Pokémon Wishing Stars: Prophecies Give us Choice

[Gaxatwirl]

After a message from the champion, Mister Tyke and Silk call off the battle, leaving the cave. Silk is the first to go, giving Mini to me,
sending out Nightfall and flying off. She says a lot of things in the air, but she's too far to hear.

Mister Tyke gives us both a gracious bow, but I saw his envious look at the Hydreigon as she flew off. Before he hurries back to his restaurant, Fee asks him about Mini.

"Ah, yes. I was going to take her to the Pokémon Centre." He drops her Poké ball on my hands, bowing yet again like it's a signature catchphrase, and then rushing off. "I trust you to handle her for the time being."

"Hi Mini.", I greet, trying to see if she'll respond to the nickname. I never called her Mini, partly because she's not my Pokémon, but also because there was never a moment where calling her Mini would have made sense. Except for when Silk and I were walking around, looking like irresponsible trainers.

"Mini?" Surprisingly, 'Mini' is something she can say. Minccino does have the letters to make Mini, but Pokémon weirdly only say their names. And make some odd sounds. Bounsweet is the biggest offender of odd sounds. Describing what she does is impossible.

"Do you like Mini as a name?"

"Cincin!" She wiggles her tail excitedly. I place her on top of my head, but it seems she doesn't like heights. Her tail wraps around my eyes as her little nubs lock on my hair. Instead of taking her off my head, I steady her by placing both hands on waist.

It takes her a while, but once she feels safe, her tail raises. "Aww. That's so cute.", Fee comments.

We take her firstly to the Pokémon Centre. Thanks to the fact that we have her Poké ball with us, the lady is able to simply use the machine to heal her up quickly. Luckily, there isn't anything going on with her that would permanently affect her capabilities.

"She'll be good to go within the hour.", the lady says. "Thanks again for bringing all those Pokémon from earlier."

"Just doing my job.", I say, as if I'm a cop.

Fee and I sit down by a bench in the Pokémon Centre and make logistical talk. Which, to some, may sound like small talk. But it's pretty important.

Due to the conditions of the 'deal' I made with Mister Tyke, I unfortunately have no cash and didn't gain any cash from this journey. I mean, I was blessed with ₽100 000 for unknown reasons, given free clothes and 2 free meals, but I don't have cash right now.

Okay, not completely true. I have my personal cash. Within the week that I've done my job, I've amounted ₽6000. I didn't buy any trainer gear, because that would be suspicious, but I did stockpile on some basic needs items and some handy niches. I got a couple of escape ropes and some repels, for just in case I'm in trouble. Dare I state the obvious and say I also ate food, and rented a small place?

In any case, together, we have ₽6000. It's not bad cash, but when you're in Pearl town, it's a different story entirely. So we come to the agreement that we should head off to Celestite town, where I can actually do my job. We also decide that we need to give Professor Zin a call, and we should take the bus to Celestite town. I just hope that the bus fees in Pearl town aren't insane.

"Life in Pearl town is expensive.", Fee complains, despite not contributing any money. "I can feel your judgement."

"Sure. But I didn't say anything yet." And there's also his emotion hacker. Judgement isn't an emotion, I imagine. It's more like a natural reaction when you feel like someone's doing or saying something unjustified. But, I also know, from Fee, that there's not enough words to describe every emotion we feel. So, perhaps only he understands what judgement as an emotion is. You know, judgemental.

"Pearl town… 2nd​ capital. Of Unusium, a while back."

Casually worn in contrast to most of the people in this town, the human is fully dressed in black. A black jacket that also multitasks as a robe and a cape, with a purple splash mark uniquely designed to be like corruption seeping all around. My eyes focus deeply on the splash mark, because it looks like it pulsates slightly. When my eyes lose even the slightest focus, it seems as still as it should be. He has straight red hair that is tied loosely in a ponytail, fluffing out down until his lower back.

"You. Helped Pokémon." He speaks in a slow, hushed manner that feels natural to him. He looks to be rather young, between a young adult and a late teen. Though, I would guess him to be 20 right now. He is thin. His clothes fold over and over and over again from the size toppling that of his own. Yet, he seems more comfortable in it than most people in clothes tailored for them.

"Earlier today.", I reply. He smiles weakly, but sincerely. He looks like the kind of person who's been through a lot. His eyes don't speak much. They lay almost closed at all times, making it difficult to tell if he is present or not. Yet, he has this aura that tells me, he is here.

"Very. Good. Thank you."

"Was one of them yours?"

"Basol. My Absol. Young. Helped me lots."

Ah. So they did have a trainer. Absol. Many people are scared of Absol, because they are a sign of danger incoming. Seeing an Absol, is like seeing the end of something you cherish. And you won't know what until it's too late. But, Basol used their power, at the end, to save the Pokémon around them. If we weren't so scared of Absol, perhaps we could use them as a way to avoid fate?

Before I apologize, he shakes his head. He tells us that he knows Basol did not make it. The police, at least, made sure he knew what happened to his Pokémon. As he explains, slowly, his voice starts sounding familiar. Not a familiar voice, but a well known voice.

"Sorry. I've been. Talking."

He feels bad for being a chatterbox? Fee waves nonchalantly. "Think nothing of it. You sound like you have a lot to say."

The man smiles and nods. He looks over at Fee and then back to me, but his eyes linger on Fee. As if he said something that sounded right, but felt off. He seems to pay the thought no mind, or whatever other thought he had, and continues telling us about Basol.

Basol was the last Pokémon he caught. When something went wrong, Basol was there. His family blamed Basol for it, but he wanted to protect him. So, he ran. With Basol. For a long while. But he couldn't escape from his brother or father. Especially his father. The man did anything to track him and capture him.

Sensing the danger. The man knowing how his father is. They made a difficult choice together. And separated. But the man kept the Poké ball. In hopes. One day, he would be with Basol again.

"But Basol. Helped others. So I can't be sad." He closes his eyes for an eternity, opening them only when it feels like he isn't here anymore. He reaches into his bag for a moment and, with a seemingly perfect understanding of where everything goes, he pulls out a parchment.

He extends it to Fee. "Have it."
Opening the parchment, he sees the first addition of the Prophecy. The one everyone knows about. When he pages over, the rest of the pages seem blank. He looks up to the man, who doesn't react to the confusion. Maybe taking that as a hint, he continues paging, and maybe after 10 pages, the 2nd​ addition of the Prophecy is there. Still, the man doesn't react.

"Thank you."

The man smiles. "I'm sure. It will be helpful. It reveals. In the darkest hour. The cycle is key. To know when light fades."

He bids us farewell, leaving us with some kind of encryption to solve. Just based on the layout of the parchment, one might be able to assume that there's 'verses' between the prophecies, foretelling something else, or explaining the prophecy in greater details. Maybe there's a reason he gave it to Fee?

Fee shrugs before I ask. We retrieve Mini as the hour passes, and begin heading back to the hotel. I keep Mini on the top of my head (and fortunately Treat stays comfortably in the Poké ball). Arriving back at the hotel, no one bothers me about Mini. She even takes the time to rub tails with the other Minccino, but it seems Mister Tyke got some special permission to keep her temporarily. Giving me Mini (in an indirect manner) means she's still under his guidance.

Most important part is that we return to our room. I immediately drop onto the bed, resting my eyes for a short amount of time. Just before I slip into the unconscious world, a gentle tickle from Mini keeps me awake. Unfortunately, I don't laugh.

"You should at least shower before going to sleep.", Fee says.

"Drop your bag so I can read one of your books.", I 'respond', waving my hands as if beckoning him to come closer.

He does drop his bag. He heads into the bathroom, looking over his shoulders briefly just before the door closes. From his gaze, I catch the sense that he is still confused, but when he opens his mouth, he simply chuckles to himself. The door closes behind him.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

It felt like I fell asleep on the clouds. Absolute bliss. Pure comfort. The embodiment of all my good luck culminating to make such a peaceful night, that the day before almost felt worth it.

Key word: Almost.

Waking up, my hand still being held captive by the adorable sea lion, as if she is holding onto her favourite toy tightly or a special gift she cannot afford to let go, I open my eyes and try to get some kind of recollection of why I feel so off. I'm not tipsy, I think. Just a little fuzzy. A bit of a headache. And I'm illegally hungry.

Without moving my captive hand, I get up, scanning around the room with hazy eyes. Still the same. Teeviy is curled up next to Fee, and Fee is sleeping very professionally-like. On back, with head resting on the pillow, and fully covered in blankets and not occupying an inch of space on my side of the bed.

I don't move much in my sleep, and I've been known to be a very 'graceful' sleeper, but Fee is just a different animal. He isn't even sleeping like a mummy (which is something I apparently do). Just the picture perfect comfort.

Mini is still resting with her tail gently placed on the edge of Teeviy's tail. I've seen the Minccino compare their tails, seemingly taking pride in having softer tails than their relatives, but I think Mini shows most of her appreciation and motives through her tail.

Debating between lying in bed for an unspecified amount of time, just being stuck in my thoughts, or actually getting up and preparing for the journey, I paralyse in bed. Not exactly thinking. That is, until I notice that I'm not exactly thinking. Then all I can do is think.

Think about the past 3 weeks. Not even. Less than 3 weeks after the ban, everything just kept happening and happening. To be fair, due to the prophecy, a lot was bound to happen this year and next year. Nothing might happen next year, depending on when the world is supposed to end.

The prophecy. A strange feeling is telling me that it's about to be a whole complicated mess.

Treat awakes groggily, pushing lightly against my hand as she shuffles on the bed. I notice a small puddle beneath her as she moves, and I only hope it isn't an indicator of potty-training being required. She's water type. They just do those kind of things. Right?

I pinch her nose as I get out of bed (unfortunately no clown sound), and she bwarks softly in return. For a Pokémon, she sure doesn't like saying her name. Which makes more sense to me. Imagine every human just randomly cried out 'human', or an Orc would say 'Orc-orc'. Trauma right there.

I rob her from the comfort of the bed, walking to the bathroom and placing her in the tub. She runs the bathroom tap by slapping it with her tail, seemingly trying to create faster bubbles from the flowing water. Is this her desire to train or is it just fun for her to do?

Nonetheless, I do my bathroom duties, folding my expensive dress neatly and, with great awareness of how I'm going to place the rest of my items, place the dress in my bag. I also place my other boots in there, the gloves and the lace headband, making a slight mix-match of the 2 clothes (currently wearing my original, plain black dress with the newly acquired white boots). Of course, there's still my shirt, my shorts and my skirt, but I don't feel like freezing.

I passively check my hair, and to the surprise of no-one, it didn't magically maintain its braiding. I'll need the assistance of Silk in order to have the nice hairstyle again. I also need the assistance of Silk in order to become a Pokémon trainer, and I also need to return Mister Tyke's Minccino. Then, it's the return to Celestite town and the return to my job. I can finally get paid again.

Technically I shouldn't be getting paid, and I didn't have any of the qualifications to actually get the job. My situation was a little unique in that manner. In my 'resume', it had some technical truths, and a bit of stretches for the imagination. The big selling point is that I 'assisted' Professor Zin part time.

It's not a lie. I did help out Professor Zin numerous times in the past. Especially after becoming friends with Fee. I would help out with some Pokémon research, seeing how certain Pokémon interacted with children, how strong a Pokémon attack is against the Spell Protect (within reason), and even experimenting with older models of the Pokédex.

But I wouldn't say I actually worked as his assistant. Ever. Sometimes I was a niche help or I could do something pretty well. The only times I really helped was with my Identify Spell, which the Professor recommended I keep the description of Identify as vague as possible when telling other people about it. It's seriously good, and there's no Spell that I know of that comes close to the analytical capabilities of my variation of Identify.

Strangely, I never learnt the Spell. It's just one that I knew. I saw the name in the old Spell book I found, but it took me no time to learn how to cast it. I just tried the incantation (which strengthen the effect of spells. While it is usually spoken words, the thought of the spell is an important part in the casting process) and the somatic (usually known as specific body movement. Identify requires you to close your eyes, breathe, and then open them in an exaggerated manner), and I didn't even have materials (which is usually to lengthen the duration of the spell, and not for the actual casting of it. Also used when up-casting the spell, for safety, or when you don't have enough energy for the spell).

Then there's my education. Listed as 'taught by Professor Zin' is borderline cheating. I was taught by him, but not much and not often. Still, it's a somewhat valid source that shows that I'm not entirely incompetent. Then there's also the fact that academies are still somewhat of a luxury status.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think schools are job-training and more practical while academies are career-guiding and more theoretical. There's only 4 academies across all of Dynacriep, which is not bad, considering how small the region is, but it still shows the luxury of it. Dynacriep, also holding the most popular Pokémon entertainment, is an economic boon I'm sure none of the surrounding regions were expecting.

That's what got me the job. In training. Because, though being a Pokémon Professor's assistance is not bad, it isn't exactly aligned with detective and investigative work. So while training with them, I get paid in a job-to-job instead of by wages or by salaries, so I can survive.

A trade I'll take any day. And, surprisingly, my job is interesting. Doing detective work sometimes means going through hundreds of hundreds of articles, searching meticulously for small details, or doing other mentally under-stimulating tasks. But I haven't been assigned to one of those yet, and I apparently won't for a long time. When the papers hit the desk, I might struggle to actually do my job.

"Bwark!"

The water streamlines only about a couple of centimetres as a bubble beam is shot out. Treat flops down and lies on her stomach in exhaustion. I turn the tap off and pass her a towel. Before it lands on her, though, she slaps it with her tail, causing it to briefly stay in the air longer before still covering her entire body. She waddles around with the towel in the tub.

I dry her and put the towel back where it belongs. She soaks my hair the moment I place her on my head, and I have to spend some time drying it again. Only Mini will be allowed on my head from now on. Placing her back on the floor, I finish off by parting the curtains and allowing some sunlight to come through.

It's weak sunlight, faded still because there's too much time being spent on the other side of the planet and not here. An overcast grey and white filter the sky, making the suggestion of the cold days even more apparent. Looking down to the floor, I see now that the street is blanketed in a thin layer of white. Footprints can be seen, though only enough that you'd need your toes and fingers to count them, and them maybe use your toes and fingers again to reach how much of them there are in a couple of blocks.

I leave the bathroom and stand by the edge of the balcony, holding Treat closely to my chest. Seeing the nightlife fade and the astounding realism on the street face, though not dragged to depression, but to a calm that is never appreciated, I remember that today is the last day I'm here. I didn't prosper. I survived.

It takes maybe an hour or more before Fee wakes up. Teeviy and Mini are soon to rouse as well. We pack our things, allow our Pokémon to eat their food, grab some snacks from the fridge to eat, and tidy up the room a little bit. Checking for our items one last time, we make away and head to the reception.

We hand over the keys, bid the receptionists and other Minccino farewell, and head off onto the streets. My day to day work is about to begin.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

Mini is the only Pokémon now allowed to stay on my head. Even when Treat bwarks and blows bubbles at my hair, I don't put her on my head.

I mean, besides the fact that Type: Null would crush me under their weight, and Treat is always making my hair go from mopey to a literal mop, Mini also brushes my hair. She grabs part of my hair, brushes it, and then continues as far as she can without falling off. I'm not sure if she holds some of my hair as a safety cord, but I won't have to wonder about that much longer.

We appear in front of Blessed Luxuries. Closed, but staff members are moving around. Not hectically, but with purpose that we usually don't show because most of our days are empty, even with all the meaning they carried. The excitement. The anticipation. Maybe some realizations that shouldn't have been made. Or were made too soon or too late.

I should just be glad that I got to be with Mini for a bit longer.

Fee tilts his head towards the doors as he points with his thumb. I step forward, and what should be a seamless transition from the colder outside to the warmer indoors is jitters. The doors slowly swing open, my hand still being on it when the eyes of all the staff shift briskly to my direction. I pause, as if I immediately failed to sneak in.

"Mi-nccino belongs to Mister Tyke." I point towards the girl on top of my head. I feel a slight tug that pulls back.

They look towards each other before one of them is able to produce a piece of paper from their pocket. A gentleman elf with slicked back blond hair similar to that of Mister Tyke's that helped Fee dress up. He's eyes scan the both of us, but then lock onto Mini.

"Mini?"

His head tilts slightly as he moves back briefly. Handing me the letter, he gives a bow, much like Mister Tyke, but to a much deeper degree. He keeps his back bent for too long, to the point where I feel like he is waiting for us to say 'rise' or 'you can stop now'.

I walk closer to Fee and open up the letter. After a bit of internal reading, Fee waves his hand up as if feeling the weight of something. I shake my head. He opens his mouth while pointing to it, and then lips out nothing. I shrug, looking at the elf who is still bowing.

Passing Fee the note, he clears his voice. "Greetings miss Elcea. Mr Fetrea too. If you are getting this message, then the next we meet will likely be far. I used Transcribe Text in order to send this letter. The league has been given the opportunity to officially issue out trainer cards or trainer-to-be cards.

This letter has a trainer-to-be card, and while I was previously assigned to give Fetrea mines, I will have to pass it to Elcea. Please sign it and head to Celestite town. You'll get more details there."

I circle the bottom of the message, but Fee shakes his head. Before I continue to emphasis the very obvious sentences he isn't reading, the elf clears his throat. Fee catches this, but neither of us know what he means by that. I take the letter from Fee.

We dismiss ourselves, mostly because our presence is very much not needed. The waiters and waitresses give the look of being very polite, ignoring our presence in order to continue setting up, or being pleasantly surprised by us being here. But they're the exceptions. Lost children are generally not very nice to be around. As both the lost child and the person around the lost, I know.

"You just get to keep Mini?", Fee asks.

The letter had additional text, but it seems some camouflage was put on in order to stop other people from reading the message. Whether Fee isn't supposed to know the hidden text as well isn't specified. And something tells me Fee knows now about the hidden message.

"I need to work a lot for her.", I say, taking her off my head. "But for now, we'll be able to compete in battles together. Are you ready to strut your stuff, Mini?"

"Min-min!"

"Bwark bwark!"

"You too Treat. Together, we're trainers in training."

Fee smiles, pointing towards the letter. "Take out your trainer card. I wanna see it."

I feel around the letter, noticing something strapped onto the back, with sellotape keeping it attached to the letter. Imagine using magic to conceal parts of the text but not the actual trainer card.

I slide it out, taking a long look at the card. It's about the size of any other license, made of some kind of metal or hard plastic, and has a shine to it that's impossible to ignore. It's orange, with a blue-purple frame going around it. The blue-purple gradient frame is shaped like round sweets, but I know better than biting the edges of my card. The card is also subtly citrus, which is a unique, but nice, smell for it.

There's no picture of me, but there's a rounded frame to the side suggesting the image of the 'trainer' in possession of it. It doesn't have my name either, nor my current cash or any other personal details. My title here, though, is Rookie. Standard, but I don't think that has been a trainer class before. Much better than 'trainer-to-be'. It also has space for the stickers of the passes. The minor league pass and the major league pass. Mines are obviously blank.

Then there's 18 slots for the different badges. We only have 14 gym leaders per season, but because the gym leaders can shuffle based on performance (especially during the tourney), each slot is allocated to a gym leader's specific badge. The badges are alphabetically placed according to the type. So Bug is the 1st​ type, with the badge being the Morphing badge.

"I'm sure it'll look better when it has all your details."

I nod, pocketing it. Wondering around town is pretty easy, with the streets being the most cleared it has been in a while. Of course, there's still the early elves and sometimes earlier humans who walk around with more purpose than Fee and I can manage. Fee managed to repair his jersey, but even with his not bloodied sleeves, the chill still gets to him.

We make effort to direct ourselves south of the town, and eventually we know we are heading the right way. Through the pleasure district, into the residential district where I purposely take a street that I haven't been in before, and eventually we get into the industrial district. If you are wondering why business takes place at the edge of town, I can't tell you.

The buildings harmoniously morph to be taller and more squarish as we get closer and closer to the edge. A 30 minute walk has never felt so easy to accomplish, and through the times of pretending to be paying attention to where we're going, to Fee pointing out specific landmarks he thought could help, we eventually happened upon a bus stop that seems to lead out of town.

A few people stand near the bus stop in anticipation. At 1st​ I want to leave because I see people dressed in suits and assumed they are going to work, and while some could, this is the 'casual' attire of Pearl town. Everything here has to have some level of grace, and each person must carry their own poise. Unfortunately, I don't carry poise, and Fee doesn't have grace unless asleep.

Having nothing to do but wait, my eyes indiscriminately land onto each person waiting for the bus. A gnomish elf, I guess, with a blue jacket and a simple tie. Wearing blue jeans and a yellow golf-shirt, they get about as close as it gets to casual clothes. They have a golden watch and keeping looking down at it. When their eyes land on someone looking at them, they seem to drop eye-contact quickly.

They have straight hair that curtains to one side, covering one of their eyes. It's neither long nor short, reaching the end of their neck. It also has this gradient effect, changing from blackish to a streak of blondish white. Surprisingly, it looks natural on them. When they look up to me for the 3rd​ time, I realize I may have been staring too long. I give a wave, with my blank face being oh-so-inviting. They avert their eyes.

Fee closes the gap between us, now looking my direction. "Is she someone you're worried about?"

I shake my head. But as I do, I do catch their blond hair to be weirdly concerning. And they also look hesitant. Fee doesn't seem to be getting a bad vibe from them, but we also have a decent amount of distance between everyone here. Some are seated, while others stand close to the bus sign as if reserving a seat.

The bus arrives without further delay. I return Treat and Mini into their Poké balls, and after Fee, enter into the bus, seating as close to the front as possible. I wouldn't seat in the front, but because Fee chose the seat first, I have to look like a good school kid now.

Back to Celestite town. It's time to be a Pokémon trainer. It's time to be what I want to be.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

The 1st​ thing that really clicked after coming back to the office is that I missed this place.

The building is simple, really. Very akin to a police station with only a few differences. Still sharing the typically green-top for easy identification, it just also gives off a more friendly vibe. Which, I suppose, makes sense. We take smaller, simpler requests, and the really serious ones that don't require much detective work goes straight to the police.

It's tiled from start to end, which East tells me is better flooring for evidence to not be lost. There's only 1 camera, at the corner, and a couple of book shelves that line the walls. The windows have no curtains or blinds to cover them, except the big window that most people peek into before entering inside. When they do peek, they might first see the bowl of free sweets standing on a podium near the bathrooms.

The walls contain maps of the different areas, and then one huge map. There's no particular map of the town anywhere else, so some people visit just to know roughly where they are. It also helps if you don't have a Pokédex or map index, because we essentially have a map to every location.

The lights, emitting from lanterns and circular ceiling lights, emit a calming blue. Supposedly, it helps subtly with keeping the people safe, even after a stressful situation had just occurred. The Police Stations do the same, and they also have rooms specialized to do the exact opposite.

For example, interrogation rooms. I've seen them done a bit different in terms of lighting, but a darker room with white walls and white tiles is standard. Here, we don't really use them unless we have a petty-crime suspect. East tells me that they will keep a potential suspect locked in here until the police arrive.

For real investigations, the police and investigators have to work well together. We'll slightly different from Detectives in that we aren't really supposed to be dealing with Humanoid suspects. When thievery of something important, forgery or something like murder is involved, we have to take a bigger step back.

We do have a Detective in the office, by the way. We report to him when we suspect that it's a more serious case than we first realized. That really can't happen unless the victims of the case somehow don't realize how dangerous or serious the situation has become.

"Rookie trainer, huh? You deserve it, after everything you did for Pearl town's residence." Our resident Detective, and leader of the investigative force for the branch of South-Western Dynacriep, is Eastional Lavender.

He hands me my trainer card, updated with all my information and a full body picture. I went with a simple pose, having an outstretched arm and a bent arm by my face that holds the Poké ball of Treat.

"Thank you sir."

"Since when do you bow?" Eastional, preferring East, is pale skinned, to the verge of white. It's almost as if no blood circulates through him. He has fuzzy straight hair that is dyed red, but most people won't see that underneath his hoodie. He likes to wear the hood even when indoors. His pants have a blue flame design that transition nicely from the red. Both the hood and the flames are tailored to his liking, and not usually the Executive Investigator outfits.

"Force of habit.", I reply, looking towards Fee. I point at East. "This is my boss, East. He's weird but great to be around."

"That's how you introduce your boss?", Fee asks, taking his time as he looks around the area. His eyes draw back to East, and he tries to hide his nerves with a smile. The smile does not do a good job.

"That's what I'm asking.", East teases, letting a sharp tooth show. "Anyhow, I have to thank you for doing the job of the police. You shouldn't have, but since Mister Tyke asked you too, there's no fault on you. I also heard you'll be continuing with the case, so I'll help you out."

Now that's surprising to hear. "Why is that?"

He laughs. "I'm your senior. No shot you're getting all the fun on your own."

"Isn't my blood enough?"

"That's more of a bonus."

Fee looks at both of us, confusion emitting from his eyes like warning lights. Before he can mutter anything, East claws his fingers together and shows his sharp teeth. Placing a finger on both, he reveals his purplish-red blood, and then licks both fingers. Somehow, the wounds close in a matter of seconds.

With a gaping mouth, fear ringed subtly in his voice, but just enough that East is likely to catch, Fee asks, "You're a Vampire?"

East leaps into the air, and small wings sprout from the back of his brown coat. They make his fall slower, but he doesn't fly, if he is able to. "Nah, Dhampir kid. Which, by the way, is way cooler."

He lands next to Fee, causing visible chills to run down his spine. East seems to be enjoying the little fright he offers just by existing. "It's fine to be scared, really.", he says, patting Fee on the shoulder. Getting really close to his neck, he begins whispering.

"All the folktales have a little truth to them."

"Stop messing with him."

East backs away from the now petrified Fee. It takes a good minute or 2 of trying to calm Fee down. With the help of Mini, he's able to release his tension and get back to a roughly normal state. Vampires are very popular folktale villains, along with goblins.

The difference is that while goblins are stupid and rough (by stereotypes), Vampires are cunning and deceptive, and have unnatural abilities that make them near impossible to kill. Regeneration, metamorphosis, invisibility, super strength. You name it.

"Sorry, sorry.", he falsely apologizes. "Just having some fun."

Fee scratches his head. "No, its fine. I shouldn't have reacted like that."

East smiles. "At least you know. I didn't choose to be a Dhampir. But then again, no one chooses to be alive."

Its weird that East can say all of that, which would be an sensitive subject for most people, with a fake smile upon his face that reveals more than if he was to be honest. His words strike Fee sharply. He mutters another 'sorry'.

"Don't worry kid. Ignorance does you dirty." East grabs my arm, feeling out where my veins are. He points close to my wrist, but I shake my head, telling him that I recently had a lot of blood lost. He sighs, but backs away.

"Still need blood, for starters. Usually I struggle with that one quite a bit. Only a few people are willing to 'donate' blood. My princess, her sister, and her knight in dark magic. Now Elcea as well."

He speaks rarely of his 'princess'. A girl who's apparently easy to be exiled from places due to how she looks. But, she's also cute, so he says. Hard to not notice her bubbly nature and her deceptive smile.

The princess' sister is also his greatest ally. He talks about her the most, though if he wasn't so trusting of me, I wouldn't have realized that. He actually speaks about her more than most people would realize. He respects her privacy though, keeping her name, like the others, anonymous, and describing her actions in far less details than the others.

The knight in dark magic is a strong kid that the princess has taken a big liking to. He was alone for a long time, so they are unsure as to how he got so strong. His magic seems aligned with his emotions, but he is nervous and shy at most times. He doesn't wear dark clothing, use dark magic, or have a dark personality, but East thinks there's a lot of dark potential in him.

"Dragonborns and Kobolds apparently came from a mating with older, primordial dragons and humans. But, because that must have been eons ago, they aren't attacked much. And, in any case, they can mate with each other and it's still Dragonborns or Kobolds being made.

Vampires and Dhampirs are a more recent thing. Maybe 1000 years, max." Dhampirs are especially rare. Vampires aren't a race that would be allowed to wander freely about, but supposedly there's a small collection of Vampires in Unusium. That's what East thinks as well.

"After stupid or genius humans mated with their bat friends, a race defying the law of strength came to be. Humans mating with said race made Dhampirs, but because Vampires are already under exile by existing, no matter what they do, Dhampirs are especially rare to come by, and have no rules against them. Thus, me."

He didn't have this whole speech with me. Not a lot of people even come to assume he's a Vampire, but have a sneaking suspicion that something is off about him. Maybe, because I brought Fee, he trusted that he could remove some bias from him. Or, perhaps, he simply felt like talking a lot today.

East lets out another smile. "And to be honest, I like me a lot."

 

[Gaxatwirl]

Sorry I disappeared last week. Nothing in particular was happening, I just despawned. I'll try to make that not happen again.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

I think I like her? I'm not too sure. If anything, she's deeply confounding. And it doesn't help that she barely shows anything for it. And it also doesn't help that I don't understand myself.

I got so used to reading other people's emotions that I became them, I think. Of course, they were moments when I felt nauseous unlike anyone else, but that was usually because I was feeding into other people's emotions. I stopped… feeling my own feelings.

So, now things are a little confusing. This must be what they call 'shower thoughts'. The warm water just keeps pouring and pouring, running down my head, my chest and back, my legs and all the way to my feet. And I can't stop enjoying myself. Not just from the water, but also…

Well, I have a knack for over imagining things. Which usually works against me. If someone is describing a scary story, I can't help but gravitate to being in the story. The dark room, the creeping door, the rising tension as suspense keeps stacking on top of itself again and again. The intensity that pays off for one huge part that I never wanna hear! And yet, I'm all too curious. If the story stops, I'll never be able to sleep.

And the worse part: If the story sounds like a true story. That immediately settles the thoughts nice and comfortably into my head. While they tuck themselves to sleep, my head is too busy trying to work through how to handle the guests visiting the house on that day. And it's both exhausting and eerie. Imagine it happening to me next. Imagine it.

That's why I shouldn't close my eyes when someone tells a story. With closed eyes, the imagery just becomes more and more intense. It's a scary scary world. The imagination. I was beginning to think it really is a curse. But now, I guess I don't mind it today. In fact, it's rather nice. Even if I know it won't happen.

After a nice shower, I do my bathroom duties. I was worried that I'd be cold after the shower, but I feel like I have a shield of heat protecting me from the would-be-cold. That, and the room is currently 90% steam. The other 10% is the pristine white tiling floor, glorious white tub and patterned tiled walls. Can walls be tiled as well? The walls have multiple blocks separated by thick white lines, and each 'panel' has a decorated flower design on them.

My normal clothes are much more comfortable than that suit and tie. It was a bit too big on me, so I might have looked like a small mafia gang member. It also looked really clean, with the black leather gloves being a standout from the dark grey suit. It also matched my beanie surprisingly well. But I also felt like I was being stared at. That I had to watch my every maneuver. It was a bit stressful just having.

Normal clothes, though? Warm and comfortable. I'm not being stared at, guaranteed. It's the casual vibes that I know and love. Visiting the orphanage really got me to like this style. Most of the kids wear their clothes based on availability, which is usually from community donations. It surprises me sometimes, the outfits that are donated.

I remember, maybe 6 years ago now, when Elcea got the dress that she likes to wear. The only real flaw with it was that it was big for her, but she grew into it and then maybe grew out of it, not that she minds that part either. She didn't beam with joy, but she claimed it as her own, which was rare.

Usually she would wait for everyone to claim or get something that they like or need, and then she would come at the very end. But she latched onto the outfit very quickly. She never really wore anything else, outside of a basic shirt and shorts or skirt for warmer days. Later on she got stockings, and that really made her whole outfit come together. Some people thought she was even weirder than before when she was walking around the orphanage without shoes during winter, but she didn't mind.

I come out of the bathroom, seeing Elcea lying across the bed with her head resting on a pillow. She holds a book overhead and flips to another page. She places the book on the bed, turning her body so that her chin rests on the pillow while she continues to read the book.

"Was the shower nice?", Elcea asks, not taking her eyes off of the book.

"Y-yeah. It was.", I say. "You should try it too."

Elcea looks up to me, and then nods. Blank expression, but a subtle warmth springs from her. That warmth, which felt weak and cold before, she taught me to be comfort. Comfort. The feeling itself didn't suck. It was just so subtle, and knowing she could feel more, was what sucked. But not anymore. Because, comfort is good. And it's good that she feels good, even if only a little bit.

She closes the book, to which I now see is my notebook on Pokémon battle research. I knew she was reading a notebook of mines, and with a closer look, I would've known it was my Pokémon battle research notebook, but she also finished reading that book multiple times.

"You took good notes of the berries."

Oh yeah. When Silk came around, she educated us on type berries, for the most part. Berries that weaken the super-effectiveness of certain types of moves. It was a good lesson, which made me think that maybe I should try being in Silk's good graces. She's impossible to work with, and I'm not entirely sure what about her characteristics that Elcea likes, but as long as she is happy.

"Thanks. I might wanna read them myself."

She passes me the book. "Knock yourself out." She grabs her bag and goes into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. I lie on the same pillow she was using and start to scan my book. Memories. This isn't my book for journaling, but it still has many memories. A 196 pager that is actually 192, with almost every page full of battle information and data.

The first couple pages are poorly noted, using a bit of imagination form the radio at the orphanage. The information is not exactly relevant as well, and the important details aren't well taken. For example, using the terrain to your advantage. I wrote it early when hearing about Garchomp's Earthquake doing catastrophic damage to the field, knocking out the Dugtrio that used Dig.

The shower's louder than I thought. She could be blissfully falling into some shower thoughts, or maybe just enjoying the water. If I moved closer, I'm sure I could feed on her emotions… in a good way.

I shift closer to the door, listening first to the continuous drops of water on tiles. Then I feel it. Placing both hands gently on the door, I get a sense for what she is feeling. It's strong and positive. She feels frolicsome in the shower, and deeply embarrassed. Embarrassed? Strong emotions? Wait, is that Treat I'm sensing?

"Bwark bwark"

She took out Treat and showered with her? I'm so selfish! I didn't even consider bringing Teeviy. Wait, but Teeviy is a girl. Elcea and Treat are girls, so there's nothing wrong with them being in the same shower, but Teeviy and I would be an entirely different story.

"Mini?"

Mini too? That actually makes sense. Mini was gone for the shortest amount of time out of the 18 typed Pokémon, but it must have still been a stressful environment for her. I can feel the tension still within her, and confusion as well. She was excited to join Elcea, but unfortunately she won't get to battle soon yet.

Sensing Elcea is a bit more difficult with Treat and Mini there. If I could just- focus- a bit- more- Ah!

I fall flat on my face as the door swings open. She didn't lock the door? Why didn't she lock the door? Crap. I'm inside the bathroom. don't look up don't look up don't look up

"Fee?"

Damn it! "I-I-I'm sorry! I'll leave right now!" And then I look up.

But there's too much steam to see anything. I mean, I can see the faintest silhouettes, but nothing… uh, nothing. I let out a sigh of relief. And no disappointment is sprinkled in it. Treat 'bwarks' in a confused tone, but it seems Elcea just pats her on the head or something. Maybe I can get Teeviy to join?

"Uh, would you mind if Teeviy joins you?"

She turns off the shower. "Sorry, what?"

This girl. Is going. To be. The death. Of me. I turn the other way as I quickly scramble in my bag. Taking out the Poké ball of Teeviy, I throw it towards the shower.

"I, uh, asked if, maybe, you could let Teeviy join you?"

"Boyo?"

"Sure."

I mutter a thanks and close the door quickly behind me. I should have also kept in mind that Elcea is horribly horribly lax. She doesn't let a lot of things bother her and she is also an open person.

"Eevie!" A wave of emotions hit me. I sense that same bliss that I was consumed in while in the shower, but to a greater degree. I also catch a lot of embarrassment. Another feeling arises, which feels like a playful spirit and joy of being able to accomplish something. A feeling like pride. And maybe some cheekiness?

It feels fun, being in the shower with your Pokémon. I wish I could do that, morally. Though, just feeling their emotions is almost like enjoying the activity myself, so I don't mind. I could stand here all day and photosynthesis in their positive rays of emotions.

But I end up sitting down while leaning on the wall, reading absentmindedly about the berries. Their shower time ends, and after a couple of minutes, Teeviy pushes the door with her head and lets out a baby growl. So cute.

Mini peeks her head from behind Elcea much like Bounsweet did. Then she carefully brushes Teeviy's fur, making her fur oddly puffy. Teeviy backs away, but with a few more gentle tail slaps, she seems content with the grooming. She circles around and lies flat on her belly.

Elcea, holding Treat, is wearing her normal outfit, and has all her hair flowing downwards. "I didn't think my hair would become so loose."

I laugh. "That was bound to happen."

Elcea nods while placing Treat on her head. She starts twirling her hair around with her fingers, like when Silk was talking to the Champion on her phone.

"I really liked the other hairstyle."

"It was pretty cu-cool. Did Silk do it for you?" She had two small buns underneath a braided crown, with her hair still flowing down like it does now. It still looked messy, but intentionally. And it really fit her, at least when she was wearing the lace headband and royal dress.

"Yeah."

She drops onto the bed after picking up Mini, crawling her way onto the right side and tucking herself in. That's where I slept last night. But she got comfortable so quickly. With Treat as well, who's happily bouncing on a pillow. Even Teeviy hops into the bed, chasing down Mini.

"Not gonna join?", Elcea asks, picking Mini up into the air. Teeviy tries to catch her by hopping on Elcea's head, but is blocked by a sudden bubble appearing in front of her. She crashes into the bubble, smacking Elcea in the face.

Elcea only ends up muttering an 'okay'. She ends up ruffling Teeviy by the ears and top of her head. Then she places Mini by her feet. Mini covers her face with her tail, taking a step back from Teeviy.

"Boyo?" She rubs her head by Mini's tail. Unfurling slowly, she begins brushing Teeviy again.

"I'm not sure I should join?"

"So what? You'll sleep on the floor?"

"I mean, you slept in the bathtub, right?"

"Yeah, and this bed is better."

"Uh, well maybe I should-"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

I almost say 'yes mam', sliding under the blankets. I keep as close to the edge as possible. Turning my gaze to Mini and Teeviy, I feel their newly budding friendship. Hope, worry, and a bundle of excitement as Mini continues to brush Teeviy.

"Oh, um. The lights?"

Elcea pats me on the head, getting out of the bed. "I'll off them quickly."

When did she start patting me on the head? "You're not an assassin."

"Not yet."

 

[Gaxatwirl]

The missions, I already knew the 1st​ one. To continue investigating Type: Null and the Pokémon kidnapping. I'm getting more legal rights when it comes to this investigation. The 2nd​ mission is a different story.

Fortunately, it takes me down to Amber town, home to one of the gym leaders. Amber town has a large collection of abandoned mines that double up as a quick travel between some locations in the south-eastern side of Dynacriep. I haven't visited it at all yet.

East shows us a map, and it's a gnarly looking tunnel system. Deeply confusing, I think. It feels more like a maze than a collection of tunnels. Working there would have given me a headache and make me regret many choices in my life up to this point.

Supposedly, there's some unknown holes being barreled through by what the residents and workers are assuming to be Diglett. However, they haven't been able to catch a Diglett in the act. Zhumila is returning back today or tomorrow, and they predict the discovery of the Pokémon will become much easier with her by their side, but just in case, they want some outside help.

"The case is pretty on our pockets.", East says, sliding an envelope listing the cash received for the assistance of the mission. Should we be of large aid to Zhumila in finding out what's happening, we get ₽20 000. Being a small aid still brings a remarkable ₽10 000, and solving the case racks up a ₽50 000.

"Little too generous.", Fee mutters.

I don't comment, thanks to better judgement. There's probably hush money being included here. East doesn't make much mention to the cash of missions, and he's very open about the amount that clients are willing to pay. It's thanks to this, along with some other niche tricks, that make rookies under him aware of how the world works.

The amount that a client feels like they need to pay, along with the information they give out, the size of the clientele. Every little detail must be extorted in order to understand what we are dealing with. In this case, it's a whole organization that goes unnamed. We're assuming it's an organization because they are having a problem within the biggest mines of Dynacriep.

Privately owned, we'd also assume. That's because instead of reaching out to the police, they're asking a small branch of investigators within a decently far town to handle the case. I'd also assume then that they believe they have a small suspicion as to how they are at fault for the situation going on in the mines.

But assumptions don't have a place in investigator work. A hypothesis is good and all, and deductive reasoning is key, but not any accusatory statements should be made with assumptions. I could tell East, but then he'd lecture me about making such a statement with a bystander nearby. Maybe he wants me to deny the request, and he'll only ask why later.

"Quest sounds good, right?", East asks, now sitting down at a round glass table. He has his fingers intertwined as his head rests on them, an unreadable smile on his face.

"I guess."

He laughs. "I know what you're thinking. Another quest on top of what you have? Too much. But, you'll wanna give this quest a try. It'll be worth your time."

Is this his way of saying I thought wrong? Or, rather, it doesn't matter if it's a suspicious request or not, and we should take these types of request anyways. I have a difficult face to read, because I don't show much. In contrast, East is difficult to read, because he shows so much. I don't know what's real and what's fake.

"What about Fee?"

Fee shifts his beanie nervously, keeping his eyes on me more than East. East doesn't say a word, waiting maybe for the next gaze that Fee shoots at him.

"Under your tutelege. It's an easy write, especially now that you're a Pokémon trainer."

"Can you really do that?", Fee asks.

"What little faith you have in your friend." East gets up from the chair and moves to a green bulletin board. It's cases that were solved in the last week. Next to it, a bulletin board with a red border, focusing on missions to be done this week. Next to that one, a bulletin board that is fully green with a red border, showing important missions finished. Finally, a red bulletin board with a red border, showing important missions that are yet to be completed.

He plucks out 7 missions from the 1st​ bulletin, giving them to Fee. One shows a hand-drawn image of Rotom, with 4 photos showing a fridge, a washing machine, a fan and a vacuum cleaner. Another is an illustration of torn wire and a Joltik next to it. The other is a Misdreavus fake crying, with 2 children hand drawn trying to comfort them.

"Out of the 7 missions completed last week, Elcea here did 3 of them all by herself, and was there for 5 of the 7. It's a new record."

Fee's eyes light up. "That's what the Joltik question was about." I didn't ask him about Joltik. I asked him about which Pokémon in the Pokédex might have an affinity for eating electric cables, and after some scanning from his side, he discovered Joltik. The bugs are extremely small, so they are easy to miss. Thanks to that bit of additional information, and some intel as to their habits, we were able to just camp out at the exposed wire before it started nibbling again.

"We usually get more missions, but due to it being a new year, a lot of families like to pretend that they have everything under control." He chuckles to himself, sitting back down. "Give it 1 more week."

Grimacing a bit at the likely sight of the place being bombarded by requests, Fee sets the papers back onto the board. East moves ahead and starts doing the paperwork. Because not a lot of request come on through in the early weeks, a lot of the investigators haven't returned from holidays or are taking early leaves frequently.

Those that are here are dealing with the mentally taxing jobs, with the exception being East. When one of the employees walk out of their office, a half-elf half-orc man with a goliath stature, having grey skin and two striped markings above his eyes, and oddly bushed brownish black hair, he lets out a sigh that is akin to a roar, sitting outside on the floor. After a minute or so, he gets up, and goes back into his office. Not rested. A revelation came to his mind.

East shows up and passes to me a few more things. An investigator-in-training card, or a Rookie Investigator card, giving me some level of confirmed authority. Fee gets an investigation pass, which allows him to loiter around, though not tamper, with investigative scenes as long as I'm there to vouch for him.

Lastly, I get a badge. It's a normal silver badge with a hawk's feather shaped like a quill, stuck into a celestite rock. Underneath the image, there's writing in another language, followed then by 'celestite investigators'.

"And that's the legalities solved.", East says with a sigh following. "What maintenance you are."

"Sorry for making you do your job.", I remark.

"You better be." He scoffs, turning away from Fee and I. "Now get out of here. I have a wall to stare at."

"What are you, a video game character?"

"In training."

 

[Gaxatwirl]

The sky scatters into 2 shades. A brilliant orange that subtly hides between the clouds far at the horizon, and the looming purplish black, enveloping the sky with it's encompassing darkness, and promise for a new source of light.

The grass bushed in a thin layer of snow is flattened as the bus' wheels tear through, leaving a track of wheel-marks behind us. Peeking out the back window, which is large in comparison to the windows on the side, taking up about half the back of the vehicle, the town is no more visible.

The Sudowoodo greet us on the side, and the bus slows down gradually until it comes to a rest. There's a screech from the bus and the sigh suggesting a great release of air. The doors swing open for Fee and I. Just Fee and I, coming back to little Quartz town.

There is one other individual. A serious looking orc, with black afro hair that feels mismatched with the rest of his outfit. He has black pants that end below the knee, and a white belt tied around it. He wears a black pullover, with red sleeves extending from beneath. He exudes an intense aura. Never smiling. But, purposefully. He seems focused on something. A deep concern, maybe.

He makes no moves to the door, which suggests that he is going to Tourmaline town. Tourmaline town is the furthest south town in all of Dynacriep, and is also home to the Fighting Type gym leader. I haven't seen most of the gym leaders. I've only heard their voices, except for when I visited Diamond city, and judging by the man's age and physique, I think he is one of the few I would recognize as a gym leader, like Mister Tyke.

It doesn't yet click, and I'm dragged out of my revelry by Fee's call. Stepping out of the bus, I shoot another glance at him, and he opens his eyes for the 1st​ time. The door shuts, blocking my vision from him. Soon afterwards, the bus drives off as if it has a vigorous level of purpose. And I suppose it does, for the bus driver is still inside, as well as one passenger. That one passenger is all that's needed for a job to still be required to be done.

We first head to the Pokémon Laboratory, by Fee's request. Professor Zin, unsurprisingly, wearing the 16th​ pair of his collection of lab coats, doesn't seem at all surprised by our sudden arrival. He does, however, allow the slightest smile to appear on his face. Fee starts describing everything that happened, and while listening, the professor prepares a fruit bowl. He cleans up one of the tables, and we seat ourselves.

Fee catches himself on some details, carefully omitting the fact that my arms burst, us fighting (and the fact that I froze us a bit), and being unsure of whether or not we can talk about Type: Null yet. The professor tells us that Chrysanthemum Co. actually reached out to him, asking if he could assist with his expertise on Pokémon to perhaps identify an unknown Pokémon.

We also discover that this Pokémon Lab has been allowed to continue on its business, and some of the aides have already returned. They're starting off with light work. Checking in with some of the equipment, and scanning the Pokédex again. Later, they'll join the Professor and take a look at Type: Null.

Fee finally concludes by saying how he'll be continuing to follow me along the road, as my investigative duties have taken me to Amber town. Amber town is on the complete opposite side of the region, but should only take a day to travel on bus. If the route allowed for a bus ride.

You see, once we reach Ruby town, we need to use a collection of mines to reach Amber town. There's a few towns in between, that being Agate town, Mellite town, Beryl town and Malachite town. Beryl and Malachite can both be reached via bus rides, but there's not an easy cave entrance from them to get into, and they actually require us to go through more towns in order to reach.

Beryl town is close to Peridot town, and is accessible normally only by Peridot town. Malachite is a similar mess, being only accessible by Obsidian town, which is as close to Diamond City as Pearl town is. The fastest path to Amber town, then, happens to be on foot, through what is known as the 'Regnuduo Mine Mazes'.

Professor Zin wishes us both success, sponsoring Fee ₽10 000, likely due to him mentioning how we were strapped for cash. He does express how he was a bit worried that the only update that he got about our whereabouts was that we were in Pearl town, which is an infamously expensive place.

We visit the orphanage next. First thing we get is a warm welcome from half the people. Welios, and a couple of the younger folk, managed to stay awake until early night. Oawam, Tym and Noeyah express the worry they got when all they squeezed from the professor is that 'they'll be fine'. How strange communication can be.

It's homey, if not strange to be in here. I kind of forget. It's not really an orphanage. Just has the function of one. With the professor occasionally dropping by and the loving community, we aren't strapped for food, water, clothes, education. We have a better life here than some people have with their families. Nothing in particular is reminding me of that, just the crazy amount of opportunities I've been given.

I bring out Mini, who quickly becomes a favourite for the girls. Both Oawam and Noeyah have long hair, like I do, but Oawam was opposed to Mini brushing her hair. After seeing how no fur sticks onto Noeyah's hair, she welcomes Mini to help brush her hair. Welios helps brush and stylize the little girls' hair.

Because the boys feel left out, I bring our resident clown to play along. Bursting bubbles is more interesting for me as well, so I join Hextor and Hendrik in seeing who can burst the most amount of bubbles. Teeviy pops out and, not choosing violence on such a relaxing night, allows herself to be groomed by Tym and Fee. The moment of rest is appreciated.

Realizing the time, we dismiss ourselves when only Welios and Noeyah still have the energy to be up. Though Welios suggests that we stay, we deny the request. We do pack 2 blankets and 2 pillows into an additional green bag, taking the bag with us when we head out.

Passing by some of the houses, though most of the residents are inside and/or asleep, we are greeted by Timburr, and, of course, the groups upon groups of the Sudowoodo whom make both the Pokémon lab and the whole of Quartz town more lively. We catch the last bus.

We take the trip from Quartz to Celestite and down to Ruby town. Due to the proximity to the nearby inn versus the days spent in the mines, we decided to rest here. The next day came earlier than we wished it too, bringing us back to the focal point of our objective.

Solve a problem. Its my job to.

 

[Gaxatwirl]

"Treat, Water Gun. Mini, use Pound on the Diglett."

"Teeviy, Covet the Sandshrew."

Treat blasts her water gun into the Dugtrio, causing it to duck into its holes. Mini knocks the Diglett into its hole as if playing wack-a-mole, and Teeviy mimics her movement, slamming her tail onto the Sandshrew. The Sandshrew lays on the ground, swirls appearing over their eyes.

Quickly, we return our Pokémon as we feel a rumble from the ground. I grab Fee's arm and start sprinting through the mines, doing my best to stay on stable parts of the ground. The earth erupts and separates unnaturally, dust falling from the ceiling obscures our path, so I make the quick decision to go right.

"Why are there so many wild Pokémon?"

The repels aren't working. The Pokémon around the area are too strong, which is one problem with the repels. Still, according to the Pokédex, the Pokémon who generally circle the area are about level 10, max. Here, there's fully evolved Pokémon in the mix, almost protecting the weaker ones.

Mini, Treat and Teeviy have been fighting for a long time now. It's almost been a day. The Pokédex is now calling it night. If not for the Pokédex, I would have no idea what moves Mini has, and I would have to take large steps to guess what it is she can do.

"I don't know.", I reply. "But, it's fine. We're making progress." I can only assume we are. Many of the paths are blocked off and have become dens for Pokémon, but there's also equally as many paths open and leading to a place we've never been to before. So far, none of the paths seem to loop, which is fortunate when you're running from a collection of pursuers.

"Crap!" From ahead, a rock snake with 10s of rusted rock stacked upon rusted rock slithers towards us with an unnatural sluggishness to its movement, making it all the more surprising that they approach so quickly.

I launch Treat into the air from the Poké ball, commanding her to Water Gun the Onix. She successfully does so, but they push past as if she did nothing, and begin burrowing into the ground. Already a decently fast Pokémon, the Onix starts leaping into the air and sinking back into the burrows, chucking Rock Tombs at us with ease.

Fee and I successfully dodge the 1st​ hit, but Treat is knocked down onto the ground. I scrounge for a potion, getting low in the hopes of not getting hit. Another boulder flies above me, breaking into a million pieces as it strikes the wall. I rise as I sprint, grabbing Treat and running around the Onix's burrowing spots to the best of my ability.

Another boulder, smacking the wall behind me and causing more dust to sprinkle down at us. I spray Treat with the potion, commanding her to barrage the Onix with as much Water Guns as she can.

She leaps from my grasp, falling towards the burrow the Onix came from. Surprisingly, the Onix shoots out from the same hole, launching a Rock Tomb. Treat launches herself backwards, using the immense pressure from her Water Gun, which breaks the boulder and hits the Onix.

"Teeviy, helping hand!" Fee coughs out.

Teeviy runs into the fray, and using her tail, picks herself into the air. She lets out a cry as she lands on the Onix, and pushes herself off the Onix to land on Treat. Treat begins building up another Water Gun, and Teeviy continuously claps her paws together while triumphantly baby roaring.

The Onix mouth goes wide open, easily big enough to devour the both of them. Them being in free fall, they hopelessly fall in. But before my heart can even drop, water fills the Onix and causes them to collapse onto the ground. Moments later, Treat and Teeviy are flying through the air, the high pressure Water Gun emitting bubbles that Treat managed to use running dry.

I leap to catch them, but Treat's fall is broken by the course dirt. Barrel rolling with Teeviy in my hands, I sprint to Treat. Knocked out. Again.

"Return, Treat. You did great."

Teeviy leaps from my grasp and runs over to Fee. He's on the ground, hand over mouth, coughing.

"Sorry.", he mutters slowly. "The dust. I think."

I pick him up, and he closes his eyes in relinquishment. He returns Teeviy after I heal her with our last potion, and I continue on walking. I keep Mini out, as an additional scout to help protect us from potential dangers. Every hole that exists in this mine, makes me flinch before passing by. Every hole, another possible threat waiting to jump out at us.

The journey continues to be eventful. Every moment of calm is quickly followed by a storm of Pokémon, with Teeviy and Mini having to work even harder to handle the Pokémon. Mini clears the terrain expertly with Tidy up, which also increases her speed and attack, making her our main line of defense.

With enough preparation, Helping Hand from Teeviy and a Pound from Mini cleans the feed of threats coming around. Still, even then, she has her limits, and there's many fights that we have to avoid to be able to keep moving. Eventually, a mine cart. Finally, a mine cart.

I place Fee in the cart. His coughing has only gotten worse. There's times when suddenly, his temperature rises. And I can't use Chill Touch to help out with that. Treat is still unconscious. The dust doesn't stop settling. The mines grow darker.

"Tough luck one as yourself is having." The voice rings an eerie royal touch. A familiar voice. An infamously familiar voice. It immediately makes me reach out to Fee, and without looking back, I sprint.

"Brave bird."

The cry of a metal bird rolls out as there's a scraping of metal on rock. The scraping gets louder and louder and louder. Sharper, and more intense. The cry fades away, but the endless rumbling of earth being torn through doesn't. I turn around and see Mini standing in front of me.

"Mini, move!"

"Chino!"

She braces herself for impact, covering her stomach with her tail, which has become brown with dirt and drenched in mud. What I assume is the Skarmory is a blur of yellowish light mixed with a brown hazy blur. I reach out for her Poké ball, but in a colossal of panic, it drops to the ground.

"Shield!" From the ceiling drops in a short humanoid who casts some kind of magical barrier. The attack is stopped cold, with the shield fracturing into pieces. The humanoid swings their arms in a circle before spreading them wide, and the broken fragments create a water barrier that is formed all around the Skarmory.

"Hey, you almost got the spell right." Another figure drops in, and bouncing on the barrier, it turns to ice. "Good job Curls."

"T-thanks?"

"Ugh. More children."

"Curls, maybe lead us away from the murderer?"

"R-right."

The cave grows even darker than before, as if magically conjured. In the smoke, I feel an arm grasp me, but no footsteps can be heard. At first I think it's from Curi, but then I see Fee's arms concentrated to the ground. A long while of running later, and we emerge from the smoke and into some dark divot. It looks unintentionally apart of the maze.

By intuition, we stay quiet. Mini's tail keeps wrapped to me. I hold onto Fee still. A minute passes. 3 minutes. 10 minutes. Fee struggles a cough, and it causes us to tense deeply. But after another minute passes, a great relief washes over me.

With the calm of the situation, I'm able to acknowledge the presence of two familiar faces that aren't a pain to see. Curi and Akiu. Still wearing similarly to before, from what I recall, with Akiu's hair still being as wild but charming, and Curi appearing endlessly worried about something. Baddies, I called them. This time, they helped me. Helped us.

"Thanks.", I mutter as I lay Fee on the ground.

Curi bows his head subtly, while Akiu snobbishly smiles. "You definitely owe us for that one."

I nod. A favour for a life saved? I'm fine with that. We go further into the hole and reach a dead end. We manage to set up a camp to as much of a degree it would be set up. The 2 blankets and pillows Fee and I got are laid on the ground (we'll clean them later). Curi makes a small fire, without any magic, using the small bits of wood he had and a torch from the mine.

I think about putting Fee closer to the fire, but his coughing makes me hesitant. Curi places his hands on Fee's chest, and then there's a faint greenish light. Much like before. But, the green light almost seems to be battling something much more subtle. A bit darker. Curi concentrates harder, and the light slower fades away. He exhales tension.

"That should help."

Fee winches, opening both eyes. Curi and I look at him from above, and then Akiu joins in. She pokes his face prematurely, and that causes him to blink a lot. Probably in realization of who they are. Before even his mouth opens, I can tell he's trying to process everything that just happened.

He settles for a smile and a nod. "Thank you, Curi. And I guess I should say nice to see you both again?"

"Aww, you missed us?", Akiu asks in a tone that sounds sarcastic.

Fee struggles to keep his smile. "S-sure."

Apparently he can't sense her sarcasm? Or it was a genuine question, which would confuse me as well. Last we met, Curi had an emotional breakdown, and Akiu scolded me for invalidating his feelings. Now? They seem like they're ready to ignore that that ever happened. Which is a choice I can get behind.

Curi expresses his curiosity for the man who was chasing us down, so I tell them about my encounter with the gnome. Last time wasn't very long ago. 3 or 4 days now, and instead of hunting for me by going into Pearl town, he decided to chill down and jump us when we came to him. He was likely hiding from the cops, and Champion Xecial did mention his exploits already. Maybe, because he failed to kill me, he needs to shut me up somehow? It is thanks to me that he even got discovered in the first place, which was thanks to Fee's reaction when we first met him.

"Curly yellow hair gnome with a Skarmory and an impossible ego? Sounds like Mescue Violet."

"Definitely.", Akiu replies, slouching back. "Couldn't he just die in a ditch?"

"You two know him?", Fee asks, taking out Teeviy to also join in the warmth of the place.

They both look towards each other before eventually Akiu shuffles closer, locking eyes first with Fee, then with me. Her natural smile fades into a indignant frown. "A lot of history."