute nightmare. The power scaling and sheer ability came across perfectly.
I'm really curious how the telepathy thing is going to go, that's not something usually explored in stories.

Fuggmann said:
and puts a gente smile on her face.
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gentle
Fuggmann said:
"No! That's not right! I cannot!"sShe growls
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You have an extra s.
 
Omake: Pal-mon
  • Extras
    • Palworld has been a trip of a game. I needed to uninstall it so I don't get sucked in and not update for a month. Here is a little something my brain parasite ordered me to make.


    Night has fallen after an unusually cool and stormy Hoenn day. Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan saw the weather moving in behind them and made haste to the next town to not be forced to camp in the rain. The relentless pace tired out Brendan, who went to bed as soon as they secured their hotel rooms.

    As he usually does upon returning to civilization after a week in the wilds, Lee is allowing himself to stay awake a bit later than usual to watch the news on TV. Joining him in the darkened room is Ninetales. Together, the pair lie on their bed and laze about in the television's glow.

    "-Caught red-handed attempting to move several protected pokemon out of the Greengrass sanctuary for purposes unknown. The trespassers claimed to be merely playing an off-color prank, but the Rangers who apprehended them insisted that the suspects were poachers. Both suspects are in custody, and a court date has yet to be determined," the anchorwoman on the TV screen says with a severe expression. "More on that story at 11."

    The TV then cuts to a commercial, and Lee frowns mightily, prompting an inquisitive glance from Ninetales. 'What has you so dour, beloved?' she asks.

    Lee nods his head towards the TV. "Poachers. To me, people like that simply don't have any redeeming qualities. I hate to sound spiteful, but I hope they get prison time for this. Who goes into a sanctuary for a prank? If they actually did, then they're criminally stupid and should be locked up anyway."

    A vulpine laugh bubbles from Ninetales' muzzle. 'Indeed, indeed. They should count themselves lucky that they did not receive 'bush justice' like the unfortunates your mentor Aasir felled.'

    That comment makes Lee's frown ease. Oh, he understands perfectly well why African reserve rangers immediately jump to lethal force, but he's not about to casually wish death upon anyone. As he thinks, he lets his eyes roam Ninetales, stopping at her fluffy tails.

    Before his sudden violent transmigration, Lee heard about some sort of pokemon rip-off video game in development, and it had quite a few people talking about it due to the ludicrous trailers of pokemon-esque creatures wielding guns. 'I'm sure a poacher would pause if an elephant started waving around a rifle,' Lee smiles thinly, eyeballing one of Nine's wiggling tail tips.

    Unbidden, the man imagines what his golden fox would look like if she had handguns gripped in each of her tails. Would she have nine different pistols, or would they all be uniform and boring, like the Glock that gathered dust in Lee's nightstand drawer back on earth?

    The thought gives way to an image of Ninetales bounding across the savanna, sending bullets in every direction from her tail-mounted guns. Ahead of her and screaming for help, a team of thuggish men cry and flail as their jeep is riddled with holes.

    Lee chuckles under his breath, drawing yet more curiosity from Ninetales. Rather than ask, she simply peers deeper into his mind, taking in the ridiculous thoughts within.

    'Really, Lee?' the vixen asks with a roll of her eyes. 'Only pistols? You do me a disservice. I have the strength in each tail to carry much heavier burdens.'

    In Lee's mind, the handguns in Ninetales' grip are suddenly replaced with full-blown RPG launchers held in a snakelike grip each. The look on the fox's face is downright evil.

    It's been a long time since Lee has laughed that hard.
     
  • Extras
    • Thanks for the chapter.

    So now Brendan and Zinnia know the truth, they are probably going to freak if he tells them about how Arceus and the Creation Trio are very much real. Same with the Legendary Dragons of Unova. I wonder if Lee knows the Lore of Yveltal and Xerneas? Those two are effectively the representations of Life and Death in Pokemon and now knowing that they are real would freak anyone out.

    He can now also explain the utter bullshit that is Ash Ketchum and why Lee sees being near him is trouble.

    Things are gearing up to be very exciting in the coming chapters, with heavy training and hopefully new knowledge gained in the Draconids area.

    I wonder if the glowing meteor in the lake has a Deoxys crystal in it. I wonder if Lee can catch or befriend the DNA pokemon. Even if he didn't use it in battle and just showed it around earth would be nice.

    Every time Lee flies on Corvi I think he's going to have to dodge rocks flying at mk. 3 sent by a Tinkaton who wants some revenge and more mats for her hammer.

    Really love this story and can't wait for the next chapter.
     
    The8BitzySpider said:
    Palword is a lazy, uncreative ripoff, but it is pretty fun
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    ...I wouldn't say lazy or uncreative. Its Ark meets Pokemon, and the fact its #1 on the steam charts 3 days in a row says a lot about it. Not too interested in Survival games, but we can appreciate it for being something actually good.
     
    Palworld is certainly a game that exists.

    On the one hand, aspects of it are almost exactly what I've wanted from Pokémon games for a very long time, and I love the creature design far more than I've liked most Pokémon designs in the past decade or so.

    On the other hand, I feel incredibly uncomfortable with a lot of it. It feels like it comes from a place of really deep seated anger. Kind of like the original "The Boys" comic (not the show). It feels like playing a manifesto, but i can't entirely tell what the manifesto is even saying because it's too incoherent. It's disquieting.
     
    The8BitzySpider said:
    Palword is a lazy, uncreative ripoff, but it is pretty fun
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    I know of no machine learning model for 3d assets, so it could at most have been concept art from which somebody had to go and make every Pal manually, despite the accusations. To say nothing of filling out the game space. It may be uncreative given how many featural overlaps there are between Pals and Pokemon, but even if they literally started with ripped Pokemon assets it'd still be a tedious grind to make such that it utterly cannot be lazy.
     
    Cap'n Skipjack said:
    On the other hand, I feel incredibly uncomfortable with a lot of it. It feels like it comes from a place of really deep seated anger. Kind of like the original "The Boys" comic (not the show). It feels like playing a manifesto, but i can't entirely tell what the manifesto is even saying because it's too incoherent. It's disquieting.
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    I don't think it's anger exactly. The way the game plays inside, it has more of a mocking tone in my opinion. Lovander is pretty much-making fun of furry rule34 porn by being a 'porn Pal' pretty much, and we have things like a parody of the PETA organization. It appeals to the audience of older players who REALLY want more mature themes in a game of this type (while also being funny and modern with memes so people can laugh as well, and not just deal with more gruesome aspects only), and PalWorld fills up that niche, while taking advantage of the 'memes' inside of it, while still being enjoyable to play. And still have a bit more of a realistic touch to it as well, as let's be honest - if we would end up in a survival situation in this world, where we KNOW Pals, canonically EAT HUMANS, I don't think we would, for example, hold back on eating Pals, if the alternative would be starvation. Yeah, it may come off as 'edgy' at times, but if you think about it from this kind of angle, it does make sense. It is still a survival game, and eating other living beings is well, part of the survival.

    And the 'thirst' for different, more mature content is something older Pokemon generation players miss, and I can see it - generation 1 of Pokemon had some mature plotlines, like the murder of Cubone's mother at the hands of Team Rocket. Later on, GameFreak pushed more and more into the 'family friendly' audience. There is nothing wrong with it, but when it comes to some plot, gameplay, or mechanic suggestions it does limit Nintendo in what they can do, which I think is also one of the reasons why Pokemon games tend to be repetitive, as there is simply lots of content they simply can't put in anymore, because in the end, their target audience is still on the younger side. Like imagine if we would get good villain Pokemon story, but we pretty much never get those, as it could set up 'bad example' to children or something similar to it.

    Also, this is the reason why I prefer Pokemon Adventures Manga far more than anime - it keeps that more mature, natural tone, where bad things can happen, adding it more mature touch.

    Also, the design controversy between it and Pokemon IMO is a calculated move to build up even more popularity, and it works, as so many people talk about it, and lots of it comes from those controversies. It still has good gameplay from what I've seen, but from a marketing perspective, they did things pretty much perfectly, without spending an absurd amount of budget on advertising. As long as people talk about it, it's worth it. And the good gameplay defends itself anyway, so those 'bad opinions' don't hurt them at all, and simply bring out more attention to their product.

    Honestly, I wouldn't mind a PalWorld story from you, mister author, as while plot-wise it's a raw type of game with not that much material to work with, writing survival fanfic based on it could be interesting anyway. Or some sort of crossover with Lee (or other MC) who ends up in PalWorld at one point, and deals with how gruesome and dangerous this kind of a world can be.
     
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    Pal world is fun. Bit derivitive since it is a parody sure. but calling it lazy or uncreative is just flatly wrong. Bluntly if someone showed me some of these designs and told me that this was in the new region of pokemon I'd believe them it did a good job capturing that feeling.
     
    Fuggmann said:
    In Lee's mind, the handguns in Ninetales' grip are suddenly replaced with full-blown RPG launchers held in a snakelike grip each. The look on the fox's face is downright evil.

    It's been a long time since Lee has laughed that hard.
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    You can't just leave us with this. I want to see that actually happen now. Though the HP and Naruto omakes are interesting as well; I didn't notice this story had an Extras category.

    The8BitzySpider said:
    Palword is a lazy, uncreative ripoff, but it is pretty fun
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    It's nearly impossible to make a video game in a lazy way. Especially one that large. The idea is somewhat derivative and frankly it disturbs me a little, but the developer(s) still had an idea to build from and really ran with it. I'd argue it's possibly more clever precisely because they knew exactly what sort of controversy they were inviting, and clearly had a lawyer tell them exactly how far they could go. That publicity boom is damn impressive because even I've been hearing a lot about the game and I'm basically the last person to hear anything new.

    I feel it's also a nice bit of karma after GF/Nintendo went after Pokemon Uranium.

    Even just recreating Pokemon would be a crapload of work and I can appreciate the effort in making something with as much depth to it as it has.
     
    Act 2: Chapter 27
  • Threadmarks
    • You could have read this early!

    I'm reader-funded, and need your help to keep writing indefinitely. If you like what you're reading and want to help out, see https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann at the place of patrons. Patrons get to see updates early, suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live, and participate in polls to choose what gets updated next during my moments of indecisiveness.

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    As always, thank you for reading.

    The morning following Lee and Zinnia spilling their secrets to the whole party is… strangely normal. Lighthearted, even. Lee is the first to awaken, and after rousing his pokemon, they make their way as a team to the hut's kitchen. Ninetales has no issue lighting the wood-burning stove, and before long, the smell of food permeates the entire hut, drawing Brendan and Zinnia from their beds. The kitchen lacks room for all of the pokemon (chiefly Corviknight), leading to everyone moving to the living room to begin their morning meal.

    Zinnia wolfs down her food with her usual vigor and finishes first. Setting her plate down on the coffee table with a satisfied sigh, she gives Brendon and Lee a bright smile. "Okay, boys, are you two ready to be amazed?"

    "Amazed?" Brendan questions after swallowing his latest bite. Distracted by Zinnia, he doesn't see Breloom use his species' signature stretching arms to scoop an entire fried egg off his plate. "By what?"

    That only makes Zinnia's grin wider. "Every good story has a training montage, and ours starts today! The Meteorfall Crater is positively beautiful everywhere, even in the training arenas! Hurry up and finish breakfast! We've got places to be!"

    Lee grumbles past his food and swallows. "Not all of us can eat like dragons."

    Zinnia simply sticks her tongue out in response.

    Once everyone polishes off their meals, Octillery and Marshtomp make short work of the morning dishes with some good old-fashioned organic power-washing, letting all the pokemon sans Ninetales be returned to their balls for the trip.

    "Finally!" Zinnia then clicks her tongue and stops pacing by the door. "Let's get going."

    The Dragon Tamer throws open the door of the hut and steps out, letting Lee, Ninetales, and Brendan follow in her wake. Lee shifts as the strange, invisible energy of the crater washes over him once more.

    Beside him, Ninetales shivers, partially ruffling her golden coat. 'Goodness. The Draconid elders said we would get used to this? I'm having difficulty believing that.'

    'Yeah, it is pretty odd, and that's the politest thing I can say about it,' Lee sends back, ignoring the Butterfree in his stomach. 'Just stay strong.'

    'For you, I will.'

    Zinnia takes the group down a well-trodden path that veers off to the side, away from the opening of the crater high above and towards one of the side caves. As they walk, they pass a fully grown Salamence lounging in a bed of lichen, who watches them with a lazy turn of its head.

    As they approach the mouth of the cave, Lee notices a number of runes scrawled upon the wall to the left of the entrance. The letters are jagged and made up of all straight lines, as if carved with claws. What the runes say, neither he nor Ninetales knows.

    "How come it's not getting dark in here?" Brendan questions, looking up at the ceiling of the cave path. Above them, irregular bunches of crystals jut out from the rock, emitting gentle light. "The crystals?"

    "Yep!" Zinnia answers. "A lot of the crystals in the caves down here are natural, but a clever Draconid ages ago figured out how to modify the move Power Gem to make artificial ones. If you make a nice, uninterrupted line in the ceiling or walls connecting the crystals to the central chamber, then light will flow through. It's kind of like… What's the word?"

    "Fiber-optic?" Lee supplies, looking up as well. Now that he does so, he notices that there are a lot of spots in the ceiling that are too smooth, as if they were carved out and had the material put back later. He also notices just how large the underground pathway is. The ceiling must be thirty, nearly forty feet up, with the walls just as far away. A group of Salamence could fly down the corridor in a three-by-three formation and not touch.

    Zinnia snaps her fingers and he gives Lee a smile. "Fiber-optic, yeah, that's it. With that little trick, you can light up anywhere in the Crater!"

    Without him even needing to say anything, Lee's notebook and pen floats out of his backpack and into his hand, courtesy of Ninetales' telekinesis. Without the preamble, he flips to a fresh page and begins to write. "Fascinating stuff," he mumbles. "You said the technique uses a variant of Power Gem? It was my understanding that Power Gem, despite being Rock-Type, is actually an energy-based attack. Is that wrong, or did the founder convert it to something more physical?"

    Brendan snorts in amusement and Zinnia's shoulders slump. "Never change, Dolittle," she groans.

    The path twists, turns, and splits off several times, leaving everyone who isn't a Dragon Tamer disoriented, but after about twenty minutes of walking, the cave lets out into a positively gargantuan chamber.

    "Wow…" Lee breathes, looking all around, and even peering through Ninetales' eyes as she swivels her own head in amazement.

    To call the chamber gargantuan is honestly an understatement. The space must be the size of a sports stadium. The flat ground and absence of plant life, man-made structures, and rock formations only make it seem even larger. The flat, rocky ground is scored in a neat checkerboard pattern of squares, and upon scuffing his boot over one of the lines, Lee finds that one of the squares is a few millimeters higher than the other.

    High above, at the top of the dome ceiling, is a positively massive crystal cluster spiking downward and filling the chamber with a soft, white light. The light glitters off of the microscopic minerals in the walls, giving the room an ethereal, unearthly feel. If at all possible, the odd dragon aura of the crater seems more concentrated down here. Lee can practically taste it, as if each breath coats his tongue in static.

    "Welcome, Lorekeeper and honored guests. Your arrival was anticipated."

    Lee turns sharply, along with Brendan and Ninetales, towards the unexpected voice.

    Standing several arm-lengths away and previously unnoticed, a pair of teenage girls clad in the hide clothes of the Draconids stand with their hands behind their backs. The pair of girls are practically identical, save for their hair and eyes. The girl on the left sports the usual red eyes of the Draconids, but her hair is an unusual blonde color. Her doppelgänger, meanwhile, has gold eyes and vibrant red hair.

    As one, the pair bow their heads before standing straight once more. "Our apologies for the surprise," the left one speaks. "It is not often that guests get to see the Vorush'yarik, or Turbulent Womb in this language." The blonde girl smiles mischievously. "A fitting, if pretentious name. The honored ancestors certainly enjoyed their pomp and ceremony." The girls then incline their heads once more. "I am Isis, and my sister beside me is named Astis. We are honored to receive you here," the blonde says.

    'Isis and Astis, the Draconid Oracle's assistants?' Lee recalls Zinnia's words from the day prior. He looks at the redhead, Astis, who is giving Brendan a smile that the boy shyly looks away from. 'What is it with Brendan and quiet girls in red?'

    Zinnia chimes in with a laugh. "Ooooh yeah. The ancient Draconids were awful wordy for being warriors," she agrees, stepping forward and taking the lead of the conversation. "So we were anticipated, eh? Did the crone get her meds airmailed in?"

    A frown briefly passes Isis' face. "The insinuation that Oracle Fabiana requires medication to make use of her gift isn't appreciated, Lorekeeper, but yes, Astis and I were instructed to be here at this day and time to greet you."

    "So the Oracle resides here most of the time?" Lee asks, his curiosity overwhelming him. "Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

    Isis bites her lip, seemingly debating with herself. "The flowing energies within Metron'fall Krate aid her gift, and I should say nothing more," she replies curtly. "Now, it is my understanding that you all intend to train in this space. It has been prepared for your use, and I would like to take the time to inform you on how to make use of this space to its fullest."

    'She speaks as if this isn't just a large room,' Ninetales turns her eyes downward towards the checkerboard floor, thinking to herself with a hum. As Lee did with his boot, she runs a paw over a line separating two of the squares, feeling the tiny height disparity between them. 'Some sort of hidden mechanism? For what purpose?'

    "The ground beneath our feet is not what it seems," Isis continues primly, unknowingly confirming Ninetales' suspicions. "The nature of dragons is one of supreme competition, and the Draconids of yore were clever. In order to guide growth, pokemon must be given space of their own and solitude to focus, as any peers they are not training with are merely a distraction. The sections below our feet can raise and lower to create walls, either as training tools, or to improve one's skills with others out of sight and thus out of mind."

    "Really?" Lee looks down and taps the floor with the toe of his boot, finding it solid. "How does that work? Surely it's not a pokemon using muscle power to lift and move the pillars, is it?"

    Isis shakes her head. "No. The exact mechanisms below are a mystery to us in the modern era, and we dare not investigate too deeply lest we damage something we cannot repair. Even if we so wished to investigate, the pillars below have proven more resilient than anything we have seen before. A grown Dragon could rampage day and night within this chamber and leave naught but scratches."

    'The walls and floor look like regular limestone to me,' Lee rubs his chin and scans the enormous chamber once more. 'There has to be some kind of TE shenanigans at play.'

    Heedless of Lee's thoughts, Isis continues to speak. "The Zhaiv, the Dragon energy that permeates the earth here, is the key to the walls hidden below. The clever devices beneath the ground are keyed to it, and the Zhaiv is so dense here that it listens even to the weak wishes of man. Force your will upon it, and it will answer. Observe," she turns to Astis.

    The redheaded girl, who has yet to say a single word, nods and closes her eyes, seemingly concentrating.

    Without warning, one of the sections of floor a stone's throw away grinds and shifts. With the sound of rock sliding against rock, a square section of pillar rises out of the ground, rising up and up until it's halfway to the ceiling. The whole process takes a little under twenty seconds.

    "Wow…" Brendan says with an awed smile. He looks between the tall pillar and Astis "That's incredible!"

    The silent girl blushes and inclines her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs.

    As the pillar slowly lowers itself back into place, Isis smiles and gestures to the group. "Before my sister and I leave you to your devices, please practice raising and lowering the walls. Do not be discouraged if they do not respond right away. The Zhaiv in the air is fickle, and will twist out of your grip if you let it. Everyone, step away from one another and choose a section of your own."

    Everyone does as asked, and when spaced out, the blonde teenager speaks once more. "Most excellent. Focus upon your chosen pillar, and visualize clearly within your mind its movement. The pillar's stillness offends you, and you must order it to move with all the imperious desire you can muster."

    'Imperious desire, huh?' Lee stares at the square on the floor and concentrates.

    Surprising no one, Zinnia gets it on the first try. She gives the square at her feet a hard stare, and it groans to life, rising to face height.

    Brendan struggles some, grimacing in effort. After several minutes of failure, he even tries pointing his hand at the floor to no effect. It's only when he begins growling in frustration does the pillar tremble, and then slowly raise itself out of the floor. The instant it does, Brendan jumps and pumps a fist with a whoop, making Astis smile and quietly applaud.

    The pillar then grinds to a stop, making Brendan groan and redouble his focus. This time, it only takes a few seconds for the pillar to reluctantly shudder to life.

    Lee, however, can't get the damn thing to work.

    'C'mon, move!' he demands in his head, giving the section of floor in front of him a death glare. 'Rise! Up and at 'em! Anything?'

    The pillar doesn't even rumble.

    Beside him, Ninetales noses his side. 'Might I try, Beloved?'

    Wanting a break after nearly ten full minutes of trying to pop a blood vessel, Lee reluctantly relaxes and strokes Ninetales between the ears, soothing his nerves. 'Go for it.'

    The fox looks down at the stone, her luminescent eyes narrowing.

    At first, Lee feels her reach for her telekinesis, only to pause and instead reach her mind outward into the weighty aura pressing down upon them all. Unbridled, almost sovereignly authority laces her next thought, along with a burning disdain for any sort of disobedience. 'Move!'

    The pillar immediately shoots up, rising high enough to peer over a building.

    Both Brendan and Zinnia pause to look over at him.

    "Jeez, Lee," Zinnia levels him with a raised eyebrow. "You really don't do anything by half, do you?"

    Lee shakes his head in frustration. "That was Ninetales, not me. I can't seem to get it to work."

    That makes Zinnia pause. "Yeah, now that I think about it, that makes sense. You really gotta think like a Dragon to get these things to move. No offense, Lee, but you're the least Dragon-like guy I know."

    'I haven't any mind if you use me as a mouthpiece on these stubborn rocks,' Ninetales sniffs and lowers the pillar with another mental command.

    'I might take you up on that…' Lee frowns as he watches the square tower of rock disappear back into the ground. 'I get the want component of it all, but being murderously annoyed at a floor for being a floor?'

    The vixen at his side lets out a few gekkering, vulpine laughs.

    Once everyone demonstrates that they can get the pillars to move according to their whims, Isis nods and steps back, a pleased smile on her face. "Well done. My sister and I shall retire from the chamber and leave you. We shall return at noon and at the end of the day, bearing refreshments. May your efforts be fruitful."

    With that, Isis and Astis excuse themselves, leaving through the cavernous doorway.

    When the pair of girls are out of sight, Brendan takes the lead in the conversation. "So how do we want to do this? Are we going to separate or train together?"

    Lee mulls over exactly what he wants to get accomplished. "Separate for now, I think," he finally says. "We can make little focused pockets in here, and I think we should use it."

    "I was just about to say that I want to go at it with just my team for a while," Zinnia agrees. "The Dragon TE in the air down here is going to react with our pokemon's desire for more strength, and that's going to hit twice as hard for my pokemon since they're actual Dragons. I'm planning on really putting them through the wringer because of that, and the fewer distractions, the better."

    "Does it actually make pokemon who train down here stronger?" Lee asks, gesturing to the air. "The Dragon TE? Or Zhaiv?"

    "Like you wouldn't believe," Zinnia says gravely. She loosens the collar of her cloak and leans her head back, showing Lee beads of sweat on her forehead despite the underground chill. "The lust for power and domination is the core of what a Dragon is, and the TE reacts to that. The more a pokemon wants strength, the more the TE will resonate with them and push them towards that goal." The Lorekeeper takes a breath to gather her thoughts. "I tried to get permission to come down here after being made Lorekeeper, but Granny denied me because she was afraid that Bagon would fly off the handle. That's the catch was being down here; if your pokemon don't respect you enough to rein themselves in on command, then they can rampage, train until they break every bone in their body, or even die of exhaustion."

    A shiver runs down Lee's spine. Hazarding a glance towards Brendan, the zoologist sees the boy is equally disturbed.

    "I think all of us are far past that point, however," Zinnia lightens the atmosphere with a smile. "I don't feel like walking, so I'm claiming this spot by the door. Buzz off, boys!"

    Ninetales cleared her throat.

    "And fox."

    Rolling his eyes, Lee concedes without a fight and begins walking to the other end of the cavern with Ninetales in tow, thinking over how best to use this interesting opportunity and, more importantly, what sort of training he wants to get out of his team.

    Ninetales has yet to lose her crown as most powerful member of the team, and at this rate, it seems like she never will. She's acclimated well to missing a small chunk of one of her lungs, and is already approaching the level she was at before her injury. It won't be long now before she's undeniably an Elite pokemon.

    For all her merits, though, Nine is still far too skewed towards power over finesse. She can modulate the output of her fire just fine, but her power in other areas is outstripping her control. Iron Tail is currently all or nothing, her Quick Attack is growing fast enough to disorient her, and her Confuse Ray, which is potent enough to induce seizures, is outright unsafe to use on weak pokemon.

    For now, control will be the name of the game for her.

    Shame prickles Ninetales as Lee thinks these things, so he pauses his train of thought and pulls her into a tight side-hug as they walk. 'You'll improve, love. I know you will.'

    The fox smiles up at him, sending back a telepathic flow of love and appreciation. Lee swears that he feels silky fur running up and down his body.

    Corvi is probably the most balanced of the team. He has no glaring weaknesses other than his vulnerability to fire and electricity. He has ranged, melee, buffing, debuffing, and healing techniques all at his talon tips. Curiously and unfortunately, however, he's lost the ability to use Extreme Speed. Whenever he tries, his body accelerates unevenly, resulting in him painfully yanking feathers out. Once Lee can figure out what's going wrong there, they'll fix that up. The raven also still has moments where he forgets how large he is, his usual grace making way for uncharacteristically clumsy mistakes. It's perfectly understandable, since Corviknight literally tripled in size after his evolution, but his proprioception needs to be fixed. For now, they'll focus on his dexterity and general improvement.

    Grovyle… The burn scars across large parts of Grovyle's body have been such a hurdle. Not only are they painful reminders of Maxie's misdeeds, but they impair Grovyle's movement. The only reason that Lee hasn't scheduled a specialist to remove them is at Grovyle's own stubborn insistence. Nightly rubdowns and ointment are giving the wood gecko back his range of motion, but it's slow-going. Besides the aid of a specialist, the other way that Grovyle can be rid of the scars is through evolution.

    Lee tries to imagine Grovyle as a fully grown Sceptile, and much like when he tried to imagine Vulpix evolving, it just seems so mystical that his mind won't conjure the image.

    At the moment, they'll keep at Grovyle's swordsmanship. The harebrained idea of changing Leaf Blade's shape into a holdable, and thus much more easily manipulated sword is paying off big time. For all his injuries, Grovyle is still the most dexterous pokemon on the team, and is devilishly fast. A normal Leaf Blade's reverse-grip angle can be awkward to manipulate and doesn't offer much in the way of range, but Grovyle's makeshift katana gives him a deceptive amount of reach and allows him to sneak in cuts where he couldn't previously. Recently, he's even become confident enough to try and deflect solid projectiles out of the air. With any luck, they'll finish the yet-named drain blade move, and Grovyle will evolve down here.

    Octillery's biggest priority right now is simply mastering his frictionless, psychic cushion. The octopus has already made it clear that he does not care to cultivate an immobile fighting style when such maneuverability is available to him, which suits Lee just fine. It's easy for him to begin moving, but braking and changing direction are both still squirrelly at best. Once he has sufficient mastery of his telekinesis, more doors will open for them. Other than that, Octillery, like the rest of the team, still has several TMs to learn. Lee is sure the cephalopod will be delighted with Thunder Wave, the next move on the list.

    Shinx just needs any fighting experience. Loathe as Lee is to admit it, his baby should know how to fight with the threats that are on the horizon. Once she has Thunder Shock mastered, Wattson's Shock Wave TM will be best used on Shinx.

    Last but not least, Sylveon needs to get into shape. She's underweight, was not raised as a career fighter, and has potentially decades of bad battle habits. She is undeniably the weakest battle-ready pokemon Lee has. The Fairy has thankfully been putting on weight, but to the chagrin of Lee's inner scientist, it seems as if her enjoyment of her food has a much greater impact than the actual nutritional content, which is some Fairy nonsense at it's finest. Once he has all of her specific tastes figured out, Sylveon's improvement should speed up dramatically.

    As Lee and Nine come to the far end of the training chamber, both turn to see walls rising up and dividing the space into thirds, leaving them closed off in a valley of subterranean rock. Hardly ten seconds later, they hear a roar from the other end of the chamber and the sound of bodies crashing together.

    "Zinnia sure doesn't waste time," Lee muses, taking all the occupied pokeballs from his belt. With a heave of his arms, he tosses the capsules into the air, where each one bursts open and sends a lightning bolt of white light down. Each bolt of light materializes into a pokemon, and in short order, Lee's entire team is standing ready. Corviknight, Grovyle, and Octillery all coolly wait for instructions, while Sylveon fidgets and Shinx is practically bouncing on her paws.

    Once everyone is assembled, Ninetales leaves Lee's side to stand with her teammates, awaiting the coming briefing with them. 'I believe we're all ready,' she says.

    "Alrighty, everyone," Lee begins with a smile, surrendering a hand when one of Sylveon's ribbons snakes over to make contact. "You all know the general idea, we're down here to take some time to train for the competition coming ahead, official and… otherwise," he clears his throat when Shinx tilts her head, seemingly uncomprehending of the 'otherwise' comment.

    "I'm sure you all feel that strange weight in the air. According to Zinnia, the energy you're feeling is going to spur your body into improving faster," Lee continues, "Zinnia also gave some very clear warnings that everyone might need some help with self-control down here, so that in mind, when I say we're done for the day, we're done for the day, everyone understand?" He finishes, his eyes roaming over each of his pokemon. He lingers longer than he intended to on Grovyle.

    Lee receives nods and murmurs of agreement. Shinx actually does most of the nodding, as her head is practically a blur whipping up and down.

    Smiling, Lee moves on. "Great, I think we all know where we need to improve, so for the sake of efficiency, I'm going to divide us up into two 'mon teams that I'll cycle through and assist as needed. First, we'll start with Grovyle and Octillery."

    The gecko and octopus both perk up.

    "Grovyle," Lee addresses his second-ever pokemon. "You've been making fantastic progress with both your swordsmanship and your recovery, and I can't overstate how proud I am of you."

    The Grass-type crosses his arms and looks away, twiddling his twig in his mouth. Lee is sure that if reptiles had the capacity to blush, Grovyle would be.

    "Octillery," Lee sends the Water-type a smile. "You've picked up Psychic like a pro. If I didn't know any better, I would swear that you're actually a Psychic-type."

    Octillery flippantly waves a tentacle, as if that's to be expected. Despite his nonchalance, Lee can still see the pleased upward crinkle of Octillery's eyelids.

    "Both of you guys are really onto something with your respective talents, so for that reason, I'm turning today's exercise into a competition for you two," Lee says with a knowing smile.

    Instantly, both pokemon lock-on to him.

    'Oh yeah, using natural competitiveness was the right move. The word alone has gotten them laser-focused,' Lee thinks to himself. "The first competition goes like this: Octillery will use his telekinetic cushion and only his telekinetic cushion to stay out of Grovyle's range. No jumping, no shuffling on his tentacles, nothing of that sort. Octillery needs to evade Grovyle for as long as possible, and if he can play keep away for at least thirty minutes, he's the winner."

    Octillery's eyes narrow, and Lee can already see the cephalopod forming some kind of plan.

    "Grovyle, meanwhile," the trainer gives Grovyle a look, "can only use the Siphon Blade technique we're still working on, plus whatever sword skills he has to attack. If his control slips and he uses a regular Leaf Blade to strike, he loses by default. If he can land a single Siphon Blade and steal some of Octillery's stamina, then Grovyle wins."

    The gecko stands rigidly, his Leaf Blade already glowing and bending into shape. The green sword smacks into his palm with a thwack!

    "Oh, and there is a prize for this. The winner gets their next TM immediately."

    Octillery and Grovyle's heads snap to the side, each staring at the other with such intensity Lee half expects to see sparks shooting from their eyes.

    "Since we've got a lot of lateral space here, we're going to divide it up into thirds so we all have nice, square battle arenas," Lee gestures to the far end of the artificial valley they all stand in. "You boys head to that end and Nine will raise the wall. As soon as the wall is up and stops moving, your time starts."

    Both pokemon move in a flash, racing across the ground towards their area.

    'I hope they don't tear each other up too much…'

    Lee then pairs Nine with Corviknight and gives them a similar exercise. Ninetales can only use Iron Tail to attack and Quick Attack for vertical movement, while Corviknight needs to evade and use Steel Wing only to parry, with the caveat that he needs to maintain a minimum proximity to the Ace of the team. Lee does all of this in the hopes that Corviknight will master his new bodily dimensions. He and Nine also squeeze their telepathic bond mostly shut. It's uncomfortable, and neither truly wants to, but it allows both to focus on their own tasks better.

    The next wall rises and closes Ninetales and Corvi into their own box, leaving Lee with Sylveon and Shinx.

    "Okay, girls, here's what I'm thinking," Lee squats down, prompting the fairy and kitten to step closer. "We're going to ease into things at first. Baby girl," he strokes Shinx across her head, making her purr and flick her tail, "you're spunky and have the go-getter attitude needed to be great, you just need experience in general. I want to be a hundred percent certain on something though, so listen to me carefully."

    Shinx pauses her purring and looks Lee in the eyes, giving him her full attention.

    "Do you want to be a fighter?" Lee asks seriously. "You've sparred a little with Grovyle and Nine, but if you want to be a fighter, it's going to be different from now on. You could get hurt, hurt bad, the kind of bad I can't fix. I don't know how much you know, baby girl, but there are bad people out there that we might have to fight one day." He pauses for a moment, finding his mouth dry.

    Lee debates telling her that he personally doesn't want her to be a battler, but reluctantly stops himself, not wanting to influence her opinion with his own. "If you don't want to fight, tell me. I'll send you to Professor Birch's ranch where you'll be protected, and I'll visit as often as I can."

    For the first time ever, Lee sees Shinx frown. The kitten marches right up into Lee's personal space, staring up at him with eyes that quite literally glow. Slowly, she shakes her head back and forth in a firm No.

    She's made up her mind, and she's staying.

    With a sigh, Lee lets a rueful smile cross his face, then he lifts Shinx into his arms and gives her a tight hug. "My baby is growing up too fast."

    Shinx purrs once more, nuzzling into his chest.

    Setting Shinx down, Lee turns his eyes to Sylveon, who is watching the exchange with Shinx with an expression Lee cannot name. As he opens his mouth, one of Sylveon's ribbons wraps around his wrist. "Sylvy, you need some physical conditioning. You're doing great and my heart soars every time you get all of your food down, so I think you're ready for some light exercise. What do you think?" He asks. "I'd like to nail two Pidgey with one Rock Throw here, so can you help me get Shinx up to speed? It'll be good exercise for you, as well."

    Sylveon's answer is a single, determined nod.

    Lee smiles, then stands. "We'll keep it simple, then. A good, old-fashioned battle. I'll direct Shinx, and you can fight as you see fit. Just keep things toned down to Shinx's level, okay?"

    "Eeya?" Sylveon answers with an annoyed glare, as if saying, "I know that!"

    As Sylveon trots to the other side of the square arena, Lee withdraws his pokedex from his pocket and scrolls through both Shinx and Sylveon's known moves.

    Shinx only has Tackle, Leer, and Thunder Shock to work with, which is not surprising. She's never been in a real fight before. Her spars with Ninetales and Grovyle were more like exercises where the elder pokemon would evade and deflect, remaining on the defensive for the entire fight.

    Sylveon, meanwhile, has a much more extensive list. Covet, Bite, Sand Attack, Baby-Doll Eyes, Copycat, Baton Pass, Charm, Helping Hand, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Light Screen, Swift, Wish, and Draining Kiss. Except for Wish, which was probably a move inherited from one of her parents, Sylveon's move line-up is entirely expected. Even with Sylveon toning herself down, though, this is going to be an uphill fight for Shinx.

    Lee and Shinx take position on one side of the makeshift arena while Sylveon sits calmly on the other end.

    "Is everyone ready?" Lee asks, getting a pair of nods in reply, one much more eager than the other. Bending down, Lee scoops a pebble off of the floor. "This rock hitting the ground will signify the start. Here we go!" He tosses it upward.

    Two sets of eyes, one yellow, and the other blue, watch the pebble arc up into the air then fall back down.

    Shinx shakes in anticipation, her fur sparking.

    Sylveon sets her jaw, her ribbons wriggling like snakes.

    The pebble hits the ground with a tap!

    Shinx yowls, baring her fangs, throwing sparks everywhere, and her eyes shining with ill intent. Her visage transforms from cute to spine-chilling on a primal level in an instant.

    Startled, Sylveon flinches and steps back.

    'Intimidate is Shinx's special ability, then?' Lee withholds a laugh at the irony that his adorable cub has Intimidate of all things. With his odd luck thus far, he was expecting a hidden ability. 'Focus, Lee. Don't let Shinx down.' He clears his head with a shake."Thunder Shock!"

    Shinx's body lights up once more with a crackling corona of electricity, and with another yowl, she looses a merciless bolt towards Sylveon.

    The rattled fairy jumps to the side and out of the way, letting the lightning strike the wall behind her and leave a scorch mark. Shaking her head, Sylveon grits her teeth and steels herself, a shimmering blue barrier covering her body.

    'Light Screen. A smart move,' Lee doesn't spend much time reflecting. "Shinx, close the distance and Tackle!"

    The kitten is off in a burst of frenzied movement. Her short legs sent her flying across the ground at a startling speed, fast enough that Sylveon freezes in indecision.

    Only a few feet away, one of Sylveon's ribbons shoots out on reflex, tangling Shinx's legs and sending her falling end-over-end with a distressed mewl. Sylveon doesn't stop there, and with that ribbon, she lifts Shinx before tossing the Electric-Type away.

    Landing roughly on the hard floor, Shinx coughs as the air is knocked from her lungs, but despite her tumble, she scrambles back to her paws. Strangely, she doesn't turn her head toward Lee for instruction like many rookie pokemon do, like Mudkip and Vulpix both used to do before knocking the habit out of each other. No, instead Shinx keeps her eyes firmly on Sylveon.

    'Curious. Maybe she learned that from watching the rest of the team?' Lee dismisses his idle musings for later, and raises a hand to stall Sylveon. "You okay to keep going, Shinx?"

    The kitten's charged fur pops and snaps in reply.

    "Good girl, keep at it!" He smiles and lowers his hand. "Close the distance again!"

    Shinx charges without an ounce of hesitation, her legs blurring together.

    Unfortunately for her, Sylveon is well-prepared this time. The fairy lowers her stance, and the fur bow on her chest begins to glow gold. Sylveon then thrusts her chest out, firing a barrage of Swift stars from the bow into Shinx's path.

    "Abort! Zap them with Thunder Shock!" Lee orders a counter the instant he sees the first star fly.

    Eyes wide, Shinx skids to a stop and powers up her electricity. With everything she can muster, she fires off Thunder Shock after Thunder Shock.

    Bzat!

    Boom!

    Bzat!

    Boom!

    Bzat!

    Boom!

    Arcs of lightning shoot into the ranks of the starry rays, blasting many of them to smithereens and leaving showers of glowing motes behind, but several slip through and smash into Shinx with painful, jostling explosions. After the fifth one slips by and hits her, Shinx's eyes screw themselves shut, and with a cry, she wreaths herself in a crackling mantle of electricity that covers every inch of her body.

    The remaining stars hit the cloak of electricity and pop, exploding without doing any damage.

    Baring her fangs, Shinx sucks the electricity into her own body, drawing it in and past her fur like a luminescent gas. Then she snarls and lights up like a Christmas tree, shooting a Thunder Shock with twice the speed and intensity she's displayed thus far.

    Sylveon freezes again, and is this time struck by the lightning. Light Screen flares to life and absorbs the worst of the attack, but the pink pokemon is still forced to shake away some lingering pain.

    "What the hell?" Lee wonders aloud before his pokedex beeps. Quickly yanking the device from his pocket, he checks Shinx's profile and is amazed.

    Shinx now has both Charge and Spark listed as moves. Charge does exactly what it says on the screen and increases the power of an Electric move used after it, and Spark turns the user's entire body into a giant taser for an extra painful tackle.

    'Was she on the brink of learning them? Was it some kind of improv that the 'dex registered as legit moves? Or did the Dragon TE down here do something?' Lee pushes aside his amazement and puts away his pokedex. "Shinx, keep going! Close the distance again!"

    Once more, Shinx rushes in, her eyes locked on Sylveon.

    Sylveon frowns lightly, and rather than let Shinx get close, she rapidly shoots one of her ribbons out, intending to trip the kitten again.

    This time, however, Shinx's eyes follow the ribbon carefully, as if she's anticipating such a move. Just as the ribbon is wrapping around one of her front legs, Shinx rips the leg away and leaps, bounding through the air toward her surprised opponent.

    "Spark!"

    Shinx crackles with electricity once more, and she smacks into Sylveon like a cat-shaped missile, sending a current of Arceus-knows how many volts through Sylveon and turning both of them into a light show.

    Convulsing on her paws, Sylveon growls past chattering teeth and flares up with Quick Attack's white glow. With a half-controlled twitch of her ankles, Sylveon rockets away and makes distance. She lands two dozen yards away with the fur on her shoulder scorched, and now regards Shinx with a strange, pleased sort of wariness.

    Ending her Spark attack, Shinx pants as both her nerves and exhaustion catch up to her, but her toothy grin is plain for all to see.

    "Way to go, girl!" Lee cheers, unable to help himself. His face stretches into a grin to match Shinx's. "At the risk of sounding mean, I wasn't actually expecting you to land a good, solid hit on Sylveon today, let alone two!"

    Out in the field, Shinx is positively beaming at the praise.

    "Everyone else on the team wishes they could improve as fast as you," Lee calms himself and sends Sylveon a look. "Sylvy, you've done a great job holding back for Shinx, but let's ramp it up a little. I think she can handle it, and you need a workout too."

    Sylveon sends Shinx a glance promising the upstart some payback, and Shinx replies with the most adorable, yet competitive roar the world has ever heard.

    It looks like the coming days are going to be very interesting indeed.

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  • Threadmarks
    • Gotta say, I am surprised by Shinx's surprise growth under these conditions, and it seems that she learned more from her fellow battlers than Lee realized.

    Truly, she's grown so much under his care.

    May she light up Maxie's day with enough wattage to power up a city! :sneaky:
     
    Fuggmann said:
    That's the catch was being down here; if your pokemon don't respect you enough to rein themselves in on command, then they can rampage, train until they break every bone in their body, or even die of exhaustion
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    Ooof makes sense on why they restrict it so heavily.

    Fuggmann said:
    For all her merits, though, Nine is still far too skewed towards power over finesse. She can modulate the output of her fire just fine, but her power in other areas is outstripping her control. Iron Tail is currently all or nothing, her Quick Attack is growing fast enough to disorient her, and her Confuse Ray, which is potent enough to induce seizures, is outright unsafe to use on weak pokemon.
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    Huh, that is an interesting problem to have and it makes sense there is only so much power you can handle without the needed finesse.

    Fuggmann said:
    The Fairy has thankfully been putting on weight, but to the chagrin of Lee's inner scientist, it seems as if her enjoyment of her food has a much greater impact than the actual nutritional content, which is some Fairy nonsense at it's finest. Once he has all of her specific tastes figured out, Sylveon's improvement should speed up dramatically.
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    Makes sense fairy types feed more in the emotional end of things so being able to find enjoyment in thing probably does more then the food.
    Fuggmann said:
    Shinx yowls, baring her fangs, throwing sparks everywhere, and her eyes shining with ill intent. Her visage transforms from cute to spine-chilling on a primal level in an instant.
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    Damn Shinx is getting serious wonder how much is the dragon TE and how much is her determination.
     
    Fuggmann said:
    Zinnia nods sharply. "It's the Dragon energy in the air. It's being magnified by the meteorite in the bottom of the lake," she says, casting a glance towards said lake. "It's loosening your inhibitions and trying to bring all the things deep inside you to the surface. Many Draconid can't bear to be here because they're afraid they'll be forced to confront something ugly about themselves."
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    Fuggmann said:
    Lee shifts as the strange, invisible energy of the crater washes over him once more.
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    Fuggmann said:
    If at all possible, the odd dragon aura of the crater seems more concentrated down here. Lee can practically taste it, as if each breath coats his tongue in static.
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    Fuggmann said:
    Without him even needing to say anything, Lee's notebook and pen floats out of his backpack and into his hand, courtesy of Ninetales' telekinesis. Without the preamble, he flips to a fresh page and begins to write. "Fascinating stuff," he mumbles. "You said the technique uses a variant of Power Gem? It was my understanding that Power Gem, despite being Rock-Type, is actually an energy-based attack. Is that wrong, or did the founder convert it to something more physical?"
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    Fuggmann said:
    "So the Oracle resides here most of the time?" Lee asks, his curiosity overwhelming him. "Why is that, if you don't mind me asking?"
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    Fuggmann said:
    "Really?" Lee looks down and taps the floor with the toe of his boot, finding it solid. "How does that work? Surely it's not a pokemon using muscle power to lift and move the pillars, is it?"
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    Lee's inner desire to 100% his Codex has him selecting every optional dialogue option available for more lore...



    Fuggmann said:
    No offense, Lee, but you're the least Dragon-like guy I know."
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    Fuggmann said:
    "The lust for power and domination is the core of what a Dragon is,
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    Fuggmann said:
    For all her merits, though, Nine is still far too skewed towards power over finesse.
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    "Never change, Dolittle."


    Fuggmann said:
    Lee debates telling her that he personally doesn't want her to be a battler, but reluctantly stops himself, not wanting to influence her opinion with his own. "If you don't want to fight, tell me. I'll send you to Professor Birch's ranch where you'll be protected, and I'll visit as often as I can."
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    Even being influenced by his own inner desire, he still prioritizes her own decision making.


    Edit: Lee is obvious, but I have no idea in what way Brendan is being influenced.
     
    Last edited:
    Act 2: Chapter 28
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    A glance at his watch tells Lee that it's nearly noon. Around this time, everyone - Brendan and Zinnia's teams included - would normally stop for a short break, but today noon marks the end of his team's training in the bowels of the Draconid crater. "Okay! We're done for today! Disengage!"

    The gold and green blurs before Lee break off from each other with a final metallic crash, materializing into Ninetales and Grovyle respectively.

    On one side of the square, pillar-formed arena, Grovyle breathes deeply, his Leaf Blade –

    No, not Leaf Blade, Lee corrects himself with a prideful smile. Leaf Blade glows green. Grovyle's new Siphon Blade hums with a shade of sickly yellow, and is held ready to strike. Each stroke of the leafy sword, honed by days of continuous work, drains its foe, making every single slice a twofold setback for the victim.

    Across from Grovyle, Ninetales rests in a low stance, three of her tails held before her. Each one of the limbs shines with a metallic gleam, the fur upon each one molded into different shapes.

    To her left, the fluffy tail's fur is flattened into a broad, cleaving blade.

    The middle is wrapped tightly in a spiral to make a stabbing lance.

    The right holds the nastiest weapon of all: the metallic fur juts out into multiple, jagged spikes, forming a wicked club.

    Yet, despite wielding thrice the number of weapons that Grovyle does, Ninetales bears just as many wounds as her reptilian opponent, if not more. She hides her pain well, but Lee can feel the phantom sting of an especially deep slash on his outer thigh, mirroring a wound on her flank.

    As one, the pair of pokemon power down their attacks and incline their heads to one another, not unlike a pair of samurai breaking off from a spar.

    'Pokemon are kind of like samurai when you think about it,' Lee muses. 'Honorable warriors serving a Lord that they could merc if they felt like it.'

    "So!" Lee busies himself with digging his berry case out of his backpack as his pokemon seat themselves at his feet. "How are we feeling after that? You two were really flying into each other there at the end. The sound of leaf-on-metal was starting to get deafening."

    'Somewhat embarrassed that I was pressured so much the entire fight,' Ninetales admits both aloud and via telepathy, punctuating her words with a sigh. 'I am well aware that melee is not my specialty, but I did not expect to be on the defensive so often, especially not with three tails to defend myself with.' She frowns. 'I'll endeavor to keep improving, perhaps by incorporating more tails. I believe my coordination to be sufficient.'

    If Lee was riding in the backseat of her mind and assisting, Ninetales could probably use all of her tails in tandem as weapons without them getting jumbled, but the pair have been consciously avoiding such measures for now. The better Ninetales becomes at splitting her focus and multitasking, the better she can utilize even more complicated techniques.

    Like the still unfinished Fox Fire.

    Oh, how Lee wants that move to work. During the few times he could get a data signal down here in the crater, Lee's research delved into the complicated and poorly understood world of clone-producing moves. Substitute is the only widely known and commercially available move that makes solid clones, and it's almost entirely used as a distraction. Substitutes are also limited to only unpowered physical strikes if they're used offensively. Add in the prohibitive stamina cost of creating even one, and it's no surprise that Substitute is a move rarely encountered.

    After Lee realized that, it's no wonder that the reveal of Fox Fire had Battlenet in such a clamor. Producing two proxy battlers was already novel, but proxies capable of both firing projectiles and a bastardized form of Self-Destruct? Unheard of.

    Grovyle raises an eyebrow and makes an insulted chirp in his throat, drawing Lee from his thoughts. "You didn't expect to be on the defensive?" Lee interprets from the noise.

    Ninetales' frown grows in reply. 'Such a remark was not intended to be a slight upon you, but a reflection of shortcomings belonging to me.'

    "I think you did great, Nine," Lee cuts in with a smile. "Just a few days ago, you were only able to go all-or-nothing with Iron Tail, and now you can modulate the shape, intensity, and even pick and choose which tails to use! Grovyle's got the most refined fighting style of the team, so there is no shame in not beating him. You've made fantastic progress in my eyes," he says, popping open his berry case and palming a Sitrus berry. Holding the fruit in his upright palm, he holds it out to Grovyle. "Grovyle, if you could be so kind?"

    Grovyle's Leaf Blade glows, and in a flash of movement too fast to see, the Sitrus berry is sliced into six equal-sized pieces that neatly fall apart in Lee's hand.

    Lee holds one of the slices out to his Ace. "We'll work on something new tomorrow, okay, Love?"

    The vixen smiles and eats the treat out of Lee's hand. Ninetales' satisfaction with his words and the tangy, secondhand flavor of Sitrus coating his tongue draws a wide smile from Lee.

    "And how about you, Grovyle?" Lee asks, offering a berry slice to Grovyle. "What are your thoughts after today's training?"

    Grovyle takes the Sitrus slice in his claws and takes a slow, methodical bite from the fruit, thinking over his words as his wounds slowly begin to mend. Then Grovyle sighs and hisses lowly. "I could have done better," he seems to say, finishing off the rest of his Sitrus.

    His smile becoming unsure, Lee reaches out and pats the top of the gecko pokemon's head. Dry scales rasp beneath his hand. "A good attitude to have, but don't become too critical of yourself. Mastering a brand-new technique and fighting Nine to a standstill with it is some crazy progress for only a few days. In fact, I think you're about ready for the Swords Dance TM."

    Grovyle crosses his arms and closes his eyes, not reacting to the hand upon his head. He does, however, smile at the mention of the new move on the horizon.

    Cradling the sliced fruit in one hand, Lee dips the other back into his bag and pulls out a package of wipes, which he uses to clean the blood from Nine's fur and Grovyle's scales. By the time he's done, both pokemon's wounds have closed.

    Lee then turns to Nine. "Love? Can you bring the walls down?"

    Licking a smear of berry off of her lips, Ninetales nods and turns her attention to the eastern wall. As soon as her eyes fall upon it, the pillars making up the wall begin to retract into the ground, revealing the next pair of training partners.

    Corviknight, zipping and diving through the air as fast as he dares, is the first one revealed, and Lee, Grovyle, and Ninetales are just in time to see a bolt of lightning shoot from the ground, zapping him. The telltale shimmer of Light Screen dulls the pain, but Corvi still winces from the super-effective hit.

    In retaliation, Corvi turns and throws a glowing wing in a wide arc, spilling a barrage of Swift stars below.

    As the final pillars sink into the ground, everyone is treated to the sight of a bruised and battered Shinx dancing around the homing projectiles, letting each one smash into the seemingly indestructible ground and explode. Not a single one manages to hit her as she weaves through them with complete confidence, with some missing her by mere millimeters. The entire time, she never takes her eyes off of Corvi.

    A prideful smile returns to Lee's face.

    Of all the pokemon improving down here in the secret Draconid training ground, Shinx has enjoyed the most explosive growth by far, baffling everyone. In just a few days, she's added Baby-Doll Eyes, Bite, and Roar to her repertoire, bringing her total number of moves up to seven. She uses every move on her aerial foe effectively.

    …Except for Baby-Doll Eyes. For quite some time, Lee hasn't been able to confirm what special ability Corviknight possesses, but when Shinx's first use of Baby-Doll Eyes on Corviknight bounced back and left Shinx gasping for breath, he was finally given a definitive answer.

    Corviknight has Mirror Armor, the rarest of his line's special abilities. With Mirror Armor, any sort of effect intended to enfeeble Corvi is reflected right back onto the caster. It makes sense considering Corvi's noble pedigree, but the confirmation is sweet.

    Back to Shinx. Even more astounding than her rapidly growing move pool is how a tactic used against her immediately becomes ineffective if she's seen it before. Case in point, Corvi's Swift completely missing her. Lee's baby must have something special going on upstairs, and Lee intends to find out with a round of cognitive tests in Shinx's next physical.

    Back in the battlefield, Shinx sucks in a deep breath, filling her tiny chest, then she looses a deep Roar, one grossly unfitting for her small frame.

    The invisible, sonic shockwave of Roar smashes into Corviknight with a metallic clang, doing no damage but throwing him off balance. During the brief moment that he's forced to right himself, a lightning bolt streaks up to zap him once more.

    Just a moment before it hits, Corvi vanishes with the crack of a sonic boom, reappearing behind Shinx with the aid of Extreme Speed. He holds one of his wings out, charging Steel Wing to smack his tiny foe upside the head.

    Shinx takes only a split second to realize where Corvi is and leaps away, but is still clipped broadside by Steel Wing, sending her spinning through the air with a distressed mewl. When she lands, it's flat on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her.

    That's when both take notice of one of the arena walls missing. As one, the raven and kitten turn their attention to Lee, Nine, and Grovyle.

    "Magnificent work, you two!" Lee praises, stepping forward with Nine and Grovyle flanking him. "We've got that meeting with Anabel coming up, so we're going to call it for today."

    Shinx quickly rises to her paws and scampers her way to Lee, eagerly hopping around his feet as if asking, "Did you see me?! Did you see me?!"

    Chuckling, Lee kneels down and presents a Sitrus slice to Shinx. "Oh, I saw alright. I can't believe how strong my baby is getting. If you keep this up, you're going to blow everyone else out of the water!"

    Shinx gobbles up the presented fruit slice, rubbing her body on Lee's leg and purring up a storm the entire time. In just a few seconds, her scuffs and bruises fade.

    Standing, Lee turns to Corvi, who struts over in the way only a raven can. "So, how do you think you and Shinx did? You seem to have Light Screen down pat," Lee says, running his eyes up and down Corvi's frame.

    Two metallic feathers on his left wing are missing, and the skin the pinions used to occupy slowly weeps blood.

    'We'll figure out how to fix up Extreme Speed soon,' Lee vows to himself.

    Heedless of Lee's inner thoughts, Corviknight answers with a grumble-like warble. "Shinx is excelling. I am likewise improving, but still have my own frustrations."

    "I only counted two missing feathers this time, so you're obviously doing something right," Lee answers with a reassuring smile. He reaches up and pats the warm armor of Corvi's chest. "I'll be honest, Corvi. You're in such a good place right now that I'm kind of struggling to come up with a good regimen for you. Once you have Extreme Speed and your general dexterity fixed up, we'll have to sit and brainstorm a bit on what direction you want to go in." Lee tosses a Sitrus slice up to the massive bird, who snatches it out of the air and swallows it in a single bite. "Think about it some, and whatever you decide, I'll help you get there."

    Corvi allows a small smile to rise to his beak.

    'Nine?'

    The next and final wall comes down, and when it falls, Lee sees that Sylveon and Octillery are already wrapping up.

    Octillery sits still as two of Sylveon's ribbons hover above him. Between the ribbons, the star-like glow of Wish rains down golden sparkles on the red octopus. The sparkles gravitate to Octillery's skinned and cut tentacles, seeping into his flesh and regrowing the missing bits of skin.

    When using her ribbons, Sylveon's physical reach is simply ridiculous. There isn't a safe place in the arena for anyone, as there seems to be no end to how far the ribbons can stretch. The only real weakness the ribbons have is how slow they are.

    At first, Lee had worries about the durability of the long strips of woven fur, but it seems as if the ribbons are the strongest part of Sylveon's body by a wide margin. With that in mind, Lee decided that it would be best to focus on them for the time being, considering that it's best if Sylveon knows how to use them in a fight.

    Octillery, having gotten his psychically-assisted ground strafing mastered to an appreciable level, actually suggested his next form of training to Lee. The octopus wanted to take his telekinesis to new heights – quite literally. He wished to move on to psychically-assisted leaps and surface clinging, to further make himself a bother to any foes. Octillery reasoned that such maneuvers would pair nicely with his newly learned Thunder Wave, and give Sylveon a worthwhile foe to catch.

    Lee agreed, but privately thinks that Octillery, after having a taste of what mobility is like, wants more and is looking for an excuse.

    Not that that's a bad thing. After riding astride Corvi's back, Lee more than understands the appeal. As he thinks that, Lee looks around at the floor and the pillars making up the walls.

    Clearly, Octillery still has a bit of learning to do, as his harsh maneuvers have practically worn his tentacle suckers down to nubs. The ground and walls are dotted with spots of blood. Considering his lack of bruises, Sylveon probably wasn't successful in her attempts to catch him.

    "I take it that you guys heard me when I said that we're done for the day?" Lee asks, approaching and dropping to one knee.

    Octillery nods languidly, gurgling a thanks to Sylveon as the Fairy lets Wish fade and steps away. He accepts the Sitrus slice handed to him, stuffing the morsel into his hidden beak. The cephalopod evidently doesn't feel the need to elaborate on today's efforts, for he says nothing else.

    Sylveon eats the final slice from Lee's hand, and once finished, gently nuzzles her cheek to Lee's knee. The friendly gesture is at odds with the frown on her face, however.

    "Don't feel too bad about not catching Octillery." Lee smiles and scratches Sylveon behind her ribbon-bearing ear. "You're making great progress. It won't be long before you can win a fight without ever having to move from your spot. When that day comes, you'll feel incredible. I promise."

    A ribbon curls around Lee's wrist, and Sylveon's dour expression lifts into a small smile.

    Looking over his shoulder, Lee notes that the sound of combat from the other parts of the cavern has come to a halt. The roars, plumes of spores and dragon fire, and screeches of pain amid encouraging words are absent. "We're just in time. Seems like the others are winding down too."

    In short order, the walls all descend back into the floor, and the rest of the gang can be seen. Both Brendan and Zinnia tend to their pokemon, who are all in various states of fatigue and injury.

    "Alrighty, everyone," Lee rises back to his full height, prompting Sylveon to pull her ribbon away "let's get you all some lunch and a well-deserved rest. Corvi, I'll need you here in a bit to fly me to Fallarbor. Are you feeling up to it?"

    Corviknight almost looks insulted.

    "Just checking." Lee smiles. "C'mon."

    As a group, the man and team of pokemon walk over to the center of the chamber. Once there, Lee drops his backpack at his feet and digs around inside, pulling out six cellophane-wrapped bowls, one notably larger than the rest, along with a sandwich for himself. Once the bowls are unwrapped, Lee sets them down and smiles. "Dig in!"

    Each of Lee's teammates dive into their lunch with gusto, any conversation forgotten in favor of happily munching on their homemade meal. Shinx, thinking she's being sly, tries to surreptitiously dip her paw into Corvi's extra-large portion, only to be chased away with a loud "Scraw!"

    'Looks like a hundred-and-thirty percent of everyone's usual calorie count was about right for our little training trip down here," Lee muses, sitting and digging into his sandwich. 'Might bump it up to one-forty just to be safe. Everyone has been working damn hard.'

    Brendan is the first to finish up tending to his team's wounds, and they join Lee's team in the center a minute later, followed shortly by Zinnia and her dragons.

    "Jeez, hard to believe a week has already flown by," Zinnia remarks as she finishes feeding her own pokemon. She sits down on the ground heavily and leans forward resting her chin in her hands. "Seems like it's all blending together."

    "Maybe a little," Brendan agrees. The youngest of the trainer trio falls back to lie on the floor, his arms behind his head as he relaxes. "I totally understand why this place is secret, though. It seems like all of my pokemon are jumping forward so fast that my training plans for the next month might get eaten up by the end of next week!" he exclaims, sending a none-too-subtle glance towards Marshtomp.

    Lee follows Brendan's eyes.

    Marshtomp is sitting with the rest of Brendan's team, eating a specially blended meal of Brendan and Lee's creation from a bowl, handful by gluttonous handful. Looking at his head, the split beginning to form in Marshtomp's fin is all too obvious.

    The mudfish's final evolution is on the horizon.

    Mawile and Breloom don't appear to be too different, but Electrike is even larger than he was before. The pup has seemingly sprouted an extra inch of height in only a few days.

    Lee turns his eyes to Zinnia's team, but finds no significant differences. Goomy is a bit bigger, maybe, but if there has been any significant improvement, then he's not seeing it.

    'They're dragons. I imagine that when they do show off their improvement, it's going to be profound,' Lee muses.

    "Because of that," Brendan continues, "we're going to cut today short and go hunting for a fifth team member."

    "Oh?" Lee perks up. "What sort of pokemon are you going to be looking for? A Dragon?"

    Brendan nods with a bright smile. "Yeah. I've been thinking pretty hard about it, and I want a Flygon. My dad's Flygon is a swell pokemon, and I'd love to have one of my own."

    "Dragon hunting, eh?" Zinnia is suddenly all smiles. "Well, you're in the right place for it! Hell, I might join you. I've been meaning to add at least one more to my team. There is a Flygon nest down in one of the lower chambers, and quite a few of the Trapinch down there have to have evolved by now, so you can skip the painful ground-pounder phase."

    "Sounds great!" Brendan agrees, sitting up with a grin. He takes his pokedex from his pocket and opens the entry on the Flygon evolutionary line. "You've got some kind of meeting today, don't you, Lee?"

    Lee nods, feeling a thrill of apprehension for the coming conversation. "Yeah. We're meeting with Anabel from the Battle Frontier. She's a natural human telepath and best equipped to help Nine and I with this side study your father wants us to do."

    "Wow, a Frontier Brain?" Brendan blinks. "Dad must have pulled some serious strings to make this happen."

    "Probably," Lee agrees, taking another glance at his watch.

    It's almost time to go.

    "It's about time for us to get going." Lee stands and stretches, pleasantly popping his back. "Good luck on your pokemon hunt, you two."

    "Seeya, Lee!"

    "Later, Dolittle. There should be a tribesman by the pond to escort you to town."

    By now, all of Lee's pokemon have finished their meals, and Ninetales has stacked the empty food bowls by Lee's side, letting him toss them into his backpack to be cleaned later. Once his bag is zipped shut, Lee takes his pokeballs from his belt, two in one hand and three in the other, and recalls all of his pokemon besides Corvi for a rest.

    With his giant raven by his side, Lee makes his way through the cavernous tunnels and back to the great central chamber of the Meteorfall Crater. As Zinnia said, one of her tribesmen stands by the luminescent pond with a Flygon. After a short exchange with the man, Corvi is saddled up by Lee, then the pair take to the air, bound for Fallarbor.

    "I return at four o'clock here, yes?" Lee's Draconid escort confirms. "Take you back to Metron'fall krate."

    Lee nods. Evidently, his escort doesn't speak much Galarian, and Lee has to reiterate the time and place once more. "Yes. Here at four o'clock."

    The tribal man, still on his Flygon's back, nods with a smile. "Okay. I return later. Belin guz yara, Naraikvejor."

    With that, the tribesman and his Flygon take to the air, rapidly shrinking into a green dot in the sky.

    With a shake of his head, Lee turns and walks through the sliding glass doors into the Fallarbor Pokemon Center with Ninetales on his right.

    Together, they make their way down one of the side hallways of the Center. The third door down is the meeting room scheduled, and Lee knocks on the door. When there's no answer, he cracks the door open and peeks inside.

    It's empty.

    Lee glances at a wall clock down the hall, his eyebrows rising to his hairline. "Damn. That Flygon really hauled ass to get us here. We're a full fifteen minutes early."

    'Just as well.' Ninetales noses the door open and steps inside. 'You wished to call Steven Stone and arrange a meeting to address the Draconid prophecy, did you not? Better sooner, rather than later.'

    'Ah, I knew I was forgetting something. Thank you, Love.'

    Lee steps in after his fox, taking in the room. Unlike when he was attending therapy, the room is now furnished more like a typical meeting room.

    In the center is a table surrounded by leather office chairs, and on the table is a round conference phone. Besides the furniture and the light fixtures, the room is otherwise barren.

    Lee seats himself and takes his phone from his pocket. With his other hand, he takes out his wallet and quickly finds Steven's business card. After dialing the number, Lee puts the phone up to his ear.

    Riiiiiiiing…

    Riiiiiiiing…

    Riiiiiiiing…

    There is no answer, and the phone rolls over to voicemail.

    "You've reached the voicemail of Steven Stone, Pokemon League Champion of Hoenn. If this is an emergency, please hang up and dial 911 –"

    Lee blinks incredulously. 'Does Steven get enough calls that he has to add a line like that?' he wonders.

    "– Otherwise, please leave a message, and I will return your call within several business days. Please include your full name, the nature of your call, the urgency, and the best number to reach you back at. Thank you, and have a great day."

    'Not optimal, but beggars and choosers and all that…'

    After the phone trills in his ear, Lee clears his throat and speaks. "Hello, Champion Stone. This is Lee Henson. I apologize for disturbing you, but I need to arrange a meeting with you. This is in regards to a matter similar to the one we discussed in Lavaridge. I'm unfortunately going to have limited cell phone service for the foreseeable future, which is why I would like to make this a face-to-face meeting. If I miss your return call, I will respond within a day. The best number to reach me at is…" Lee then quickly rattles off his phone number. "That's a cell phone, so text messages work as well. I can also be reached by email at L Henson at hoenn P, K, M, N, lab dot org. Thank you."

    Lee hangs up the call and slides his phone back into his pocket. "Here's hoping."

    Ninetales, who spent the entire call trying to get comfortable in one of the rolling chairs, gives up and kicks the seat away with a huff. Instead, she sits on the floor and sets her chin on the table. 'Steven Stone doesn't strike me as someone foolish enough to ignore such a dire warning. If he does, then perhaps we have greater issues.'

    Lee and Ninetales are not forced to wait for long. Only several minutes after they make themselves comfortable, the meeting room door swings open on squeaky hinges, making both man and fox turn to look.

    Through the door steps a teenage girl, no older than fifteen. Her short hair and her eyes share the same lavender color, and her pale skin almost blends in with her frilly white shirt. Standing by the girl's feet is an Espeon, who regards Lee and Ninetales coolly.

    'So this is Anabel, huh?' Lee meets the girl's eyes. 'You wouldn't be able to tell that she's an Elite trainer just by looking.' He clears his throat."Anabel, I presume?"

    "That's me," she says with a smile before it melts off her face. "Oh goodness! I didn't keep you waiting, did I?"

    "No, no, not at all." Lee shakes his head. "We arrived a lot earlier than we thought we would. You're just in time."

    Anabel sighs in relief as Espeon rolls her eyes. An instant later, Anabel shoots her Espeon a despondent look for seemingly no reason, prompting the purple-hewed Psychic to shrug her withers.

    'Ah, so that's what it looks like from the outside.' Lee observes the unheard telepathic exchange with interest. He unzips his backpack from where it lies at his feet and takes out his notebook, already flipping to a fresh page. 'Curious.'

    'I like to think our conversations are faster and more streamlined,' Ninetales says, also watching.

    Both of them miss the sharp intake of breath from Anabel.

    Lee nods, more to himself than anyone else. 'Speaking of speed, we still need to re-create that slowed time perception effect that we experienced during the Lavaridge gym battle. Perhaps we'll work on that next when we get back to the Crater?'

    'I was under the impression that you wished to work on Fox Fire? You have pages upon pages of theory and stratagem for the technique, and I admit I find the idea of autonomous battle minions quite amusing.'

    'We can do both.'

    "Oh wow… It's seamless…"

    Anabel's awed whisper draws Lee and Nine from their conversation. As one, they look towards the girl, who blushes under the sudden scrutiny.

    "Sorry about that," Lee apologizes, a sheepish smile on his face. "Ninetales and I can get lost talking to each other sometimes. It's nice to meet you, Anabel. I'm Lee Henson. I presume Professor Birch gave you a rundown on what this is all going to entail?"

    Anabel seats herself across from them, with her Espeon crawling up into one of the office chairs beside her. "In broad strokes, yes." Anabel nods, the extra color fading from her face. She returns Lee's smile. "The professor informed me that you and your Ninetales share an extraordinary telepathic bond, and that you need a bit of help exploring and managing it. I'll be happy to offer whatever I can! When you're ready, we can go over the preliminary courtesies that telepaths observe."

    "Preliminary courtesies?" Lee asks, already positioning his pen on his notebook. "Do tell. Ninetales and I have never delved into the professional practices of telepaths beyond making sure we don't run afoul of the law."

    "I'd be happy to!" Anabel seems delighted to be given the opportunity to teach. "There are three big ones. Consent, boundaries, and confidentiality." As she speaks, Anabel raises a finger for each point, and Lee dutifully writes each one down. "The consent one should be obvious. Don't ever touch someone else's mind without explicit permission, and permission obtained under duress or from someone who's impaired does not count."

    Anabel lowers a finger. "Everyone has different boundaries and comfort levels when it comes to telepathy, and those should be clearly communicated and respected."

    The last finger falls. "Anything a telepath learns from someone else's mind is confidential. No buts."

    Anabel folds her hands on the table. "There are a couple of other rules like how you should be professional and ethical, but I don't think those are going to be problems here. The big three are the ones we should focus on."

    Lee nods, jotting everything down. "I see… Interesting…"

    "Oh! And one last thing!" Anabel shares a glance with her Espeon. "There is also the 'three knock' rule. If a telepath wants nonverbal permission to initiate contact, they need to 'knock' and be let in. When they get permission, both sides set boundaries before delving deeper and then continuing. It should feel a little something like this."

    From nowhere, Lee suddenly feels a phantom finger tapping against his skull. The ephemeral touch is gentle and he nearly misses it at first, but once he realizes what it is, he involuntarily stiffens up. From how Ninetales suddenly sits straighter next to him, she must feel it as well.

    Reaching a hand up, Lee rubs his forehead, over where he felt the psychic tapping. "Wow. That's, uh, a strange sensation to say the least."

    Unprompted, Ninetales wraps her mind around Lee's, shielding him.

    Anabel's smile is all sympathy. "Don't worry, Mister Henson. It feels weird to everyone at first."

    "Lee is fine, no need for any 'Mister Henson'," Lee waves the girl off.

    "Sure thing, Mister Lee!" she cheerily replies, pulling a sigh out of Lee. "I'll let you take it from here. What kind of things do you need help with? I noticed earlier that your and Miss Ninetales' telepathy is so smooth that I'm not sure what I can really do for you. I didn't even notice any lag!"

    'Moment of truth.' Lee pauses and wonders how to word everything. "Before I go any further, I do have a couple of questions about the limits of telepathy."

    Anabel and Espeon look at each other for several seconds, a silent conversation passing, before Anabel turns back to Lee. "Of course. What kind of questions?"

    "Is it possible to share senses with telepathy?"

    The teen girl blinks, obviously not expecting that question. "Share senses? You can…"

    'Here comes the 'but',' Ninetales anticipates.

    "…but due to the inherent differences between the minds of humans and pokemon, a lot of it would just be a jumbled mess," she says with a shrug. "There are few pokemon who can do it with some coherency, but that's usually from a special predisposition and not general telepathic talent."

    Anabel shakes her head. "Communicating with telepathy is one thing, but bridging the gap between human and pokemon so thoroughly would be like mashing a square peg into a round hole; it won't work, and you might break something trying. Some have tried in the past and…" She looks away, uncomfortable, "…It seldom ends well."

    Lee sets his pen down and scratches his chin. 'I guess my metaphor of plugs and prongs is apt, at least. What to ask next?'

    'Ask her about the effects of prolonged psychic contact,' Ninetales supplies, nosing his arm. 'Evidently, the impossibility of what we share is exaggerated somewhat, as many sources, Professor Birch included, stated it was outright impossible when Anabel has a contrary opinion. Perhaps she can shine a light on these particular questions.'

    'Good idea, Love. I wish trainers were more prone to sharing their findings so we didn't have to stumble around this long.' Lee smiles at Nine and turns back to Anabel. "I've got another one for you. What would happen to a human and a pokemon who spent a long amount of time telepathically connected? Think weeks, or even months."

    Anabel's expression begins to creep into discomfort, which is mirrored by Espeon. "That can be rather dangerous. People and most pokemon need time alone in the sanctity of their mind for their own health, and shouldn't be connected longer than a few hours a day." She taps her fingers on the table. "Prolonged contact can cause control to slip, cognitive fatigue, social skills getting rusty, and a lot of other nasty things. If worse comes to worst, it may even result in an inability to disconnect, dependency issues, or death by gestalt."

    'Oops,' both Lee and Ninetales think at once, briefly meeting eyes. They'd already flubbed hard, it seems. Then Lee replays Anabel's words, driving a spike of shock into both him and his fox.

    "Hold on, death by gestalt?" Lee questions, shaken. "I'm going to need a bit more info on that one. How does that cause death?"

    Anabel leans back in her chair, a grimace taking form on her face. "T-Thats really not a pleasant subject, Mister Lee. Are you sure you want to talk about it?"

    "Yes, we're sure," Lee insists. "We need to know this."

    Once more, the Frontier Brain and her pokemon take ten seconds to themselves, silently conversing. Finally, Anabel lets out a sigh and begins to explain. "It goes back to the differences between human and pokemon minds I talked about earlier. A lot of pokemon form one-personality gestalts as part of their evolution, but they do so knowingly and combine into one body afterward. They can do it safely because there are no leftover physical bits, and the new individual is made up of similar participants."

    Lee nods along and gestures for her to continue, following her words.

    "In the case of two different parties who do it on accident, like when they can't disconnect and inevitably get jumbled…" Anabel gulps. "The stronger mind subsumes the weaker one. The weaker side is effectively left brain-dead, and the stronger side suffers irreversible ego death from the overload of memories and experiences that they aren't equipped to process. The new individual… doesn't usually last very long after that…"

    The room is left in a chilled silence. If a pin were to hit the floor, it would sound like a thunderclap.

    Both Lee and Ninetales are left frozen. The first instinct of each one is to reach out and comfort the other, but they don't. Instead, they're left in a state of dread-filled paralysis.

    "Mister Lee?" Anabel begins after a long minute, giving Lee a searching look. "These aren't hypothetical questions, are they?"

    The zoologist swallows a lump in his throat. "No. No, they aren't," he says, needing a moment to find his voice again. Being careful to keep his mind to himself, Lee instead reaches an arm out and wraps Ninetales into a tight, physical hug, one she leans into. He looks down at her.

    Horrified ruby eyes stare back.

    "Ninetales and I have been connected for months." Lee continues. "Just recently, we discovered that we couldn't actually disconnect anymore, and we're not sure where one of us ends and the other begins. I can feel her emotions, experience her senses, see her memories, and more, just like she can with me. We've even touched our minds together in the past, letting the edges overlap." The man looks away. "This meeting is both a study, and us needing help mediating our connection before disaster strikes."

    Anabel's narrow shoulders slump, and she shakes her head, making her lavender locks bounce. "This is a lot more than I thought it would be…" she complains, raising a hand to her forehead and giving it a rub.

    Beside her, Espeon leans over and nuzzles her face to Anabel's cheek, restoring the girl's smile.

    "I understand." Lee exhales sharply and runs his fingers through the thick tuft of fur on Ninetales' chest, taking the edge off of his nerves. "Frontier Brain or not, I'm not going to put all this nonsense on a teenage girl. Thank you for coming here today. I'll talk to Professor Birch about – !"

    Anabel stops Lee short with a raised hand. "Hold on, Mister Lee. I never said I wouldn't try. With your permission, Espeon and I would like to feel out the connection between you and Miss Ninetales. We'd like to know what we're working with before going any further."

    'After hearing what she might be dealing with, she still wants to try?'

    "Are you certain?" Lee asks, a frown tugging at his scars. "Things are never as normal as I would like with me and my pokemon, and I know that kind of insanity is not for everyone."

    'Not as normal as you would like?' Ninetales snorts, some of the tension in her shoulders leaving. 'My dearest trainer would prefer me to be more normal?' she jokes.

    'Hush. You know what I mean.'

    The lightning-fast exchange between the man and fox is not lost on Anabel nor Espeon, and the girl gives Lee a resolute smile. "Don't you worry, Mister Lee. I'll do everything I can."

    Once more, Lee finds himself praising Arceus for making a world with so many good people in it.

    Relaxing, Lee lets out a breath of relief. "Sure thing. We just ask that you don't go deeper than you need to, and avoid any memories."

    "Got it!" Anabel says. She holds out a hand towards Espeon, and the purple-furred psychic drops her paw into the offered hand without a word. Both then close their eyes and begin to focus.

    Where Lee felt like someone was gently tapping his forehead before, it now feels as if… as if… He grimaces, unable to put words to the odd sensation of Anabel and Espeon probing up and down the telepathic channel between him and Ninetales. The closest thing he could liken it to is a tiny hand gently brushing its fingers up and down his arm, but even then, that's still a gross oversimplification.

    As the seconds slowly pass into a minute, Anabel and Espeon's combined wills probe a little harder, dipping a metaphorical finger into the stream of thought and emotion constantly surging between Lee and Nine, only to withdraw as if burned. Physically, Anabel's brows furrow.

    Once more, they try again. The tiny hand lengthens out into a tendril, one that wraps around the telepathic bond. There is a slight squeeze, but no give. Slowly, the tendril slides down to Ninetales, then comes back, pausing once more in that place where the man and fox are one and the same. They continue on, the tendril groping up Lee's side until it brushes his mind.

    Lee bites his lip, doing his best to keep his thoughts empty.

    Back and forth, back and forth, they grasp and touch along the entire length of the psychic bond, sometimes using two, or even three tendrils of thought to inspect multiple places at once. As Anabel and Espeon work, Anabel's features unconsciously grow awed.

    "What is this?" Anabel whispers, her words so quiet that even Ninetales barely hears them. "What… What is this?"

    After several minutes, they withdraw, and Lee lets out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

    Anabel blinks her eyes and shakes her head as if trying to clear a mental fog. Espeon, meanwhile, stares at both Lee and Ninetales as if seeing them for the first time.

    "You should be a gestalt…" Anabel breathes, looking at them in wonder. "It should have already happened. You should have cascaded into a gestalt, but you haven't. You already feel what the other feels? You already know what the other knows? Totally and entirely? Either one of those alone should have caused a cascade!" she exclaims.

    "We should have already merged?" Lee asks, his unease making way for confusion. "What's stopping it?"

    Anabel shakes her head once more. Despite looking ready to faint, her marveled expression remains. "I don't know. I don't think something like this has ever happened." She goes quiet, glancing towards Espeon. "You said that you've let your minds overlap before? And you came back just fine?"

    Lee and Ninetales both silently nod.

    "Wow…" Anabel whispers. The amount of disbelief she can stuff into a single word is staggering. "That's incredible… unreal, even."

    Espeon addresses Anabel with a rolling mewl, making the girl sit up straight. The pair of psychics lock eyes, and another exchange takes place. When it comes to an end, Anabel's eyes light up.

    "Yeah, you're right, Espi. They might be the real thing! Oh my gosh, this is insane!" she replies, turning her head and addressing Lee. "My teacher was a professional psychic, and some of his colleagues who went into academia and stuff had a phrase for this kind of theoretical, meta-stable gestalt, and I think you and Miss Ninetales might be the first ones ever!"

    "Really?" Lee leans forward, eager to finally have a name for what he and Nine share. "Don't keep us in suspense. What are we?"

    Anabel's smile turns radiant.

    "They called it a Concordant Singularity, the holy grail of bonds between man and pokemon."

    Below are the names of some patrons who got to view this chapter early and felt like signing it. A huge thanks to them and everyone else who supports this story and everything else I write.

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