Borne of Caution (Pokemon Isekai)

[Fuggmann]

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---

Lee gives the taller man a hard stare. "Maxie… You're under arrest for suspected terrorist activities. Come quietly."

Maxie sighs. "Pity."

In a flash of movement, a pokeball is launched from his hand. The ball snaps open midair, and the air becomes sweltering.

---

As the light clears from around Maxie's pokemon, Lee feels his shoulders drop in disbelief. "Fuck me…"

Standing before Maxie is a Camerupt, and it's an absolute Goliath of a pokemon. It must be seven, nearly eight feet tall from its hooves to the peak of its craggily volcano-like back humps. His dark red coat is crisscrossed by the occasional scar, with a deep, healed over gash across his brown muzzle being the most apparent. The miniature volcanoes upon his back are already belching black smoke and embers, making the air almost unbearably hot. The worst of all, though, is his eyes.

The camel pokemon's eyes are feral, focusing upon them all with a horrid, animalistic desire for violence within them. The bloodshot orbs lack that spark of clarity, of intelligence. It is as if the Fire and Ground-type… isn't even there.

'He may not be…' Ninetales sends a glance towards Maxie's Claydol, and Lee can feel her stomach churn. When Lee connects the dots himself, he takes a deep breath to prevent himself from being sick.

"Shit…" Zinnia whispers, her voice wavering in a rare moment of fright. Lee follows her wide, red eyes and tries not to curse himself.

Almost hidden against Camerupt's fur is a red, armored chest piece hanging around his neck. Within the crimson-colored metal, a fist-sized stone with the appearance of a marble is set with clasps. The crystalline orb shines with its own internal light, one that hurts to look at.

'A mega-stone…' Lee looks up, seeing the Keystone set within the frame of Maxie's glasses just as he expected. 'That was the one thing I was hoping wasn't accurate. I thought Courtney's Camerupt was a monster, but this thing changed the definition. God only knows how strong this behemoth must be after mega-evolving…'

Ninetales tenses up. Beside her, Shelgon growls and locks his yellow eyes with Camerupt's blood-shot browns.

Without any warning, Camerupt bellows with such volume and force that he blows away all the dust around his feet, then charges forward, moving far faster than something the size of an armored car should. It feels as if every one of his footfalls shakes the entirety of the volcano, because they certainly rattle both Lee and Ninetales to the bone.

'Move!'

"Move!" Zinnia calls, mirroring Lee's telepathic command.

Ninetales and Shelgon split, jumping away from the mammoth Camerupt, who passes through where they were standing a mere second later. Without so much as a word from Maxie, Camerupt turns and faces Shelgon, opening his mouth as he does so. At the same time, rings of light manifest around the camel Pokémon's massive body. With another ear splitting bellow, Camerupt's maw glows a brilliant silver, then a ball composed of compacted light is shot toward Shelgon like a tank shell.

At the same time, the rings of light around Camerupts body coalesce into knife-like stones. The stones violently vibrate in place before shooting towards Ninetales with a vengeance, homing in on her despite Camerupt's attention being elsewhere. The stones move with such swiftness that each one screams hideously through the air.

Ninetales' eyes bug out, and a frantic, mental urge from Lee forces her to wreath herself in Quick Attack and dive to the side. The barrage of stones is so quick, however, one stone still slices into Ninetales's leg and opens a gash on her thigh.

Lee winces, his own leg tingling in phantom pain.

"Shelgon, Protect!" Zinnia's hands are already clenched anxiously.

A mighty barrier of green surrounds the wide-eyed Shelgon in the nick of time. Camerupt's attack slams into Protect with a sound like a cannonball striking a gong, the impact sending a rumble to the ground. The ball of light deflects off and flies far into the sky, becoming a dot against the blue expanse above. Shelgon drops Protect a second later, and Lee is dismayed to see the Dragon already looks woozy from guarding against a single strike.

'What the hell was that?! Stone Edge? And Flash Cannon? Is Camerupt acting on his own? How did he fire off two differing moves in two different directions at the same time?'

Lee isn't given any time to ponder further as Camerupt, once again without an order, charges towards Shelgon like a runaway train. The gargantuan camel crosses the distance in less than a second, and with every step, a positively blinding cloak of spiraling energy builds around him. Lee's hearing is drowned out by the snapping and crackling of Camerupt's attack, but he still vaguely hears Zinnia shout something to Shelgon.

'Is that Giga Impact he's using?! Ninetales! Extrasensory!' Lee sends frantically. 'Slow him down!'

The vixen's eyes shine with fury, and bubbles of permeable psychic energy bloom to life in Camerupt's path. With any luck, the damage will throw him off-

Maxie's monstrous pokemon blows through the attack as if it isn't even there. All of the overpressure and under pressure from the rapidly expanding and contracting bubbles barely cause so much as a bruise on Camerupt's hide.

All Shelgon can do is screw his eyes shut and raise Protect once more.

Camerupt strikes the green shield and shatters it like glass.

CRACK!

Shelgon is thrown end over end, trailing blood through the air from a deep crack in his shell. When the orb-like Dragon finally rolls to a stop after several bounces, he's left prone upon the rocky ground, gasping for breath. His shell is littered with cracks, and is missing a few pieces. A piece of his shell even shattered near his face, pushing a shard into his cheek, which bleeds profusely.

Despite Shelgon laying prone upon the ground, Camerupt decides that his opponent isn't yet disabled. The camel pokemon snorts black, sooty smoke, and charges forward.

Lee watches the entire scene play out for him, as if it's moving in slow motion.

Camerupt moves with the speed of a truck with the gas floored.

Zinnia's face morphs into horror. Her hand moves towards her belt, towards Shelgon's ball, but it's too slow.

Shelgon can only close his eyes and brace himself.

'Nine!'

With a yowl, Ninetales darts forward with Quick Attack and slams her whole body into Camerupt's side. Through her, Lee can feel the bone rattling sensation of smashing into a brick wall. Not even Ty was this tough!

Camerupt veers off course ever so slightly, giving Shelgon just barely enough time to push himself the rest of the way to safety with his remaining good legs. Camerupt, meanwhile, slams into a vacant snack stand, one branded to the cable car company. The stand explodes into splinters and twisted metal framework on impact, making Camerupt dig his hooves into the ground and skid to a stop. The camel turns his animalistic visage towards Ninetales and the still wounded Shelgon.

'Nine, are you okay?' Lee asks, feeling his entire right side ache in a dull manner. Camerupt doesn't look like he took any damage from Nine's Quick Attack. If anything, Ninetales got the worse end of the exchange.

'I'm fine…' Ninetales' reply is terse.

"Goodness, how rude of me." Maxie finally speaks up once more. The bastard has the gall to smirk as he pushes his glasses further up his nose. "That was rather unsporting. Perhaps you would like to change pokemon before we continue our bout?"

At his words, Camerupt goes still as a statue, staring forward vacantly.

Lee's self-directed disgust towards the idea of Ninetales slaying Maxie lessens considerably as he looks at the man's face. The scarred trainer looks at Claydol once more and purses his lips. "Is this some kind of game to you?"

Maxie's smirk rises just a bit.

"Shelgon, return!" Zinnia calls, thrusting the pokeball in her white-knuckled grip forward.

In a flash of red, Shelgon is sucked back into his ball, but not before he can snarl in protest.

Placing the ball back on her belt, Zinnia looks behind her. Following her eyes, Lee looks as well.

Tyrunt's challenging sneer is gone, replaced with bewilderment, as if he didn't believe what he just saw. Perched upon his head, Swablu's beak is dropped open in a human-like expression of surprise. Goomy…

The little slug-dragon is openly quaking, staring at Camerupt with terror.

Lee turns to Grovyle and Octillery.

Both the Grass-type and the Water-type wear grim expressions. Grovyle chews on his stick irritably, while Octillery's eyes are narrowed down into slits.

Shifting his twig in his mouth once more, Grovyle sighs and steps forward, a warble directed towards Ninetales leaving his mouth.

"Grovyle?" Lee asks, watching the gecko pokemon raise his arms, his wrist leaves shining and hardening into blades. He glances back at Lee with his yellow, slitted eyes.

'…He wishes to take my place, to act as a buffer so I may rest and be reserved for last…' Ninetales provides. 'He intends to act as fodder and wear-down Camerupt so mine and Octillery's chances of a victory can rise.' Lee can feel the kitsune's mind whirl as she thinks over all the different possibilities, and how she might deny her teammate, but in the end, Grovyle's simple yet sound reasoning is hard to find flaw with.

"Grovyle…" Lee curses inwardly over and over and grits his teeth. The thought of using Grovyle as a sacrificial pawn makes his conscience scream in protest, but the steel in Grovyle's eyes tells him it's already a lost battle on this front. "…Fine."

As Ninetales backs out of the impromptu battlefield, never taking her eyes off Maxie or Camerupt, Zinnia hisses through her teeth. "Swablu…" She grounds out reluctantly. "You're up."

The little blue bird leaves Tyrunt's head and flits into the field, landing next to Grovyle without any of her signature musical trills.

'We just need to hold out until Corvi gets back with help,' Lee tells himself, hoping and praying to whoever would listen that his crow would return soon. 'We just need to hold out until Corvi gets back.'

"Quite ready?" Maxie asks, an eyebrow raised. "Then let the melee continue."

Camerupt roars.

---

Brendan feels as if he is going to be sick.

Leaning against the "TE Extractor" device that Magma is so worried about, He looks around himself.

The perimeter around the lip of the volcano is surrounded by low level magma members, most with one or two pokemon at their feet. Some of them, namely the ones that he, Lee, and Zinnia battled and defeated, turn to look at him bitterly.

Tabitha steadfastly refuses to meet Brendan's eyes. The large man won't even look in his direction.

Turning to Courtney, Brendan finds her standing at attention and scanning the horizon for anything incoming. She notices him staring, and gives him a thin smile.

Brendan's stomach twists. It twists because of the girl at his side, it twists because of the disappointment radiating from his team, and most of all, it twists because of the words on his tongue, ready to fly as speedily as a Taillow.

'Marshtomp! Use Water Gun on the energy extractor! Blow it to pieces!'

The Birch heir hisses under his breath.

Just a few moments ago, his desire to please the girl who makes him feel so strange but good and his loyalty to his friends did battle one final time. It was a match where the winner takes all to settle the days-long conflict within him.

It was a battle won by razor-thin margins and with only seconds to spare.

His hurt at being considered childish and untrustworthy by Lee and Zinnia may yet sting, the reluctance of his pokemon drags him even further down, and Courtney still only needs to smile to make him feel lighter than air, but the events of the last few months flashed before his eyes over and over.

Meeting Lee and Vulpix.

His smiling dad giving him Mudkip's ball.

Meeting the annoying Dragon Tamer named Zinnia.

Learning new things under Lee.

Growing to look at Zinnia like the sister he never had.

Speaking to his dad on the phone and regaling the man with his adventures thus far.

Seeing new places, fighting in thrilling battles, watching his pokemon grow before his very eyes.

Just… Enjoying being together.

The realization of what he was going to turn his back on made him hesitate.

Then Lee's words turned that hesitation into dread.

"They intend to awaken Groudon and try to leash it like a rabid dog."

There was a terrible, undeniable consequence to the older trainer uttering those words. It sounded like utter insanity, summoning a Legendary pokemon, but Lee said every word without a hint of deceit or uncertainty. Brendan even watched Ninetales for her reaction.

He's not sure if either Lee or Ninetales knows, but the pair have tiny, nearly indiscernible tells when they communicate. Ninetales has a habit of firming up her stance whenever Lee speaks a lie or half-truth, as if trying to reassure him.

She did no such thing this time.

His heart ached, and even now, he's not sure he will recover, but he would have to… fight Courtney.

The older girl creates such a confused mess within the boy. She's pretty, kind, understanding, willing to sit and listen and hear anything he has to say, and she asked for so little in return.

Still, the heartbroken boy hardened himself, and in his mind, a plot was born. He would 'side' with Magma, and when the inevitable fight began, he would slink away, his pokemon in tow, and see about shutting off the TE machine that is supposedly pulling energy from the volcano. Once all was said and done, he would pull Courtney aside and ask her to explain everything, even throwing his pride away and using his father's name with the police if it meant keeping her out of trouble.

The more he thought about what Lee said… The more Magma's claims do seem to be too good to be true. How do they intend to control Groudon? What's the timeframe for the completion of the project? What sort of safeguards are in place to prevent lives from being lost? Once the land is rearranged, who gets to decide who goes where?

Deep in his heart, Brendan hopes Courtney can explain.

It was a moment after Lee spoke the name of the legendary Pokémon, that Brendan noticed Maxie the interloper from the corner of his eye. He dared not turn his head and give away that he saw a man in red hovering above the rest of them.

All of a sudden, his gambit to falsely side with Magma became so much more complicated.

A number of things keyed Brendan into what he might be dealing with in Maxie, and he liked none of what he saw. First, was Maxie's Claydol.

The seldom-seen pokemon made a great show of giving Maxie a psychic platform to stand upon, one perfectly square and without a single imperfection. His father's Ace, Medicham, can do such a thing with only the barest hint of concentration, but it's what Brendan didn't see that was all the more damning.

Being high above the walls and buildings, Maxie should have been subject to the wind. Yet, his voice carried perfectly fine and his hair and clothes remained unruffled at all without any apparent reason as to their perfection.

Brendan's mind raced, and he was glad he was already feeling ill, for his pale face wasn't out of place.

Claydol, as best as he can deduce, is likely arresting the airflow around the locale, or maybe even the entire volcano with a barrier of some sort. Such monstrous power and control is… Something he's only ever seen dad's Medicham accomplish.

'No wonder Maxie wasn't upset about Corvisquire trying to run for help…' Brendan gulps and hopes Lee's pokemon is okay.

As much as he hated it, as much as he wanted to do more, Brendan was left with only one real choice; go quietly with Courtney and Tabitha, turning a hopeless 3-on-3 fight into a hopefully more manageable 2-on-1. He knows that neither Lee nor Zinnia would agree to any sort of terms Maxie would set, and conflict would to break out.

Sure enough, bellows and the sound of crunching rock creates a great cacophony near the volcano visitor center, around the bend and just out of sight. Brendan clenches his eyes shut and grits his teeth, mustering the nerve to do what he must.

"So those idiots decided to fight?" Tabitha harrumphs and crosses his large arms. "They have no hope of defeating Leader Maxie, they're marching straight into their own deaths."

Alarm surges within Brendan. He turns and levels Tabitha with an uncomfortable stare. "Death? What do you mean by that? Maxie said that he would let them go!"

The large man sneers in reply. "Maybe they would have been sent off on their merry way if they had complied with the boss's conditions. Your scarred pal knows a lot of things that he shouldn't, and that's bad for Magma. He should've just kept his mouth shut if he wanted to leave without needing a bribe."

Somehow, Brendan doubts that the offer Lee and Zinnia received was a bribe.

The boy trainer turns and looks at Courtney, his eyes pleading. "Courtney?"

The smaller of the two magma admins draws in a deep breath and plants a smile on her face. "Don't worry, Brendan. Everything will be fine."

For the first time, her words do nothing to reassure him.

As the sounds of combat grow more frenzied, more violent, the Magma grunts around the group shift nervously. The handful of combat ready pokémon are all jitters, seemingly ready to jump out of their skins. Beams of light, gouts of fire, and shards of rock fly through the sky as if an all-out war is taking place between Maxie, Lee, and Zinnia.

'Maxie's Pokémon can't possibly be strong enough to take on Lee and Zinnia's at once, right? Lee beat Mister Moore, after all…' Brendan silently growls, once again reworking his plans. 'Maxie said that Aqua was on their way. Do I wait for those jokers to show up and then make my move? Do we go now? I don't know what to do…'

"Brendan?" Courtney looks at him with a frown. She slides one of her gloves off and presses the back of her hand to his forehead. "You're pale. Are you okay?"

The smooth hand against his forehead makes Brendan's insides turn to mush, but it's immediately soured when he sees Marshtomp's grimace, Mawile's teary eyes, and Breloom's resignation from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm fine…" Brendan murmurs, gently pulling her hand away from his head. He slides his backpack off his shoulders into the ground, unzipping it so he can reach inside, not all missing how Tabitha and several of the Magma grunts tense up. His hand wraps around the bottle of anti nausea pills he bought in Dewford. When he pulls his hand back out, revealing nothing but a pill bottle, the Magma members ease up.

The distant din of combat rings all the louder in Brendan's ears, reminding him of what is at stake. He turns to Marshtomp, who stares back with disappointed eyes. "Marshtomp?"

The pokemon grumbles, but pays attention.

'None of the Magma guys are acting jumpy. They probably think I'm going to ask Marshtomp for some water.' He steels his nerves one final time and looks back at the machine.

The boxy metal thing stands high, and is covered with lights and gauges that hold no meaning to Brendan. From its side, a terminal screen and a keyboard jut out, seemingly a last-minute addition. In the middle of the machine is a compartment covered by a glass door. Within, a curious gray stone sits upon a forked pedestal, glowing with a faint, rainbow light. The stone must be the centerpiece of the machine, though Brendan can scarcely puzzle out what it's supposed to do.

"Marshtomp…" Brendan takes a deep breath. "Water Gun. Destroy the TE machine."

His words are gentle, conversational, even, and that is probably why no one other than Marshtomp reacts right away. The mudfish's eyes suddenly regain their life, and without wasting a moment, he turns and opens his maw, blasting a violent stream of water at the energy extractor.

The blue rail of water hits home without any opposition, shattering the glass door and the rock behind it in a hail of shards. The Water Gun punches a hole clean through the back as well, making the contraption wail with warning alarms and viciously spark.

Brendan raises his arms to protect his face, wincing to himself when he feels a speeding piece of glass open a small cut along his bicep before bouncing off of his shirt. Scooping up his bag and zipping it closed amid cries of shock and dismay from the Magma agents around him, he hurries and sprints outside of the circle of red clad gangsters around him. His pokémon need no order and follow right along. The young Birch spares Breloom and Mawile a glance.

Breloom's usually dour face sports a tiny smirk.

Mawile, meanwhile, looks at him with a beaming smile and open admiration, a total shift from her depressive state a mere handful of seconds ago. The whiplash of a Fairy's ever-changing emotions is still a surprise to see. Mawile's smile then turns into something vicious and vindictive. As the little Pokémon is passing Courtney, Brendan's heart leaps into his throat when Mawile's second set of jaws lash out towards the magenta haired woman, gaping and ready to bite.

Courtney gasps, her hands rising in a futile effort to halt Mawile's attack.

'Mawile, no!'

…Only for the strike to be a feint. Mawile's jaws change course at the last second, instead chomping down on the pokeballs clipped to Courtney's belt. Mawile growls as she tears the balls free, and all three of the capsules shake in her grip, the pokemon unable to release themselves with Mawile holding the balls shut. Mawile then leaps to Brendan's side, looking up at him with her innocent smile back in place.

Brendan swears to himself that he nearly had a heart attack. 'Geez, Mawile. A little warning, next time?' The boy is well aware of how hypocritical such a thing sounds, even if he's simply saying it to himself, but he can't help but complain.

"Brendan?" Courtney asks, appearing totally lost. For the first time since they've met, Brendan hears her voice wavering. "What… What are you doing?" Her hand gropes the torn belt where her pokeballs used to hang, as if on instinct. The Magma admin seemingly shrinks on herself, and Brendan can feel his heart wrenching in his chest.

"You punk!" Tabitha is decidedly more upset, his face twisting into a rictus of loathing. "I knew this whole thing was a bad idea! Look at what you fucking did! This whole operation is a bust!" He takes a ball from his own belt and throws it into the air in one motion. "Kid or not, you're not leaving this volcano alive after that!"

Tabitha's pokeball opens, and Brendan recoils at the pokémon that comes out. In a flash of light, a Weezing rises and hovers at chest height.

The pokemon resembles a pair of purple, rocky meteorites fused together like conjoined twins, with one being larger than the other. Each body sports a pair of narrow eyes, fang filled mouths, and a number of protruding, overly large pores that acrid, yellow gas hisses out from. The pokemon groans, both mouths opening in duel tones.

Brendan blinks and swallows, but that does little to stop the sudden watering of his eyes or the itch within his throat, courtesy of Weezing's rotten, chemical stench. Often considered ugly, unpleasant, and requiring much more care and enrichment than a normal pokemon, Weezing are a rare sight outside of the teams of Poison specialists. When they are fielded, though…

"Weezing!" Tabitha growls. "Sludge Bomb!"

…They're a menace to deal with.

"Marshtomp!" Brendan is quick to counter, eyes locking on Weezing. "Water Gun! Dilute it!"

The surrounding Magma grunts finally come to their senses and quickly back away with exclamations of fright as the first attacks are called.

Weezing swells like a smog-filled balloon, then with a disgusting sound akin to retching, it spits a globe of dark purple ooze, which smokes as it arcs through the air.

Marshtomp responds in kind. He opens his mouth and fires a torrent of water, meeting Sludge Bomb halfway.

Water Gun and Sludge Bomb deflect off of each other initially, proving just how dense the orb of toxins is, and then Water Gun bites into the glob of poison, mixing with the sludge and turning into a watery mess.

The sludgy water drops to the ground, hissing. Even so diluted, the poison smokes as it eats into the stone of the volcano.

'Definitely don't want to get hit by that…' Brendan eyes the disgusting puddle in the middle of the makeshift battlefield with a frown.

"Weezing, Smokescreen!" Tabitha rapidly switches tactics after their opening attack fails.

Weezing draws in a deep breath, then from all of its open pores, dense black smoke pours out, forming a cloud and obscuring its form.

Brendan narrows his eyes. "Marshtomp! Foresight!"

"Taunt!" Tabitha orders hardly a second after Brendan.

'Damn it!' Brendan's eyes widen. "Marshtomp, don't fall for it!"

Marshtomp is already halfway through processing the first order when deep, raspy laughter booms from within the cloud of smoke. No one needs to know anything about pokémon speech to practically feel the concentrated mocking within each laugh.

The glow of Foresight fades from Marshtomp's eyes as the already hot-blooded mudfish is visibly overcome with seething anger. With a bellow that draws flinches from all the bystanders, Marshtomp charges headfirst at the smoke.

"Stop!"Brendan orders at the top of his lungs, but it's little use much to his dismay. Taunt has already worked its fingers into Marshtomp's brain.

Weezing bursts from the smoke with a nasty smirk on both of its faces, its head aimed low to smash skull-to-skull with Marshtomp. Its smirk is wiped right off its face when Marshtomp's clenched fist shoots out and crashes into its chin with bone-shattering force.

Rocking back, Weezing shudders from the titanic blow.

Brendan spares a moment to look at Tabitha, who seems totally unperturbed from his pokemon taking such a hit. If anything, the large man seems to have expected it.

Then without warning, another Weezing bursts from the slowly dissipating smoke, spinning rapidly like a top and coated in a dark aura Brendan has seen more than once on Lee's Ninetales.

'Payback?! But why would…?!' Brendan looks at the first Weezing and freezes. 'That's not another pokemon, that's Substitute! Can Payback even work when it's a clone that was hit?'

Substitute is a move Brendan wasn't expecting to encounter until deep into the gym circuit. The ability to create a clone, no matter how costly the energy requirement, is a complete game changer in a fight. The steep stamina requirement in the difficulty of mastering the move makes Substitute wholly unviable for anyone who isn't a cut above the rest.

The Weezing Marshtomp struck groans before losing cohesion, dissipating into multicolored balls of light and vanishing before everyone's eyes.

At the same time, the real Weezing smashes into Marshtomp with Payback on full-blast, folding the Water and Ground-type around its spherical body like a living cannonball. The wind is knocked from Marshtomp's lungs in a harsh gasp, and the mud fish is thrown end over end.

"Sludge Bomb!" Tabitha presses his advantage, his narrow eyes shining cruelly.

Weezing once more spits a noxious glob of purple, one perfectly aimed to hit Marshtomp midair.

"Correct course with Water Gun!" Brendan leaves out any further directions, not wanting Tabitha to anticipate where Marshtomp will land.

Marshtomp spreads his arms out and rights himself midair, shooting a stream of water from his maw and throwing himself out of Sludge Bomb's path. He lands harshly, but on his feet. Underbelly rapidly beginning to bruise, Marshtomp huffs through his winded lungs and lowers himself, ready to charge once more.

The missed Sludge Bomb flies past and splatters on the ground. The horrendous Poison hisses and fumes as it eats a deep divot into the rock.

'Weezing doesn't have any good options for dealing with a Ground and Water-type like Marshtomp…' Brendan mentally runs through all the documented moves that a Weezing can learn, grimacing slightly as he recalls moves such as Self-Destruct and Destiny Bond. 'Okay, Weezing doesn't have many good options for dealing with Marshtomp,' he amends. 'We need to stay out of the way of his Poison and expect more trickery. While Mawile is keeping Courtney's pokemon out of the fight, I only have Marshtomp and Breloom to rely on.' Brendan winces. The sounds of combat coming from Lee and Zinnia's way are only getting more brutal the more time passes. 'We can't waste time. Marshtomp and Breloom need to be as fresh as possible so we can help Lee and Zinnia. I guess we're pulling out all the stops here.'

"Brendan…"

The boy's heart leaps into his throat. Turning his head, he sees Courtney standing off to the side, looking at him with wide, frightened eyes. "Brendan," she begins again. "You… You need to stop! You can't be-"

The magma admin's words are drowned out by an earthshaking bellow from Marshtomp, who looks at the admin with open hostility in his beady eyes.

Brendan takes a deep breath. "We'll talk later!" He promises Courtney, before turning his attention back to the fight though not without great effort. "Marshtomp! Pulverize the ground with Muddy Water!"

Both Tabitha and Weezing watch carefully, an order clearly on the tip of Tabitha's tongue.

Marshtomp grins like a savage, then opening his mouth, he shoots a stream of murky water at the ground, a stream churning with such violence that the volcanic rock underfoot is pounded into sandy paste. The sediment groans and cracks as Marshtomp sweeps his stream around, swiftly turning the field into slick mud.

Halfway through, Tabitha finally calls for an order. "Sludge Bomb!"

Once more, Weezing swells, then expels a toxic glob from its mouth, one aimed squarely at Marshtomp.

Without needing any instruction, Marshtomp drops down low, letting the Sludge Bomb pass overhead. It splatters on the muddy ground, and Brendan can't help but grin at what he sees.

The Poison barely even bubbles in the mud. Muddy Water might officially be a Water move, but the name is muddy for a reason. All of the Ground energy still lingering in the watery sediment soaks up the Poison and neutralizes it magnificently.

Marshtomp gets the point immediately, and before he rises, he turns his whole body over once in the mud, coating him in a slick, anti-Poison armor.

If Tabitha realizes that his inaction was a blunder, then it doesn't show on his face. Instead, he barks another order. "Smokescreen!"

Weezing groans, and once more expels a thick cloud of black smoke, covering itself from view behind a rolling, black veil.

'What an awkward pokemon to fight. Can't get too close, or you risk taking a Poison move to the face or having to deal with Self-Destruct. There's also no limbs to break to hinder mobility, further encouraging a ranged fight, but that's where a Weezing is most comfortable.' Brendan narrows his eyes. 'Too bad we got you right where we want you.' The young trainer draws in a breath. "Marshtomp! Widen Mud Slap!"

Marshtomp dips low, partially immersing his arm in the mud below, then with a mighty heave, he sends a wave of speeding muck into the entire smoke cloud.

Meaty thuds echo over the volcano, and pained groans come from the smoke. A battered and dirty Weezing, whose rocky hide is lined with spiderweb cracks, emerges from the smoky cover to glare hatefully at Marshtomp. For an instant, Brendan takes his attention off of the fight and homes in on where Tabitha is paying the most attention.

The Magma admin is focused on Weezing, not the smoke.

'You expected me to think you'd pull the same trick twice in a row? You're not getting me with a fake-out that easily.'

"Marshtomp, Take Down!" Brendan has to keep his grin to himself. "Rush down the smoke where the real one is!"

Marshtomp roars, recklessly charging forward at the waning smoke cloud, drawing a malicious smirk from Tabitha.

Weezing, behaving like a clone might, passively watches the speeding mudfish, keeping his eyes on the pokemon all the while. The meteor-like pokemon slowly swells, preparing an attack.

'Gotcha!' Brendan can't help it and smiles. "Change target!"

Brendan's partner doesn't hesitate for an instant, instead coming to a stop on the muddy ground as if it weren't covered in muck. Instead, he turns and leaps directly up at Weezing, his body cloaked in an aura of white.

The smirk leaves Tabitha's face instantly, shock taking its place. "Sludge Bomb!"

Weezing spits a hasty, half power attack at Marshtomp, which lands true… then soaks into the mud covering the amphibian pokemon with barely a hiss.

Midflight, Marshtomp wipes the noxious slush from his chest and slings it into Weezing's face.

"Weezing, move!" Tabitha urges.

Weezing doesn't even get the chance to cry out about the mud irritating its eyes before Marshtomp slams into it shoulder-first like a missile, opening up numerous cracks along Weezing's hide. Marshtomp grins, then spikes Weezing like a ball with his fist, sending his foe tumbling to the ground. Toxic gasses hiss and sputter, escaping Weezing's ruptured flesh as the Poison-type falls gracelessly into the mud.

Marshtomp lands a second later, mud splashing around his feet.

Gasping for breath and eyes rolling in distress, Weezing doesn't rise back into the air, or rather can't rise back into the air owing to all of the lighter-than-air gas in his body escaping. Like a regular creature with a sucking chest wound, it's all the Poison pokemon can do to draw breath.

Rearing his head back, Marshtomp bellows up into the heavens at his victory, drawing flinches from everyone around. Murmurs filled with dread begin to flit through the air.

"D-Did this kid beat Admin Tabitha?"

"What kind of monster is that pokemon?!"

"Aqua is going to kill us all without Courtney and Tabitha!"

Weezing is engulfed in a flash of red, then is drawn back into a pokeball held in Tabitha's shaking fist. The large Magma admin places the ball on his hip holster and draws another one, his face contorted into an expression of absolute loathing. "You little shit…" He growls, staring down Brendan with a look in his eye that can only be genuine murderous intent. "You come up here, say you're gonna join, double-cross us at the first opportunity, then embarrass me like this?! You're going home in a bag!"

Marshtomp roars at the open threat, raising his arms and smashing them on the ground, rumbling the entire area as he stares hatefully into Tabitha's eyes. Brendan doesn't need to look behind him to know Mawile is seething at the threat, or that Breloom's usual aloof face is likely drawn into a deep frown.

Tabitha raises his next pokeball and throws it with a wild swing of his arm. "It was a mistake to come here, kid!"

From the pokeball, a Crawdaunt whose armor is crisscrossed in white, healed over marks, takes Weezing's place. The shellfish pokemon lets out a warbling cry and raises its pincers, snipping them together with the sound of steel grinding over steel.

Before either Brendan or Tabitha can call an order, the entire volcano is bathed in a harsh, white light, prompting screams of fright from more than one person and forcing everyone to cover their eyes.

From behind his arm and squinted eyelids, Brendan looks up.

In the sky is an entire sea of rolling flames, shooting hundreds of feet up into the air and stirring a hot gale over the entirety of Mt Chimney. The fire is simply... Unbelievable. Even Ninetales during her bout in the Lavaridge gym falls short of such a feat. As quickly as the flames came, they're gone.

'We need to hurry,' Brendan grimaces.

---

To call the ongoing battle anything short of absolutely disastrous would be a horrific understatement to Lee. It's only his adrenaline and quiet reassurances from Ninetales that keep his nervous breakdown at bay.

In the slagged, ruined courtyard of the Mt Chimney visitor center, Lee watches Octillery breathe in quick and harsh gasps, two tentacles clutching his right side, which is completely coated in ghastly, blistered burns. In the middle of one of his other tentacles, a shard of stone lays lodged, left pierced into his body lest he bleed out without it. Blood dribbles from his mouth, where his broken beak is no doubt aching.

To Octillery's left, Zinnia's Tyrunt is bleeding profusely from a split in his skull. The little dino's left eye is shut, owing to a painful bruise on his face, under which, he surely has an orbital fracture. He too is covered in burns, though not quite as terrible as what was inflicted on Octillery.

Across from them is Maxie's Camerupt, still standing like an indomitable monolith of fire and violence. The only visible wounds on his body are an already scabbed over slash on his flank, one inflicted by Grovyle, and a dirty bruise on his muzzle from Octillery's Octozooka. In one of his front legs are several of Tyrunt's teeth, dislodged after Tyrunt landed a Bite and was kicked in the head for doing so. It's difficult to tell if Tyrunt's attack caused any harm.

Grovyle paid for the wound he inflicted with interest, and Octillery just paid for his.

Every attack, every tactic, every trick tried, Camerupt would shrug off everything like a juggernaut, and did so without a single word of instruction from Maxie. Even through the animalistic rage hovering over him like a physical cloud, Camerupt pushed the offensive with unnatural focus and precision. The camel pokemon moved like a machine, executing unseen instructions to cause the maximum amount of harm he can with single-minded aggression. Despite the match being a two-on-one, Lee and Zinnia have been on the back foot the entire time.

Grovyle, despite his superior maneuverability and plethora of slashing attacks that could carve through even the greatest armor, fell after only inflicting a single wound. Camerupt whirled with supernatural reaction speed and bathed the Grass-type in an ocean of fire that lit up the entire sky once Grovyle's Night Slash connected. With such a wide attack, Grovyle had nowhere to go, nowhere to run.

There was a horrible moment where everything seemed to move in slow motion. Before Camerupt's Flamethrower even hit, Lee could see Grovyle's leaves wilting and his scales blistering. When the burning pillar connected, Lee heard Grovyle scream.

His body moving of its own accord, Lee frantically recalled Grovyle before the gecko's limp form could crash to the ground.

Swablu's fearsome Hyper Voice, an attack that can shatter rock and instantly incapacitate pokemon many times her size, was a mere annoyance to Camerupt. Despite the little bird's minuscule form and speedy flight, one Stone Edge volley left her bleeding out upon the ground and recalled back to Zinnia.

Octillery and Tyrunt have fared no better.

In the field, Tyrunt's head wound finally gets the better of him. With a whimper, the dino slowly begins to sway on his feet, his legs growing shaky. His one good eye stares up at Camerupt with equal parts juvenile defiance and instinctual fear, the latter of which slowly begins to overtake the former.

"Lee…" Zinnia grounds out. The tanned woman's face is pale, and her mouth is set in a thin line, not at all hiding how distraught she is. "I don't think Tyrunt can keep going. He's at his limit."

Lee shudders. "We all are, Zinnia. We all are…" He prays for someone, anyone out there to cut them a break. "Recall Tyrunt. Octillery is done, too. He can barely move, and I suspect he's taken some kind of internal damage."

Grimly, Ninetales steps forward. 'I'm ready, Lee,' she sends.

As one, Lee and Zinnia raise their pokeballs, and in twin flashes of light, the battered Octillery and Tyrunt are recalled with no fuss from either pokemon.

Across the way, Maxie allows the retreat with a small smile. The eco-terrorist's smirk has been in place the entire time, as if he's humoring a pair of cranky toddlers fruitlessly beating their fists on his leg.

Behind Zinnia, Goomy openly quakes now that he is Zinnia's final battle-ready pokemon. His black eyes stare at Camerupt with absolute terror. The little slug-dragon is shaking so violently, it's as if he's about to fall to pieces.

Ninetales notices, and with a grimace, reaches out to Lee once more. A conversation too fast for words takes place.

"Zinnia," Lee begins with a gulp. "Just recall Goomy and let us fight, okay?"

Inwardly, another conversation takes place. With Ninetales acting as a midway point, Lee feeds telepathic instructions to the Dragon tamer. 'If… when things go south here, Nine and I are going to try and hold them off. If Maxie tries anything rash, try to escape in the confusion.'

'Lee…' Zinnia's telepathic words are choppy and halting, owing to having so little experience with such forms of communication. 'What about you? I don't think-'

'Just do it.'

There is a flash of annoyance at being interrupted, but for once, Zinnia is cowed. 'What about Brendan?'

Lee sighs, painfully aware of just how much of a nightmare the situation has become. This fight, Brendan, Magma in general. Damn it all, why can't anything be easy? 'That's a bridge we'll cross later…' Zinnia is cut from the telepathy.

Backing up slowly, Zinnia steps towards Goomy. "Just take it easy, Goom," she whispers soothingly, bending down to pick the tiny dragon up. "Dolittle and Ninetales have this in the bag."

"Down to one, final pokemon?" Maxie asks, tilting his head and staring down at all of them. "You should have taken my offer. All that you had to do was agree to have a mere few hours of memory snipped away, and you would have been on your merry way." Maxie adjusts his glasses once more. "Surely, you realize that once you can no longer defend yourself, you will have no say in what measures I take to ensure the secrets of Magma remain secrets, correct?"

"Go fuck yourself!" Zinnia's reply is as swift as it is caustic.

Maxie clicks his tongue. "How unladylike."

Ninetales sets herself into a low, wide stance, hiding just how nervous she is with a hostile stare aimed squarely into the eyes of Camerupt.

Camerupt stares back with the same horridly blank look he's worn the entire fight.

'Hold nothing back, Nine.'

'Never,' Ninetales promises.

Once more, without any warning, Camerupt roars and accelerates into a red meteor.

Ninetales bounds forward as well, turning and dodging around Camerupt's headbutt with inches to spare. Eyes glowing with a sinister pink light, she turns her head and levels Camerupt with a full-power Baby-Doll Eyes.

The invisible, enfeebling rays, which would have nearly crippled another pokemon from the muscle weakness they induce, barely do a thing to Cameupt. The monster hardly even flinches. No, instead he turns and corrects this course, the dagger-like stones of Stone Edge manifesting around him in flashes of light. The stones quiver, then fly at Ninetales with a staccato of supersonic cracks.

The fox weaves around the stones with gritted teeth, but a few of the sharpened rocks are just too fast, too packed together, and she's forced to settle with near-misses that slice open small cuts in her pelt. One on her shoulder, another on her leg.

'Double Team! Then Feint Attack!'

Ninetales' body shines white briefly, then illusory clones flash to life all around her, including one right over top of herself. The illusions all bear their teeth and bristle at Camerupt as Ninetales, who fades from sight under a cloak of light-bending Dark energy, quickly pads her way to Camerupt's rear.

The camel pokemon snorts black smoke, then without bothering to pay any attention at all to the clones, turns and looks directly at the real Ninetales, who is still invisible. Bellowing, he stomps his hooves on the ground, shaking the entire volcano.

'Fuck! Claydol has to be helping him! Move!'

Ninetales drops Feint Attack and Double Team in favor of leaping straight up into the air, and not a moment too soon, as the ground underneath her violently cracks, shooting up spires of craggy rock that would have impaled her otherwise.

Camerupt growls. In yet another flash, he's surrounded by stone knives that shriek as they race up towards Ninetales.

The gold fox coats herself in the rolling corona of Quick Attack, and twists out of the way of Stone Edge midair, this time avoiding any harm. Quick Attack flares, and she falls back down to earth like a shooting star, aimed squarely for Camerupt.

With gravity aiding her, Quick Attack is so fast that Camerupt has no time to dodge or brace himself, and Ninetales slams herself down onto the back of his neck, using her whole body as a battering ram.

Camerupt doesn't so much as stumble, not even as the ground buckles and cracks beneath his hooves from the force of the blow. No, instead he whips his head around and smashes his skull into Ninetales like a wrecking ball, throwing her to the ground in a breathless heap.

Lee bites back a groan when his entire right side lights up with bone deep pain. He already knows Ninetales must have fractured at least one rib from the blow. 'That son of a bitch!' He takes in a breath through his teeth, unsure if it was Ninetales or himself who cursed.

'This isn't going well…' Ninetales huffs and surges to her paws, throwing herself out of harm's way when Camerupt charges her again. Lee can feel the pain that flares in her sternum from the movement. 'Have you any ideas?'

'Other than 'try not to die?' A few.' Lee can't help but snark to try and relieve his nerves. 'Pull in closer, love.'

Ninetales doesn't fight at all as Lee reels her soul a bit closer to his.

Together, their minds grow close, close enough that words begin to fail, just like in the fight with Ty. Lee's eyes constantly scan their foe and the field, feeding information and instructions to Ninetales. Ninetales, in turn, provides him constant feedback on everything for him to evaluate. Her stamina, her injuries, her own observations, anything he might find useful. Together, the pair become a near-seamless machine.

A frightful dance begins between nimble fox and mighty camel. Ninetales moves like lightning, leaping and sprinting amid illusions of herself, her eyes aglow with psychic power the entire time. Camerupt is battered over and over by psychic blows that would have reduced another pokemon into pulp. Ninetales' fire, her greatest weapon, is reluctantly held in reserve. With Camerupt's Fire-typing drastically reducing the effectiveness of any fire, Ninetales' flames would have wasted precious energy.

Camerupt, meanwhile, remains far too fleet-of-foot for a creature that must weigh an entire ton at minimum. The red camel whirls on his hooves and moves as if the rules of inertia simply don't apply to him, for he can accelerate to a dead sprint and stop just as suddenly. Ninetales' Double Team doppelgängers are entirely ignored, and even when Ninetales vanishes from the realm of sight, he remains locked-on to her like a missile. While Ninetales has no techniques especially suited to fight him, Camerupt is not in the same boat. Shards of rock, cracked slabs of earth, and even entire boulders are used as projectiles that would surely inflict horrific damage should they connect with Ninetales. Camerupt, likewise, refrains from any Fire attacks. Whether it's because Maxie thinks Ninetales' special ability is Flash Fire, or if he knows of her pyrokinesis, Lee can only guess.

Only once do Lee and Ninetales make the mistake of trying to redirect the attacks with telekinesis, finding that each projectile simply has too much speed and force to seize in time. For the error, a near-miss from Camerupt's Rockslide attack scrapes a raw patch on Ninetales' shoulder.

It's clear who is at a disadvantage.

Maxie's Camerupt endures strike after strike. Extrasensory rips at his flesh to cause little more than ruffled fur and bruises, Hex crackles over his existing wounds, hardly even breaking the scabs, what few physical attacks can be landed safely rattle Ninetales' injured ribs more than Camerupt, and Confuse Ray slow the monster down none.

Meanwhile, Ninetales has to use all her force just to evade injury. Her Quick Attack is pushed to its limits, and even when she turns into a gold smear rocketing across the ground, Camerupt is already leading his next attack.

In the back of his mind, Lee has to wonder, is this the difference between an Elite pokemon and everyone else? Do they even have any hope of winning? Moore, nor Tyson, nor anyone else have ever inspired this terrible, creeping helplessness that grips Lee like a full body chill, and it's made all the worse by the stakes.

He can only pray that Corvi returns with the cavalry soon.

---

As his third and final pokemon, a Houndoom, finally gives in to his wounds and falls to the earth with a piteous whine, Tabitha can only shake in barely restrained fury. The large man stiffly holds Houndoom's pokeball out, wordlessly recalling the Fire-type in a burst of red light.

'We did it…' Brendan's grin can't be overstated.

Tabitha's Weezing, Crawdaunt, and Houndoom all put up exemplary fights, each one backed up by Tabitha's skill as a trainer and a wide variety of techniques, but Marshtomp and Breloom felled all of them with only a handful of injuries to show for it.

In the field, Marshtomp throws his head back and laughs, raising his arms. The Water-type seemingly doesn't notice the red burns on his left arm, or is just too elated to care. They won.

At Brendan's side, Breloom and Mawile stand silently. Mawile's focus is still on keeping the pokeballs in her jaws shut, as all three of Courtney's pokémon have been struggling to free themselves from the capsules the entire time. None of them, however, can exert enough force from within their balls to overcome Mawile's steel-trap jaws.

Breloom, meanwhile, keeps a silent but attentive vigil on the rest of the Magma goons. The Grass-type's mushroom-like head and his left leg each sport a messy slash courtesy of Crawdaunt, but both wounds have stopped bleeding.

All around, the Magma agents stare at Brendan and his pokemon with a range of emotions on all their faces. The most common is abject horror, often with some form of disbelief. Others refuse to meet his eyes at all, instead hiding away behind their fellows or pokemon, who are equally stunned.

The young Birch gets the feeling none of them are going to hinder him going forward.

"Everyone!" Brendan gets the attention of both his team, and the Magma members around him. "We're going. And no one is stopping us…" He looks around, and every set of human eyes he meets looks away.

"Brendan…"

His breath hitches.

Turning around, Brendan can't help but feel a lump form in his throat.

He's done his best to ignore Courtney throughout the fight, but now there are zero distractions, and the look of complete devastation, of disappointment on her face…

…It hurts.

The magenta-haired woman steps closer, only to abruptly halt when Breloom coolly slides into her path. The hand she raised to reach out to him falls, clenching into a fist. "Why, Brendan?" She whispers, and those two words drive a knife into his chest. "I trusted you… I thought we were friends…"

I thought we were friends.

Zinnia spoke those same words only twenty minutes ago, and the boy gathers his nerves, remembering everything he nearly put on the line. 'Really?' A voice in the back of his head whispers. 'Everything still is on the line! Zinnia and Lee need help! Stop dawdling and hurry! Maybe they'll learn to trust you again sometime this decade if you say sorry for worrying them and help beat Maxie!'

Brendan sets his brow, and stomps on the Butterfree in his stomach. "I… I can't betray my other friends like this." He stares up at Courtney, eyes as hard as he can make them. "Maybe… Maybe you shouldn't be with Magma, Courtney."

The woman recoils with wide eyes, as if physically struck.

"I want to believe that Magma has a good cause, that everything you told me is true, but…" Lee's words ring in his head again.

"They intend to awaken Groudon and try to leash it like a rabid dog."

Again, even just thinking about what Lee said has a cataclysmic sort of weight to it, and brings forth even more memories, back when Lee revealed a bit more about his mysterious past.

"Gone. Completely burned to the ground."

"As far as I know, I'm the only survivor."

"The superweapons used means going back is pointless."

Lee spoke of Groudon and the devastation that befell his home in nearly the same tone, the same I-can-do-nothing-about-it lifeless calm. A shiver runs down Brendan's spine.

What if whatever happened to Lee's home happened to Hoenn? Was it a Legendary pokemon who burned down the faraway land?

Brendan looks up at Courtney once more. "Should anybody have power like that? Are people even able to handle power like that? I don't know, and the more I think about it, the more fishy the plan to awaken Groudon becomes." He admits. "If I'm being truthful, Courtney, then I didn't want to join Magma for their goals, anyway…" He looks at the ground. "I wanted to join to be around you."

Courtney's face remains frozen in shock. She shakes her head. "Brendan, hold on-"

"Before we leave this volcano, I'll give your pokemon back, but I can't let you impede us right now," Brendan turns away, beginning a steady march back towards the lift that leads up to the mountain. Beside him, his pokemon fall into step.

A hand reaches out to him as he leaves, but Brendan steadfastly ignores it, no matter how much his stomach twists.

The Magma agents part around them, and looking over to Marshtomp, the amphibian pokémon grins back. Stepping closer, Marshtomp claps Brendan on the back with a broad hand, his eyes shining in pride.

Marshtomp, ever faithful and supportive, eases Brendan's wounded heart. 'Buddy, I lucked out so hard when we met. You really are the best.' He smiles back.

Paying no mind to the Magma grunts and the disarmed admins, Brendan and his pokemon break into a jog, heading towards the sounds of fighting.

In the span of only a minute, they turn the corner around a wall of rock, stopping and scanning the goings-on with wide eyes.

Ninetales is the last pokemon standing, and she's engaged in a furious fight with Maxie's Camerupt.

A fight that she's losing.

The fox moves at such obscene speeds, it's as if she's teleporting from location to location, a flicker of yellow being the only sign that she's physically moving. She's constantly circling Camerupt and firing off ranged attacks as quickly as possible. The bolts and bubbles of psychic and spiritual power scream through the air and rip up the ground. Most of the attacks land true, striking Camerupt.

…Only for the behemoth to barely notice. The mussed fur and bruises Camerupt sports are the only sign that he's even being hit, in contrast to Ninetales' weeping wounds and the way she favors her left side. The massive Fire-type slings a tireless fusillade of sharpened stones and speeding rocks at Ninetales, interspersed with stomps of Earth Power, which makes the ground itself rise up and try to strike the fox.

"No way…" Brendan mutters, his mouth hanging open. When he notices, he shuts his jaws with a 'click'. "Ninetales… Doesn't really have a good counter for a Fire and Ground-type, does she?"

Even if the question is rhetorical, Marshtomp still shakes his head, as absorbed into the fight as Brendan is.

Maxie and his Claydol are still as calm as can be. The man, who is turned away, has his hands folded behind his back. Claydol is as unnervingly still as ever.

Behind Ninetales, Lee's face is screwed up in concentration. Sweat rolls down his red face, and the veins in his temples and neck are bulging. He never takes his eyes off the fight, and that might be why Ninetales is holding up as well as she is.

Zinnia…

Brendan falters.

Zinnia stands just a bit behind Lee. Seeing the Dragon Tamer look so vulnerable strikes him somewhere deep.

'I thought we were friends…' The words used by both Zinnia and Courtney echo within his head.

'Focus, man! Mope later!' Mentally, Brendan reviews all the options they have.

They can sit here and wait for some type of opening, but who knows when that will be.

They can jump in and join the fight right now.

Or…

'May be scummy to launch a surprise attack like this, but we've gotta win!' Brendan turns to Marshtomp. "Okay, bud. I really wanted to save our new move to surprise Lee with a win over Ninetales, but I think we need to bust it out now."

Both Mawile and Breloom look at him in alarm.

Marshtomp blinks, then he grins, an eager croak building in his throat.

"Camerupt has a double weakness to Water, and this one is made to hit hard and fast, so lets do it!" Brendan smirks. "Marshtomp, Water Cutter!"

Marshtomp exhales, then clamping his mouth shut he breathed in sharply through his nose. Brendan hears water churning within Marshtomp's stomach, which then travels up his throat, causing his chest and neck to bulge far beyond what should be natural. Clenching his fists, Marshtomp lets his mouth balloon with water, pushing his cheeks out. The water pressure within the amphibian Pokémon continues to build, and just when it seems like he's about to explode, Marshtomp puckers his lips and throws his head forward.

A thin stream of water, no thicker than Brendan's pinky, lances out of Marshtomp's mouth like a laser beam. The sheer pressure behind the attack throws Marshtomp's aim off course, and the aptly named Water Cutter slices through a distant outcropping of rock the size of a man. The volcanic rock gives way as if it were butter meeting a hot knife, crashing to the ground and shattering.

The clatter of the falling stone produces a half-second lull in the fight between Camerupt and Ninetales, and that's all the time that Marshtomp needs.

Forcing his head down, Brendan's ace drags the beam down onto Camerupt, drawing the water diagonally from Camerupt's rear flank all the way to his front leg.

Blood bursts from the sudden, savage wound, painting Camerupt's side an even deeper red, and for the first time in the fight, Camerupt stumbles, but does not cry out.

Marshtomp cuts off his attack and coughs up the remainder of the water in his mouth, clutching his chest as he does so. With a groan, he wipes his now-raw lips tenderly.

Maxie turns on a dime, glaring down at Brendan from behind his rectangular glasses. "Having second thoughts are we? Or perhaps you were a Rattata from the very beginning?"

"Brendan?" Lee asks, staring at him with uncertainty. Behind him, Zinnia appears just as shocked.

Brendan grunts. "Give up!" He exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at Maxie. "We beat both of your admins and destroyed your machine! Whatever it is you were doing up here, it's failed!"

Maxie's face darkens. "I see," he grounds out, sounding as if he's mauling each word like a Houndour might a Mareep. "Well then, with no extractor to charge the meteorite, then I suppose I haven't anything to wait around for."

Charging a meteorite? What would that have accomplished?

Maxie's hand rises to his glasses, rubbing a curious rainbow stone set into the frame. "What a pain you've all been, but no longer. Perhaps it was foolish of me to indulge myself with you." The stone set within Maxie's glasses begins to glow.

"Shit!" Lee's voice carries over the entire volcano. His wild eyes meet Ninetales' for a split second. "Brendan, Zinnia, run!" He screams.

Just as Brendan begins to ask what exactly he's running from, Maxie's Camerupt is engulfed in the same rainbow colored aura as Maxie's glasses. The camel grunts and shudders, twisting and convulsing on his hooves as the glow becomes brighter and brighter. Just before the light becomes blinding, Camerupt throws his head back and roars in agony. The sound rattles Brendan all the way down to his bones, making him feel sick.

The light seemingly hardens into a shell around Camerupt, who is still making a terrible, pained racket. The roar begins to lower in pitch, and changes from agony into incoherent rage.

A crack forms on the glowing shell. And then another. And then the entire structure spiderwebs.

In an explosion that rips at Brendan's clothes and hurts his ears, the shell is blasted to pieces, and once he lowers the arm shielding his face, Brendan has to blink his eyes to confirm he's seeing everything correctly.

Standing there, where Camerupt was, is not a pokemon he's ever seen before.

Occupying the place where Camerupt was, is another camel-like pokemon. The mystery pokemon has the same light red coat of a Camerupt, the same head and face, and the same four hooved legs, but when it comes to stature, this is a completely different beast. Gone are the pair of volcano-like humps on its back, instead replaced with a single, taller hump that is actively leaking lava. Molten rock bubbles out of the rocky protrusion, slowly oozing down and catching on a number of dark, stone-like outcroppings on either side of the camel pokemon's torso. The beast is also far larger than what it replaced, as it has to be at least ten or more feet tall and weighing several tons.

The pokemon throws its head back, roaring again with such volume that the entire volcano rumbles, as if answering in turn. The noise strikes somewhere deep and primal in the young Birch, and he shivers without knowing why.

Then the heat hits, and Brendan recoils.

The entirety of the air around them feels as if it's drying up, and the boy has to blink his eyes to keep them from drying out. The back of his throat itches, as if parched, and every breath is unpleasant and gag-inducing from the sudden, oppressive heat and the overwhelming smell of sulfur. All of it emanates from the Camerupt-thing, whose hump is still dripping lava like a leaky faucet.

"No…" Brendan can barely hear Zinnia's dismay, but it's as plain as can be on her face.

"What-" Brendan stops and gulps, but his mouth remains like cotton. "What did you do?"

Maxie's smirk returns. "There is no use explaining Mega Evolution to the dead."

'To the dead?' Brendan feels his stomach turn cold.

"The setbacks suffered here today have necessitated a more aggressive approach going forward, I believe." Maxie muses, as if he didn't just casually speak of murder. "As such, I'm confident in ending our time together today in a permanent manner. Camerupt?"

The beast turns and stares at Maxie, its eyes devoid of any semblance of sentience.

"All of them must go. Have fun."

A rolling growl builds in Camerupt's throat, starting slowly then rising into a roar that he throws his head back for. Once more, the volcano underneath them rumbles in turn.

---

'Was he faking everyone out the whole time?'

Any questions along the lines of what in the world is Brendan doing are firmly shelved for now in Lee's mind, because after watching an Arceus-honest Mega Evolution before his eyes, merely living to see tomorrow takes precedence.

Mega Evolution is Pokemon's answer to things like Bleach's Bankai, or perhaps more famously, Dragon Ball Z's Super Saiyan, that being a temporary transformation to drastically increase one's power. The increase wasn't much in the games, enough to turn the tide of an uneven fight, perhaps. In the anime, it was inconsistent, but undoubtedly made the user stronger.

After watching Camerupt Mega Evolve, it's easy to see why it's not something just any old trainer is running around using. Although he can't feel it, Ninetales can.

WrongUnnaturalTooStrongRunAwayMoveMoveMove…!

Ninetales, his brave fox and the other half of his soul…

Is openly quaking on her paws.

Her red eyes are wide, her tails are frazzled, and her body is racked by shakes. She looks like little more than a feral animal backed into a corner.

Merely looking at Camerupt batters Ninetales's psyche, and by extension Lee's, with a deep, instinctual terror by way of utter wrongness. Something like Camerupt should not exist, cannot exist.

If, in terms of TE, Ninetales is a firestorm in the shape of a fox, then the mega pokemon across the makeshift battlefield is the living embodiment of a volcanic eruption. The Fire and Ground energy Camerupt wantonly discharges into the air is so thick that one can practically taste it, coating the mouth with the taste of ash. Were Ninetales to attempt to match the energy Camerupt leaks seemingly without knowing, then she would be drained dry in the span of a minute. Hell, the entire volcano is reacting to it!

The natural Fire and Ground energy within Mount Chimney must be reacting to Camerupt, as the previously sleepy volcano is spewing smoke and embers up into the air. As the seconds pass, the mountaintop begins to grow darker and darker, illuminated with a fell, orange light as the sun, even empowered by Ninetales' Drought, struggles to pierce the soot.

'Love, it's okay! Focus on me, not him!' Lee clumsily tries to wrap his mind around Ninetales' own like a buffer, attempting to deaden the awful aura that pushes down on everyone with heavy, searing hands. 'We can do this! Just keep it together.'

Ninetales' shaking slows, though only just enough to be noticeable. She draws in a shaking breath. Wordless thoughts run through her head, the most prominent being her biting his shirt, slinging him over her back, and fleeing as fast as her paws could carry her.

'Love, what about Zinnia and Brendan?'

The vixen has no answer.

"All of them must go. Have fun."

Lee realizes he missed the exchange between Brendan and Maxie sans the final line, and returns his attention outward, just in time for Camerupt to rear his head back and roar, shaking Mount Chimney all the way down to its foundation.

Camerupt turns his baleful eyes to Marshtomp, who is frozen in place, barely able to even draw breath. Brendan's ace, usually so fearless and confident, stares at Camerupt like a child faced with the bogeyman.

Unlike before, Camerupt can't accelerate instantly. His first step towards Marshtomp is lumbering, with the next one only a little bit faster , but each step Camerupt takes shatters the ground beneath him. In a handful of strides, the behemoth is bearing down upon Marshtomp.

Marshtomp can't even raise his arms to brace himself, and when Camerupt reaches him, the camel throws his head up, catching Marshtomp in the stomach with a medley of sickening cracks. The Water-type is thrown into the air, his eyes bulging. Then like a discarded toy, he comes back down, smashing to the ground with a single bounce. The mud fish gasps and wheezes, spitting an entire mouthful of blood.

"Marshtomp!" Brendan screams, his young face etched in horror.

Camerupt turns bloodshot eyes to the boy, violence glittering within, only to be distracted when Brendan's Breloom rushes him, striking him across the muzzle with an ineffective punch.

Behind Brendan, Mawile throws away a trio of pokeballs she was holding in her rear jaws, which remain inert when they bounce along the ground. Then she uses her now free teeth to bite down on Brendan's backpack and yank him away from Maxie's berserk pokemon. Brendan stumbles, but keeps enough wits about him to raise Marshtomp's ball and recall his disabled ace back to safety.

Breloom's lax expression is gone as he distracts Camerupt, replaced with a deep grimace. The mushroom pokemon throws paralytic spores from his cap-like head, strikes Camerupt with lightning fast punches wherever he can, and circles as best he can, keeping away from Camerupt's head. It's all for naught, however. His spores burn up into blackened powder the instant he casts them, and Lee can see the Grass-type wilting and burning just being near the camel.

Camerupt grunts. All of the lava dripping down his body glows a blinding yellow, then explodes outward in a burning wave of molten stone. When the lava hits the ground, it instantly begins to melt the surrounding rock, and if it's even possible, the air dries out even further.

Breloom tries to twist around the lava, but it's simply too much, too fast. A melted glob strikes him in the stomach, hitting with the force of a burning battering ram. All of the breath is driven from Breloom's lungs, and his face screws up in agony as the edges of the wound instantly catch fire. The fire begins to spread, and it's all Breloom can do to push the lava off of him, charring his two-fingered hands and pulling off the ruined skin of the impact site in the process.

"No no no!" Brendan's hand shoots out, Breloom's ball in hand. The boy's eyes are prickling with tears, but they simply can't fall in the oppressive heat. "Return! Return!"

In a flash, Breloom is returned to the relative safety of his ball.

Camerupt roars and stomps his hooves in fury, his anger palpable at the loss of yet another target. He turns to the now-petrified Brendan once more, only to bellow when Mawile rushes him down, her second set of fangs bared. Her crocodile-like teeth sink into Camerupt's neck, and in the midst of sobbing in mindless fright, Mawile tries to wrench Camerupt's head from his shoulders with her bite to no effect.

Her crying is silenced instantly when Camerupt raises a hoof and carelessly stomps upon her.

With all of the pokemon in his way removed, the camel stares down Brendan, who falls to his rear and tries to scramble away, his eyes wide and alight with panic, with the realization of his own mortality.

"Brendan!" Zinnia shrilly screams, reaching an arm out

'Nine!' Lee mentally screams right along with Zinnia.

Fast as can be, a nameless bolt of fire shoots from Ninetales' mouth, curving through the air and squarely striking Camerupt in the eye in a puff of embers.

The camel whirls around in fury, Brendan apparently forgotten. The camel begins his slow lumber, accelerating to full speed like a locomotive.

Ninetales tenses, shaking so minutely that only Lee notices. Then with all the speed she can muster, she moves, caring none for conserving her stamina or bothering with any trickery. She rushes across the field with frantic energy, her entire body glowing with how hard she pushes her powers.

Where Extrasensory caused bruises previously, Camerupt doesn't so much as blink now.

Hex finds no wounds to ravage, for the gouge Marshtomp inflicted on Camerupt's side healed over upon Mega-Evolving.

If Confuse Ray does anything, then it's not apparent.

Meanwhile, Camerupt's attacks are even more potent than they were previously. His Stone Edge flies with such velocity, that even the shockwave caused by a near miss is enough to batter Ninetales down to her core.

But everything Ninetales throws, Maxie's monster simply takes without a flinch. The sheer difference between the pair of pokemon leaves Lee's head spinning. He thought Ninetales was already beginning to reach into the upper echelons of the world.

How wrong he was.

If there is any upside to the fight, it's that Camerupt's speed suffered for his radically increased power. Ninetales is free to dart in and out, moving out of the way before the camel can mount a proper retaliation. The beast's patience is visibly waning, and Lee can only hope it means that he'll screw up in a way they can exploit, somehow. In the melee, Brendan recalled his brutalized Mawile and snuck his way around the perimeter of the field, returning to Lee and Zinnia's side. Whatever misgivings Zinnia held for the boy before are forgotten for now, as she clutches the shellshocked Birch to her side, shielding him from the madness with her body.

"Camerupt," Maxie begins, voice carrying over the chaos with ease.

Lee feels his blood run cold.

Maxie smiles, his expression devoid of humanity as Claydol hovers closer, a translucent psychic shield forming around them. "Use Eruption."

Camerupt groans. Within his body, something audibly churns and bubbles, then with a pained cry, he halts and falls to his knees. The miniature volcano upon his back rumbles.

Then it explodes.

The top of Camerupt's volcano erupts like a fire hydrant with its top unscrewed, spewing a simply unbelievable amount of ash, lava, and rocks into the air, forming a hellish cloud high above. As if that were not bad enough, the burning cloud halts, then coalesces into countless ashy stones with sizzling, molten veins within them, each one the size of a man's head.

'There must be hundreds of them…' Lee looks up at the looming attack, whatever hope he was holding onto washed away in a tide of cold realization.

They lost. All of them are going to die here.

There isn't anywhere to run to. What could they do? Run away and be shot in the back? Try to use the cable car? Even if they could get that far, there is nothing stopping Maxie from cutting the cable, leaving them to tumble to their deaths.

Trying to solve all of this on their own was such a mistake. How could they underestimate literal terrorists to such a degree?

Lee turns to Zinnia and Brendan.

Zinnia's face is just as ashen as his, and Brendan's last dregs of bravery have drained away, leaving him looking so small and fragile.

Whatever force was holding onto Eruption lets go, and the stones begin to fall, screaming like falling bombs.

For the first time in weeks, that day replays in Lee's mind.

'History really does repeat itself.' He looks over to Ninetales, who is just as frozen as he is. 'Nine… I love you. I'm sorry.'

Ninetales raises her head and screams as the thought crosses Lee's mind. The shrill sound is ugly, wounded, and so startling to hear from her from her 'No! No! No!' The wild mantra repeats over and over, breaking Lee away from the cold thoughts of demise. Ninetales points her maw skyward, a ball of fire coalescing and compacting itself within. The fire goes from red, to orange, to blue, finally to a bright white. 'You don't get to die here! You're not allowed! They're not allowed to take you away!' Screaming once more, she throws her neck, a gout of fire shooting from her mouth and up into the sky to meet Eruption.

Ninetales' Flamethrower is thin and beam-like, slicing through the air like a hot wire, and each falling orb of lava that meets it explodes into smoke, practically vaporized. The Flamethrower greedily sucks down Ninetales' already flagging stamina, but she doesn't seem to notice at all, instead shooting down everything as fast as she can. The single-minded fervor leaves Lee awed and… just a bit frightened.

Try as she might though, Ninetales is but one pokemon facing down hundreds of falling projectiles. She destroys a hundred, then another hundred, cutting their numbers by nearly two-thirds, but by then, the remainders are just too close.

One slips by, and Lee, so overloaded, doesn't realize it's bearing down on him until the flaming meteor is only fifty feet away. He looks up, his eyes wide.

A gold blur slams into his chest, throwing him away, but he scrambles to his feet a second later. That could only be-!

The meteor strikes his savior, exploding into a cloud of sharp, superheated stones and choking ash, but the explosion does nothing to drown out the tortured cry that follows.

Lee's entire body lights up in horrid phantom pain. His vision flashes and his legs give out, forcing him to his knees. He chokes, swearing he feels blood welling within his throat. When his vision clears and the waterfall in his ears finally begins to quiet after what feels like hours, he forces his neck to turn and take in the limp, bloodied form just a few yards away.

His own scream is all that follows.

---

Consciousness returns to Corvisquire like a bolt of lightning to the head. With a jolt, he spreads his wings and flaps, freeing himself from his awkward position laying wedged between a rock and…

He blinks as he rises into the air and settles on a rocky outcropping on the side of Mt Chimney. "What in the world?" He asks himself, looking around. "What happened? What was I lodged between?"

The corvid looks down at the rock he was lying against. There is nothing beyond it, so he should've tumbled down the mountain. With a frown, he reaches a wing out and pauses when he feels his feathers bend against thin air, as if there is an invisible wall.

Frown deepening, he draws his head back and stabs at the invisible barrier with his beak, only to wince when the wall holds strong and jolts his neck. He shakes his head. The last thing he remembers was speeding away on Lee's orders, moving as fast as he could before he collided with something headfirst.

'Did I hit this wall so hard I knocked myself senseless?' He grits his beak in annoyance, only pushing it back as he remembers the mission given to him. 'Damn it! What sort of devilry is this? The work of a psychic?'

He hops along the unseen border, continually testing it with taps of his beak, only to find no exits or weak points. With a sneer he holds out a wing, and in the shadow of his dark plumage, a single Pursuer takes form. Whipping his wing forward, he sends the little orb straight into the invisible wall.

The ball of caustic darkness splashes across the invisible barrier, doing… Absolutely nothing.

'That's…' He stops himself from saying 'impossible'. Nothing is truly impossible, not with enough strength. 'Improbable. What sort of psychic has enough might to do such a thing? None that I've ever met. Even Queen Furball's telekinetic hold falters in the face of Dark.'

It's just then that Corvisquire notices just how dark it is outside. Looking up, he blinks, mystified at the dark clouds covering the landscape. "That's… From the volcano? No, surely it hasn't become active…"

Then, over the rocky cliffs and walls, a scream pierces the silence, and it's a sound that cuts Corvisquire down to his core.

That was Lee's voice, and the anguish within was unmistakable.

Without a single further thought, Corvisquire spreads his wings and shoots up into the air, flying up over the mountain and homing back in on the place where he left his comrades behind. He's forced to fly low and breath shallow, as the dust in the air prickles at both his eyes and his throat.

Flying back over the cable car building, he stops, hovering.

Below him is absolute hell.

The terrain is torn asunder, the natural walls forming the way to the mouth of the volcano reduced to rubble. Blots of cooling lava dot the landscape, with one red hot glob setting fire to the roof of the visitor center. None of that is what has Corvisquire's attention, however.

No, it's his comrades below.

The Dragon Woman's bravado is dead and gone, replaced with an unnatural paleness as she shields the Birch boy behind her. The boy himself, usually so unflappable, clutches the woman like a lifeline. Neither of them have any of their pokemon called forth.

Looking a talonful of yards to their side, Corvisquire feels as if he was dunked into ice water.

Lee is kneeled upon the ground, his face contorted in shock. The man's expression stirs a terrible familiarity within Corvisquire, for he's certain that his own expression was the same when… When the Young Master fell for the final time.

Corvisquire gulps, following Lee's outreached hands, hands reaching for a form lying prone upon the ground.

A form of gold fur dyed red.

Ninetales lays upon the rock floor, broken. Blood leaks from her mouth, her nose, her ears, and from countless wounds scouring her body, some with razor shards of stone still digging into her flesh. A leg and more than one tail are twisted in the wrong direction. She struggles to draw breath, and Corvisquire's eyes lock on to the reason.

A stone shard, larger than the others, lays lodged deep within her chest. The edges of the wound are burned, cauterized shut, but there's no telling what sort of internal suffering she's endured. Without treatment, she'll…

Corvisquire tears his eyes away from the sight. Ninetales, one of the mightiest pokemon he's ever met… He can't even bring himself to say that she has been brought low. The terrible cold grows utterly frigid within his breast.

Did this… Did this happen because he failed the assignment given to him by Lee?

A hoofstep echos off of what remains of the walls, drawing the corvid's eyes.

WrongWrongWrongShouldNotBeRealCannotBeReal!

A monster stands across from Lee and Ninetales, one coated in red fur and carrying upon its back an entire volcano. Every step it takes shakes the ground with such force that even the air vibrates. Try as he might, a shiver runs down the raven's spine, his nerve fleeing him and leaving him a small Rookiedee once more. Then Corvisquire notices just whom the abomination is lumbering towards.

It walks towards Corvisquire's fallen comrade and trainer, and in its eyes is murder. The monster opens its maw, and light begins to build within its throat.

Lee looks up at the Camerupt, his arms falling to his sides. The shock fades, replaced with weary resignation. He falls forward, hugging Ninetales to his body for comf-

No. Not to comfort himself. The man shields the fox with his own body, no matter how ineffective it will be.

The feeling of ice leaves Corvisquire's body, replaced with something much more intense and countless times more familiar.

Hate.

Hate.

HATE.

Hate at Wally and Kirlia for opening his eyes and making him vulnerable.

Hate at Lee for taking a coward like him back.

Hate at Magma for causing this mess in the first place.

Hate at Camerupt and Maxie for daring to harm the man who forgave him, for daring to harm the pokemon who understands.

Hate at himself for being too damn weak to stop any of-

'No! No more!' Corvisquire grits his beak, pushing away the tears that threaten to fall. 'I will not lose another trainer! I will not suffer that pain again! I'm not weak! No one I love will die! Nevermore!'

He dives.

'Nevermore!'

The heat of his fury rages through his core into his limbs. Euphoric strength and the certainty of steel overtakes him along with a cloak of grand, white light, That furious, raging heat begins to reforge all it touches.

His wings grow, each feather hardening and lengthening into midnight-hued blades.

Molten steel drips from his pores, turning feathers into peerless armor.

His beak and talons coat themselves in glimmering, razor-edged metal, forming keen weapons.

His body, so small and weak, practically explodes with wire-like muscle and bones as unyielding as bars of the finest steel. His form doubles, then triples in size.

Within his head, now clad in a helm of obsidian metal, comes the greatest change.

Gone is the raging, uncontrollable wrath that would warm him beneath his feathers. The undirected frenzy is quenched in cold focus, hardening into a weapon far sharper than any blade, and more unbreakable than any set of armor. With it comes beautiful clarity, and assured purpose.

Red eyes snap open under the shadows of a corvid-shaped helm.

"Corvisquire, foolish and hotheaded, is no more," the raven, now sized to dwarf a man, rumbles. "From his twisted remains, I am born."

Corviknight, newly evolved, pulls his wings even closer to his sides, his armor whistling sharply through the air as he dives like a missile.

"Let us see how you fare with a fresh opponent, cur," he narrows his eyes, targeting the Camerupt below and cruelly seeking out where his foe might be most vulnerable.

None of his will die.

Nevermore.

---

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.

Tyric Gaias, Spice_King, puppy0cam, Drew6, Rikky-RollDatDough, Emilowish, TheGreatPapyroo, Rémi Planetace, Latscry, King Eevee, Chris N, Dead Bloodchief, Ash The Kitsune, Emeraldleafeon, Kdonmination, Cacophonix The Bard, OmegaEntertainment, Green0Photon, DJ Firefox, KaurisAzurai, WiseKitsune, Superbuchi, Peter D., Arcaryx, Zellcos, NobleDragonDuck, xydra22, Tzeneth, Nithalys, Regal Eagle, Javidom, Dropkick_Actual, Maestro, Sulphurcat, Berusella, Ranger, ShaRose, DNGDutchie, Grey, Soup, CMDR Dantae, artisticVulpes, Nikolaj, Derpydude9001, Hazel Kings, Majora, Thelon, TheTankiestTrain, Dicloniuslord, Ray, MidnightJayguar,Fabhar SleepyKamo, Zany Old Coot, Appl, Dusks_Lantern, Dankmuffen, Moonlit Chaser, LarsHuluk, demonmonkey89, Casual, GreenPhoenix, Autocharth, creativityfails, Cynicals, ncskeeter56 Strongraider101, Cat, Kammight, Vinohr, JustALurker, MrPerson0, AMeek, Russell Todd, Alex Faulkner, Moxie, Siver110, Moonnikill, Aegi!, BrokenOlive, speedyzman13, Himmel, Colby, Drakage, Kastor, Murtaugh

 

[Fuggmann]

Not a chapter, but a quick notice. More than a few people were disgruntled with how long the last update took, and for good reason. I said it would take a few days at most when Act 2: Ch 16 dropped, and I intended it to be that way, but life got in the way. I won't get too deep into the details, but April was non-stop bad luck. From a broken tooth, to tax woes, to plain writer's block, it seems like it never ended. All of that caused a pretty terrible delay, and I wasn't the best at communicating it. I absolutely, positively hate making non-chapters like this, because I don't want people to see the notification, get their hopes up, then be let down when there is nothing new for them. To help combat both the problem of non-chapters and my admittedly bad communication, I wanted to give you all a few ways to keep an eye on everything.

First and most accessible is https://twitter.com/Bee_Fuggmann
I hold some distaste for twitter since it's de_dust2 for internet slapfights, but I know a lot of people have accounts just for lurking and whatnot. In light of that, I fired up an old account. It will mostly be official updates and the occasional miscellaneous post if it's gone unused for a while.

Next would be the community discord: Join the Hive of Degeneracy Discord Server!
There is a channel there just for writing updates. If you use discord at all, feel free to join in, as there is a talented community here, a Minecraft server, shitposters aplenty, and other time wasters. Or you can mute everything but the update channel if you just want to lurk. Your pick.

Finally, and probably most unreliably, is my Patreon: Fuggmann | Creating Transformative fiction and other things | Patreon
Patreon defaults to making every post patron-only, and I sometimes (often) forget to make general update posts visible to everyone. I'll do my best to remember, though.

Thankee much everyone for being patient.
Fuggmann.

Here is a tiny bit of Act 2: Ch 18 as thanks for taking the time to read this.

---

Act 2: Chapter 18

With the supernatural cool of chilled steel and the leashed, frantic energy of danger seeping into his mind, Corviknight analyzes his foe as he screams down through the air. Thoughts of a tactical sort supersede all else, and objectives take form.

Lee and Ninetales must be defended at all costs and evacuated as soon as possible

Brendan and Zinnia must be defended and evacuated.

Barriers and obstructions preventing evacuation must be removed.

Bystander casualties must be avoided where possible.

All foes must be disabled where possible.

From most important to least important, it all comes to him with lightning speed and assured confidence. A small part of him, a bit left over from his prior evolution, seethes at the notion of leaving such impudent opponents intact, but it's silenced swiftly. The most important aspects must take precedence, and that means none of his can die.

Nevermore.

A mere second before impact, the mockery of a Camerupt seems to realize something is amiss and raises its head. Its eyes, small and bloodshot, don't seem to register the approaching danger.

A second later, Corviknight drives his beak into its neck with hellish speed and ferocity.

 

[Fuggmann]

Take a look here!

I'm reader funded, so if you'd like me to keep writing indefinitely, check out https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann or https://subscribestar.adult/fuggmann. As thanks for donating, all patrons get to see updates early and suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, use discord code hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

---

With the supernatural cool of chilled steel and the leashed, frantic energy of danger seeping into his mind, Corviknight analyzes his foe as he screams down through the air. Thoughts of a tactical sort supersede all else, and objectives take form.

Lee and Ninetales must be defended at all costs and evacuated as soon as possible.

Brendan and Zinnia must be defended and evacuated.

Barriers and obstructions preventing evacuation must be removed.

Bystander casualties must be avoided where possible.

All foes must be disabled where possible.

From the most important to the least important, it all comes to him with lightning speed and assured confidence. A small part of him, a bit left over from his prior evolution, seethes at the notion of leaving such impudent opponents intact, but it's silenced swiftly. The most important aspects must take precedence, and that means none of his can die.

Nevermore.

A mere second before impact, the mockery of a Camerupt seems to realize something is amiss and raises its head. Its eyes, small and bloodshot, don't seem to register the approaching danger.

A moment later, Corviknight drives his beak into its neck with hellish speed and ferocity.

The beast skids back several inches, its hooves practically grinding the rock beneath it to dust. And most worrying of all, Corviknight feels his beak sink less than an inch into the flesh of his foe.

That… is not good. At least Camerupt's attention shifts away from the catatonic Lee and disabled Ninetales.

With a bellow so loud Corviknight can feel his armor rattle, Camerupt turns its wild eyes to him and opens its mouth, fire building within its throat.

With a single flap of his broad wings, Corviknight pulls back and twists his bulk through the air, flying over Camerupt at an angle too sharp for his neck to follow. Beak glowing with power, Corviknight stabs the beast's neck once more, and just as last time, his efforts produce a wound that barely even bleeds.

'Damnation! What in the world is this thing?' Corviknight grimaces, once more throwing himself out of the way when Camerupt turns to him, firing a retaliatory Flamethrower. Just being near Camerupt makes his armor feverishly hot, and the added heat from the Flamethrower makes Corviknight's stomach roll in nausea. 'I'm striking with all the strength I can muster, yet it barely notices.'

"Another interloper?" The red-clad human behind the monstrous Camerupt frowns. Maxie, Corviknight believes his name to be. "This is becoming bothersome."

Although few would interpret Maxie's words as some sort of order, Camerupt re-doubles its efforts to strike Corviknight down. The beast's volcano-like hump gurgles and boils, throwing globs of lava into the air, forming a miniature shower around it, forcing Corviknight to back off lest he test his new armor against molten rock.

'Wonderful…' The great raven sneers to himself. He takes stock of the battlefield once more.

Lee, still ashen-faced, is focused on Ninetales. Even so shocked, the man's eyes roam her numerous injuries, treating what he can, and when he can do no more, he draws her pokeball. With a whisper too quiet to hear, Ninetales is drawn back into the protective sphere. He cradles the ball to his chest, unable to do much else.

Zinnia and Brendan stare up at his armored form with wide, disbelieving eyes. The Dragon woman's arms are wrapped protectively around the boy, partially shielding him with her own body. Considering the frightened, vulnerable state of them both, neither must have any battle capable pokemon.

Behind Maxie and the Claydol at his side, a trio of pokeballs lay on the ground. Neither Lee, Zinnia, nor Brendan would dare ever drop such critical lifelines, so Corviknight vows to keep the trio of potential unknowns in his peripherals whenever possible.

'Wait…'

With a grunt, Corviknight once more twists out of the way of a gout of flames, looking at Claydol once more. Though he is no expert on the natives of Hoenn, Claydol is unmistakably a psychic.

The corvid's eyes narrow.

Something ephemeral pokes Corviknight's instincts, warning him that things are not as they seem, and he listens well to the silent urging. The Claydol must be responsible for the barriers, unless he has unseen compatriots positioned around the mountain, which is not an impossible occurrence. This is far from a regulation battle, after all. Regardless, something simply isn't right here…

With all of his focus and his newfound power brought to bear, Corviknight dances through the air as if he doesn't weigh half a ton, weaving around Camerupt's mindless, furious attacks with inches to spare. The black armor coating his form feels as though it should make him invincible, and dodging almost feels cowardly, but seeing Lee's First and Most Faithful put down so brutally pushed all notions of pride and bravado aside. He will dodge until he cannot.

So begins a rapidfire back-and-forth exchange. Camerupt's flames, burning as hot as anything Ninetales could throw, whip by the deft raven with palpable wrath. Corviknight, meanwhile, darts in and out, patiently driving beak and talon into his foe's flesh the instant an opening presents itself. How utterly wrong the existence of the thing before him is, and the revulsion that follows is pushed aside with great effort. Many times Corviknight has to abort his strikes, unused to his new size and the sudden difficulty of squeezing between his foe's projectiles. Each time, he curses under his breath.

Camerupt finally becomes frustrated with Corviknight's evasiveness. The camel stomps its hooves as if throwing a tantrum, shaking the volcano down to its foundation. Then it draws back its head, mouth open wide. From the open maw comes an ocean of blinding white fire, aimed squarely up at a scowling Corviknight and the entire area surrounding him.

'Damn it!' Corviknight already knows there is no way to dodge such a wide attack with his natural abilities alone. Taking a deep breath, he ignites the bright cloak of Extremespeed around him. An instant later and with a sharp crack of displaced air, he is on his foe's opposite flank, and Corviknight's entire body screams in protest. The sudden onset of pain nearly makes Corviknight lose altitude.

'I should've expected such a thing. Grovyle did not master his new body for a week after evolution, and I am only a mere talonful of minutes into mine own transformation…' the raven growls under his breath. His heavy armor protested against the sudden change in inertia, feeling as if it was going to rip itself free from his skin. 'I cannot dally. I haven't any idea how many more times I may use Extremespeed without injury, but it surely cannot be many.'

His foe, the twisted Camerupt, presents a serious hurdle, however. The nicks and small wounds upon its face and neck are far from debilitating. Unless he can inflict more substantial damage, the fight will boil down to a battle of attrition, one that Corviknight is not equipped to win.

Unbidden, his self-imposed objectives come back to him.

Lee and Ninetales must be defended at all costs and evacuated as soon as possible.

Brendan and Zinnia must be defended and evacuated.

Barriers and obstructions preventing evacuation must be removed.

Bystander casualties must be avoided where possible.

All foes must be disabled where possible.

Corviknight scowls once more. Camerupt is a danger to objective one, and needs to be defeated now. 'Very well, then. I suppose I can no longer afford any level of fair play.' He stares down at the wild-eyed Camerupt below.

The camel bellows a deep, ground-shaking roar.

Corviknight answers by parting his beak and letting out a piercing screech, one akin to the shriek of tortured metal. Then he dives.

The raven twists by a stream of fire, and throws his wings out to arrest his flight, stopping just short of being struck by an opportunistic headbutt.

Camerupt was clearly expecting his skull to impact Corviknight, as the monster overextends, leaving its face vulnerable for a precious split second.

Without a hint of remorse, Corviknight jabs his steel-coated beak, shining bright with a Pluck attack, right into Camerupt's eye…

Screeech!

…Only for his beak to skitter off some sort of invisible barrier.

'What in the world?'

In his surprise, Corviknight is a split second too slow to totally avoid a roaring blast of flame from Camerupt's mouth. The corvid rises up and out of the way, but not before a glowing molten trail is carved into the side of his breastplate, dangerously close to cooking the flesh beneath.

Corviknight growls and darts out of the way of a follow-up blast, his mind working a mile a minute. The beast before him is supernaturally tough, quick, and doesn't seem to react to any kind of pain stimulus. All these things tickled his instincts, but now, after seeing a debilitating attack simply glance off?

Corviknight's eyes turn to Claydol, just in time to see the faintest of violet glows fade away from around its body.

---

Unbeknownst to Corviknight, Lee would share his realization almost exactly.

It takes entirely too long for Lee to compose himself in his eyes. Even now, he can feel the phantom pain of a burning stone lodged between his ribs. Despite knowing that it's all within his mind, the agonizing sensation still drove him to his knees.

The knowledge that Ninetales is suffering the real thing hurts infinitely more.

Even so shocked, or perhaps because he is so shocked, Lee reverts back to what feels natural, and immediately sets to tending Ninetales' wounds in a dazed sort of autopilot. He dares not remove the shard of stone embedded within her chest, lest she bleed out or lose pressure in her punctured lung. The wound was cauterized shut, but still, Lee removes the Super Potion from his bag and uses the last of it upon Ninetales' various wounds, finishing off the last spritz around the edges of the chest wound. Finally, he returns her to her ball, back in the safety of stasis, cutting off the shared pain and leaving only something phantasmal behind. Ninetales falling into a painless unconsciousness is the only solace.

Precious time bought, but Lee can still feel her life force slowly ebbing away, even through her ball. He knows deep down that if she dies here, then so will he. Not at the hands of Maxie, no, but from his own heart giving out.

Ninetales is his world. If she dies, then it all may as well come to an end, no matter how pathetic such a sentiment sounds.

They need to leave. They all need to leave immediately.

There is a bone-shaking bellow, met by a spine-tingling screech.

Lee's head shoots up, and he shakily rises to his feet, watching the battle of the behemoths before him. Every time they clash, the entire volcano shakes. Of course he noticed the Corviknight descend from above and distract Camerupt. Even so distraught, such a titan would be hard to miss. Only now, though, does it sink in that the gigantic bird might be his Corvi. The viciousness, the determination, the fury, all of it is Corvi to a T. Did he contact help? Was he stopped? He must have been stopped somehow if no backup followed in his wake. Lee eyeballs Claydol, gulping, knowing that the Ground and Psychic-type must have been responsible.

The raven's identity is driven home when Corvisqu- Corviknight ruthlessly stabs his beak right into Camerupt's eye.

Screeech!

…Only for the attack to glance off of something invisible.

'What the hell?' Lee's eyes instantly turn to Maxie's Claydol, and he's just in time to see the doll pokemon glow with a psychic light so faint, Lee has to wonder if his eyes are playing tricks on him. His mind whirls, and he comes to a horrible conclusion. 'Our fight against Camerupt was never a two-on-one, it was a two-on-two the entire time. That son of a bitch!' Lee tries to recall any other manipulations Claydol might have thrown into the fight for their lives, but he comes up blank. 'Either Claydol is so slick that we haven't noticed a thing, or Camerupt is only just now getting help, but…'

His mind jumps back to just a short while ago, where Grovyle valiantly took up the fight to delay the inevitable. The wood gecko was as fast as they come, darting in and out of danger to land a Night Slash right on Camerupt's flank. Despite still having a few difficulties with manipulating Dark, Grovyle's attack carved a hard-won wound into Camerupt's flesh that only Tyrunt's lucky Bite on the camel's leg could match. Every attack that isn't Dark (or Water, Camerupt's critical weakness) seems terribly muted in comparison.

'Dark moves, the antithesis of Psychic, damaged Camerupt.' Lee comes to a wide-eyed conclusion. 'Claydol has been interfering since the very start! He's been defending Camerupt from as much incoming damage as possible!'

…But if Claydol has been participating the entire time, why hasn't he thrown out any attacks? Lee knows for a fact that a well learned Psychic can attack and defend simultaneously, making them into lethal enemies.

'No…' Lee looks at Camerupt's eyes.

The bloodshot orbs are still just as wild and hateful as they were when the pokémon was first released from his ball, lacking any sort of apparent spark of intelligence or self-awareness. It's the gaze of a drugged animal, one in the between state of consciousness and stupor.

'Is Claydol not attacking because he's… controlling Camerupt? Can he not split his focus that much?'

It almost feels like a leap of logic, but everything lines up so neatly that Lee can't help but physically stumble back a step. 'It's almost like with Ninetales' Foxfire move. Trying to control a body that isn't yours with telepathy is a chore… And that's when the body isn't potentially putting up a fight…'

A plan takes shape in Lee's mind, and with his shock passing and the knowledge of everything on the line weighing on his shoulders, a blessed lucidity takes him. He looks back at Brendan and Zinnia.

Both of them stare back, looking smaller and more fragile than they ever have been before. Brendan clings to Zinnia like a lifeline, his youthful face pale and gaunt in his fright.

Zinnia's face is arguably worse, for she stares back with resignation. It looks so alien on her that Lee nearly mistakes the expression for some sort of trick of the light.

Lee then scans the battlefield.

The area is pockmarked by craters and spots of rock that glow an ominous red from all the residual heat. The ground, battered and uneven, is barely fit to be walked upon. Far in the distance behind Maxie, a number of grunts along with Tabitha and Courtney all hang back, watching the goings-on with undisguised terror. Courtney's face is pale as a sheet, while Tabitha wears a smile that is barely hiding panic. Courtney must have briefly braved the danger of the field to retrieve her pokeballs, for all three are back on her belt.

'Maxie…' Lee looks at the Magma Leader, who doesn't so much as glance his way. Without Magma, without this man in particular, none of this would be happening.

His secrets, secrets of the world before this one, wouldn't be in jeopardy.

His life, one set for peace and the fulfillment of childhood dreams, would still be on the rails.

His friends, the town below the mountain, hell, the whole world wouldn't be in danger.

His pokemon, his beloved family, would still be healthy and whole.

Ninetales, his greatest friend across two worlds, wouldn't be in her pokeball, desperately clinging to life, life nearly stolen from her.

For the first time in his entire life, genuine hate for another human being boils within Lee's chest. He's seen deplorable people from all parts of the world and all walks of life, and he thought he had seen it all, but apparently not. From common malcontents on the street to apathetic, greed-driven criminals, each one evoked distaste, but Maxie has reset the scale. This is no cartoonish plot for a videogame, but genuine, remorseless evil beyond the capacity of a sane man to comprehend. The end goal of Magma's ludicrous endeavor can only be selfish and destructive, ruining an untold number of lives.

It's galling on a level deeper than words.

Lee sets his shoulders and scowls. A plan clicks into place, and with that plan, his fear yields to something infinitely more useful.

Resolve.

'I will not die again. I will not let my friends and pokemon die. I will not let Ninetales die.'

"Corvi!" Lee's exclamation echoes across the volcano like a gunshot.

Maxie's eyes focus on Lee.

Brendan and Zinnia both jump.

Corviknight's baleful red eyes turn to meet Lee's unflinchingly.

"Pursuers!" Lee roars. "Hit him with everything you have!"

Corviknight's beak twists into a smirk, the crow seeming to relish the order. He spreads his wings, and above him, five, no, seven, nine, twelve seething orbs of cloudy shadow hiss into existence. Where Corvisquire's Pursuers were the size of tennis balls, Corviknight's are the size of human heads and writhe with barely contained rancor. With an ear-rending screech, Corviknight throws a wing forward, sending all of the Pursuers down at Camerupt.

Maxie's Claydol hums ominously, and Camerupt doesn't remain idle. The Mega pokemon grunts, rings of light appearing around him. The rings then coalesce into the spear like-stones of Stone Edge. The rocky projectiles shoot up to intercept Pursuers with vengeful speed.

'Not willing to tank this one, are you?'

Corviknight laughs in reply, no doubt noticing as well. It's a deep yet hoarse sound with a metallic timbre, and just a hint of a rattle. As if following the glee of his voice, the balls of darkness Corviknight threw dance out of the way as if possessing minds of their own, letting the rocks fly past.

Camerupt snorts twin plumes of black smoke. Then seemingly without warning, his eyes go wide and he freezes in place, letting the barrage of dark orbs smash into him and detonate into caustic clouds.

As the residual tendrils of smoky Dark fade away, Lee clicks his tongue when he is treated to the sight of Camerupt free of injury. 'Damn it all, how is he doing that? Compacting air between panes of psychic barriers? Micro shapes to distribute and disperse the impact like dragon's teeth or breakwaters? It can't be brute power, can it? Regardless… Camerupt froze in place.' He glares at Claydol. 'Can't defend at full power and direct Camerupt at the same time, can you? Fine then.'

"Again!" Lee orders.

Corviknight screeches and swipes his man-sized wing again, sending another burst of Pursuers at Camerupt.

The hum coming from Claydol deepens, growing a little louder.

Just like before, Maxie's pokemon roars in reply. This time he blasts a wide cone of fire to try and disperse the dark spheres homing in on him. The fire claims three of the spite-like orbs that can't scatter fast enough, but the others smash into Camerupt, who goes ramrod still a second before impact.

"Charge two more volleys!" Lee smiles a vindictive smile. Is the fight actually turning around? He looks at Maxie.

The Magma Leader isn't smiling. Good.

Corviknight spreads his wings. This time a mantle of dark balls numbering nearly twenty-four take form around him, hovering like a band of spirits awaiting a command. The raven's eyes narrow in focus.

"Fire!"

The armor clad raven throws a wing forward like a general issuing a command to charge, and twelve of the Pursuers heed the order, racing down towards Camerupt.

This time, Camerupt merely freezes and doesn't retaliate.

"Now!" Lee calls once more. "Send the other volley at Claydol!"

There is no hesitation and no wasted movement. Corviknight caws shrilly and the other orbs beeline for Claydol just as the first set impacts Camerupt.

For the first time since his fiasco began, Maxie is taken aback.

The violet glow of psychic energy around Claydol finally grows to a truly visible level. A circular shield erects around him, stopping the Pursuers dead.

By now, the residual darkness around Camerupt has faded, but the camel pokemon remains as stiff as a corpse propped up upon its feet as Claydol's shield is battered by the Corviknight's assault.

'Disgusting. Claydol really is piloting Camerupt like some kind of meat puppet,' Lee's face is drawn back into a disdainful grimace. "Again! Hit them both!"

Corviknight obliges with a vindictive shriek, drawing his wings close and then thrusting them out once more, shooting repeated cavalcades of Pursuers at both Camerupt and Claydol with tireless zeal.

Claydol's shield remains raised, and Camerupt is stuck frozen in place, forced to endure with whatever leftover protection Claydol can offer him. While Claydol goes uninjured under the relentless barrage of attacks, Camerupt is finally beginning to falter. No pained noise, not even a whimper, comes from the brainwashed Mega, but the Pursuers leave a tiny patch of cracked, withered skin with each strike. In a matter of seconds, the Mega, unable to defend himself, begins to shake.

A vein begins to bulge in Maxie's brow, and Lee takes notice.

Camerupt's shakes begin to become more pronounced as the withered, cracked sections of his flesh begin to bleed after the tenth volley. Claydol's humming continues to increase in volume, but the shield around him holds.

Maxie's face slowly grows red, and sweat begins to dot his brow. Then, something changes.

'What?' Lee blinks. Suddenly, he can feel a breeze again. Immediately, the sensation raises red flags. 'Wait a minute, the volcano acting up should be producing updrafts and wind if I remember my eighth grade science correctly. All of the hot air and ash traveling upward should drag the surrounding air up from the surrounding valleys. Why did it just start now?'

Before he can puzzle it out, Camerupt's eyes shoot wide open and he throws his head back, ignoring the latest batch of Pursuers pelting him. He bellows to the heavens with such outrageous force that a pressure wave explodes from his body.

Corviknight's constant parade of attacks is interrupted as the giant bird is physically shaken midair. The bellow echoes off of his armor like someone screaming into a stockpot.

Lee stumbles back a step, feeling as if someone put both of their hands on his chest and shoved him. He hears both Brendan and Zinnia gasp and struggle to stay up right behind him. "Jesus, what the fu-!"

Like some sort of video played in fast-forward, Maxie's Mega Camerupt whirls on his hooves, angles his body so his hump is aimed at Corviknight, and with a gurgle of molten rock, roars, shooting a shotgun blast of lava in a wide, devastating net at the raven.

'Lava Plume,' Lee's subconscious provides the name of the attack. "Corvi! Move!"

A white, rolling aura overtakes Corviknight, and in a flicker of movement, he vanishes from the realm of sight with a loud crack of violently displaced air. He reappears a split second later on Camerupt's other side, grimacing. The lava, meanwhile, falls to the ground, hissing and popping.

Cli-cli-clink!

And Lee can see exactly why his pokémon is grimacing.

A number of steely feathers fall to the ground like discarded knives under Corviknight's feet, and in his wings, a number of other feathers are out of place. Lee quickly connects the dots and curses under his breath. 'Extremespeed is too much for him right after evolving.'

"Hit them both! Just like we were doing previously!" Lee's adrenaline surges anew with the realization that they aren't out of the woods yet.

Camerupt doesn't give them a single moment of reprieve, once more moving with simply unnatural speed to turn and face Corviknight, who throws his wings out again, sending a simply titanic wave of dark, hissing orbs down at both Camerupt and Claydol.

The still raised shield around Claydol endures the repeated blows and the caustic clouds left behind, as does Camerupt… Without a hint of slowing down. The Mega fires off yet another burst of horrid lava in such a wide area that Corviknight has no choice but to use Extremespeed to dodge out of the way. Vanishing with a sonic crack, Corviknight reappears behind Camerupt with his face set into a deep scowl.

Cli-cli-clink!

More metallic feathers fall to the ground, and Lee's heart falls when he sees several of the dark pinions are slick with blood.

'Shit! We can't keep doing this! Corvi isn't going to last!' Lee's mind races, desperately reviewing all the moves that Corviknight knows and how he might apply them here. One in particular jumps out to him, yet he hesitates.

'This… This could be our saving grace, or could backfire horribly and get all of us killed…' Lee watches, despising the helpless feeling in his chest as Corviknight barely avoids being cooked alive once more by a wave of molten lava. 'I don't think I have any time to think about 'what-if' anymore. We have to do something and do it now!

"Corvi!" Lee calls, praying to Arceus this goes right. "Use Taunt-"

Maxie's eyebrow rises.

"-on Claydol!"

Maxie's face screws itself up into absolute horror, and Lee can't help but revel in it a bit. Immediately, he grabs at Camerupt's pokeball from its place on his belt… but is just a hair too slow.

At the same time, high above, Corviknight stares down at Claydol, eyes alight with cruelty. "Craw caw haaahaaa!" The words are lost to Lee, but the mocking, impudent tone is not. The raven then throws his head back and laughs. The deep, raspy sound is supernaturally grating upon the ears, and even Lee finds himself a touch annoyed just hearing it.

So it's no surprise that Claydol's shield drops, and all of that psychic power instead finds its way to the clay doll's eyes as an evil, vengeful glow. Before the psychic can so much as move, however…

"▂▃▃▂▃▂▃▃▅▅▆▆▆▅▇▅▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ !"

Camerupt makes a sound of such nightmarish agony that Lee is instantly sick to his stomach. All eyes are drawn to the camel; even Claydol's fury is forgotten for a moment.

The Mega writhes and seizes on his hooves, and to Lee's horror, wounds begin opening up all over his body.

The slash Grovyle put upon his flank splits open.

The bitten leg, courtesy of Tyrunt, struggles to hold weight.

The countless strikes from Corvi's Pursuers begin to weep red.

Worst of all, the deep wound from Marshtomp's waterjet attack suddenly reopens, and steaming hot blood begins to pour down Camerupt's flank, pooling at his legs at an alarming rate.

'W-What the fuck is happening?!' Lee struggles to process just what is happening before him. Was Claydol doing something to keep all the injuries suppressed? How? Why?

Corviknight shoots down, rumbling the ground when he lands next to Lee, and the man is pulled into a protective, engulfing wing.

Yet, despite all the wounds, Camerupt remains standing. Its terribly blank eyes are now lit up with absolute loathing and blind rage. The pokemon bellows the same horrid sound, a sputtering flame building within his mouth. He throws his head side to side, blasting everything and anything around him indiscriminately with bursts of flame. He stomps his hooves, sending spatters from the pool of blood beneath him flying as his breathing becomes shallow and erratic. Then the pokemon goes still, his eyes gaining clarity for the first time Lee's seen him.

And they're filled with murderous purpose.

With slow, lumbering steps and a flagging ball of fire in his throat, Camerupt turns to look at a grim-faced Maxie, who has a pokeball raised.

"That will be quite enough…" Maxie's words are as frigid as solid ice, contrasting sharply with his smoldering eyes.

All Camerupt can do is hack up a mess of embers and bloody spittle before he is recalled back into his ball in a flash of light.

For a handful of seconds, everything is silent. No one dares say a thing. Then from the town of Lavaridge below, emergency sirens begin to sound.

Maxie draws in a deep, calming breath, and his expression returns to neutrality. "Mister Henson…" he begins, tone conversational. "You and your compatriots have each made terrible mistakes. The consequences will come back to haunt you."

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Lee glares back. "Funny. I was about to say the same thing to you."

The eco-terrorist smirks, seemingly amused, and damn if the expression isn't infuriating. He looks between Lee, then to Brendan, and finally Zinnia. "Enjoy the minor setback you have caused here today. You will not have the opportunity to make another."

Without letting Lee get another word in, Claydol glows in a bright rainbow corona, one that engulfs Maxie, Tabitha, Courtney, and all of the distant grunts. Then with a blinding flash, all of them vanish, Teleported away in an instant.

All at once, the energy from his racing adrenaline leaves him, leaving Lee leaning into Corviknight like one might a wall. With a deep, shuddering breath, he turns to Brendan and Zinnia, who slowly separate from one another.

"…Is it over? They ran away?" Brendan asks breathlessly. He looks at the devastation around them, from the ruined courtyard to the still-burning visitor center.

Zinnia takes a deep breath, color returning to her tanned face. "Yeah, yeah it looks like…" She gulps, and with her fright receding, a more characteristic anger takes its place. "Those no good mother fu-!"

"Let's hold off on the freak-outs for now, please," Lee grunts. The phantom pang within his chest begins to return, once again reminding him that the longer they dally, the greater chance that… "We need to go to the Pokemon Center, and we need to do it now." Lee stands on shaky legs and looks up at Corviknight. "Corvi, can you carry all three of us?"

The raven's answer is a resolute nod, and Lee once more thanks Arceus for the splendid pokémon he's found himself with.

---

"Say, boss? Why didn't we go down and trash the place when that red prick's Claydol dropped the shield around the mountain? I thought that's why we were here?"

From their place on a high mountain just a few kilometers away, another group was given front row seating to watch the metaphorical fireworks upon Mount Chimney from behind the safety of binoculars.

Standing all around the cliff side of the nameless mountain, a group of twenty all watch the proceedings wrap up upon the volcano. Each man and woman is dressed in fashion of their choice with the exception of a single accessory: a bandanna.

Each of them sport blue bandannas bearing a stylized, bone-like "A" stitched into the fabric. Some wear the bandannas upon their heads, and others have them tied around their arms, but all wear the calling card of Magma's rivals.

Team Aqua.

Around the Aqua members are their pokemon, a multitude of different Water-types, all ready to rumble. A curled up Huntail, a Wartortle with his arms crossed, and a Staryu idly twirling on one of its points are just a few on display.

With a hum, a figure in the middle of the group raises his binoculars again, watching the trio of curious trainers all pile onto the back of a Corviknight. "That's why we were here at first, yeah." The figure lowers the binoculars, revealing his tanned face, sharp eyes, and the beard along his jaw line. He turns to the grunt who spoke up. "Sometimes, though, you'll learn more by watching than by doing, you get me?"

The grunt raises a hand to his forehead in a lazy salute. "Aye, Leader Archie."

Archie raises his binoculars again, grinning a grin that would look more appropriate on a shark than a man. "I'll tell you guys what. I certainly learned a lot today," he says, looking at the spot Maxie vanished from. "A whole lot indeed."

---

The ride on Corviknight's back down to the Lavaridge Pokémon Center is a nerve-racking and unpleasant affair. Corvi keeps his flight slow and level like a pro, but it's only Lee's desire to save Ninetales that keeps him from panicking as the ground rushes by below.

Flying on a giant bird is not as easy as it looks in an anime.

As they fly, they pass a helicopter escorted by a Togekiss and a Flygon on their way to the top of the mountain. The Togekiss, who is being ridden by a familiar pokemon ranger, breaks off and tries to intercept them, forcing Lee to shout over the howling wind and through lungs being crushed by Zinnia, who is hugging his back for support. Once the ranger hears the words "Hurt" and "Critical", she reluctantly allows them to pass.

The entirety of Lavaridge is on lockdown as they approach, as the emergency sirens are still blaring. Pokemon Rangers and police officers are standing on every street corner, each one nervously fingering their radios and watching the volcano. Several try to pull them over, but Corviknight ignores them and beelines for the Center.

The instant they storm into the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy only needs to look at their haggard appearances and hasty steps before she rises and flags down other nurses. Quickly, Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan's pokemon are handed off to different teams.

"She…She has it the worst, Nurse." Lee gulps to try and soothe his sore throat, realizing just how parched he is as he hands over Ninetales' pokeball. "Impalement in the chest, dangerously close to the heart. At least one of her lungs was struck. She has numerous other injuries, but the chest wound is the most critical."

Nurse Joy remains as cool and composed as can be as she hands off Ninetales' ball to a waiting Chansey wearing a nurse cap, one of many standing in a line and ready to take care of the sudden wave of patients. "Have Doctor Kay's team prepare for emergency surgery immediately. Expect significant chest trauma," she orders the little pink pokemon.

Chansey takes the ball in her stubby arms and hustles back into the rear of the Pokemon Center, moving as fast as a human at full sprint.

Once the Chansey is out of sight, Nurse Joy turns back to Lee and puts a gente smile on her face. "Go rest, Mister Henson. You obviously need it. We won't stop until your pokemon are stable."

Absently nodding, Lee turns and walks over to a couch along the wall where Brendan and Zinnia sit. He rubs his chest, feeling yet another phantom throb of pain.

Behind him, Corviknight follows dutifully, and people part around them, warded away by the gigantic corvid.

Sitting down on the left side of the couch, next to Brendan, Lee sighs and leans back, exhausted.

Neither Brendan nor Zinnia have much to say either, that is until Zinnia finally breaks the silence.

"That sucked…" the Dragon tamer mumbles.

The two simple words are such an understatement that Lee struggles to withhold an exasperated laugh. "No fuckin' joke…" Lee shakes his head. "No. Fuckin'. Joke." He leans back, and after looking around for eavesdroppers, he continues. "We messed up. We messed up big time."

Zinnia frowns, but before she can say anything, Lee continues. "We went in there all confident that we can handle everything, and that was a huge fucking mistake. These aren't some uppity punks on a battlefield in the middle of town or at some public tournament, these are actual criminals and they were a hundred percent on board with killing us all, human and pokemon alike." He looks over to Zinnia, who shuts her mouth with an audible click from her teeth. "I don't care what sort of decorum criminals are supposed to follow, Magma is obviously okay with murder."

The Dragon tamer looks away, stricken. "I didn't know…"

Taking a deep breath, Lee does his best to calm himself. "I'm not pointing fingers, but it's something we have to keep in mind now. We went up without telling anyone, and we had no backup when things went south. I wanted to alert literally everyone, but I assume that you would have objected, right?" he asks, looking at Zinnia.

She sets her mouth into a thin line and doesn't answer, but her silence says everything. "When we get to the Draconid stronghold in Fallarbor…" she begins, pausing for a moment. "...I'll explain everything. I promise."

Lee looks up at Corviknight, who is standing protectively at his side. The massive raven stares back and shuffles a little closer, silently offering his support. "You aren't the only one with things to explain, Zinnia…" Lee sighs for what feels like the millionth time today. "I've got a few things you and Brendan should know as well."

Zinnia simply nods. "Say the word, and we'll listen."

Throughout the conversation, Brendan remains silent, staring at his hands. Part of Lee wants to probe the boy on what's wrong, but between how tired he is and how everybody is still processing the ordeal they just endured, Lee thinks better of it and decides to ask tomorrow if Brendan says nothing first. 'Shit would have been way smoother if Ash had shown up. I thought for sure that he would have.'

It's at that moment a terrible realization strikes Lee, and the next words in his mouth die on his tongue.

Ash and his friends never showed up during the volcano incident.

Ash, the supposed Chosen One, didn't show up where he was needed the most.

This is real life, not a game or cartoon, and magical saviors don't exist.

'We can't just wash our hands of everything. Maxie knows who we are, and will be gunning for us. The only thing stopping him is ourselves.' The thought makes Lee pause.

At first, fear grips him. Ninetales is being prepped for surgery for injuries so grievous that a human or animal would have long since died. Grovyle, poor Grovyle, is a mess of debilitating burns. Octillery was turned into a pincushion, and only fortune saved him from injuries comparable to Ninetales'. Shinx is just a baby, and would never survive anything the others just took. Hell, Corvi, despite his fateful evolution, is lucky to have escaped with nothing more serious than a few burns and warped armor.

Lee looks up at the raven's broad chest, inspecting the spots where lava twisted and discolored the dark steel.

Magma would kill all of them if given the chance.

Under that terrible, clawing fear, though, is something else.

Indignation. Indignation backed by a fury yet unseen in this world.

How dare they? How dare Magma strike at his pokemon, to hurt them in such ways? How dare they do this to other people's pokemon? How many teams and families have been destroyed by them? How many will be destroyed by them if allowed to continue?

Unbidden, Lee thinks back to his time under the wing of Aasir, his first and greatest mentor, and the man who instilled within him a passion for life itself.

The friendship started after Aasir showed up to Lee's high school on behalf of the zoo as a guest speaker. The man's booming voice and bombastic enthusiasm for the animal kingdom enthralled every set of ears in the room, and Lee remembers even his teacher, Miss Vahn, leaning forward in interest, as Aasir turned a lecture about genetics into something unforgettable. Lee would approach him after class with more questions, about the whys and hows of animal behavior and how encoded it is in their genes, all of which the Kenyan man answered with a smile. The exchange ended with a trade of email addresses, and for the next two years, the pair would be pen-pals.

Back and forth, back and forth, they would trade emails, and Aasir was a never-ending well of knowledge and philosophy. The adoration of nature and all things with teeth and claws was woven so deeply in Aasir's words that Lee himself fell in love by proxy. It was a shallow enthusiasm at first, but it was there nonetheless. He was like every other directionless teen before, but now the world suddenly opened up to him, and he knew what he wanted to do. The joking 'Pokemon Trainer' on his list of careers was crossed out.

When Lee, in the beginning of his senior year of high school, told Aasir he wanted to pursue a career in zoology, the man was ecstatic and encouraged him every step of the way, even offering up a tantalizing prize.

Aasir told Lee he had plans to return to Kenya for a few years, back to the African nature reserves where he spent his 20s and 30s. "If you can show me how dedicated you are by getting a degree, I'll take you with me," he said.

Without a second thought, Lee put his nose to the grindstone, saved every penny he earned, and threw himself into college as soon as he graduated high school. Every bit of free time was sacrificed at the altar of college credits, and in a little over two years, Lee left college as the proud holder of a bachelor's degree in zoology at the age of twenty.

Aasir, true to his word, took Lee to the harsh, untamed African bush, away from civilization and the dominion of man.

To see animals from behind a wall of glass is one thing. Stepping into their domain, to play by their rules, is another thing entirely. He felt small, weak, and only by learning the unspoken edicts laid down by the rulers of this natural kingdom could he be safe. Never did that diminish his enthusiasm, though. No, it only magnified his desire to learn, seeing things from this new perspective, to understand just how large the world is. The more he knew of the creatures around him, the more he admired them, and the more he admired them, the more he wanted to know, and it all ran away from there.

"At last, you understand the cycle-" Aasir said with a grin, gesturing to the other smiling men in the small savannah waystation as Lee voiced those thoughts. "-Just as we do. Never lose that love, okay? Look upon the life around you with wonder, and there will be beauty and purpose wherever you go."

As Aasir said that, Lee's eyes were drawn to the corner of the room, where a number of FAL rifles sat against the wall. In the wood stock of one of the rifles, 'Aasir' was carved into the side. Below the name, there were four notches, one each for a poacher felled by that gun. Those notches are ominous reminders.

There are people out there, ones who through recklessness, apathy, or greed, do not respect the lives of others, be they human or animal.

And sometimes, you yourself are the only one who might stand in the way of such people.

As the train of memories comes to an end, an epiphany hits the zoologist, and it's a sobering one.

So long as Magma and Aqua are allowed to exist, then his dreams of a peaceful life as a trainer here in Hoenn can't come true. He, his friends, and his pokemon will always be in danger.

'Fine then.' Lee clinches the denim of his worn, dirty jeans in his hands and stares a pair of holes into the floor. 'I've had it. I'm sick of being afraid. My team—my family—they're strong, talented, and determined. I'll dedicate my whole being into raising them high, turning them into juggernauts so strong it would be insanity to fight them.

His hand rises to his chest, pressing against the spot where Ninetales was maimed.

Even with the multitude of walls between them, and Ninetales' mind floating in blissful unconsciousness, Lee can feel the Pokemon Center's best working their magic on her. The precious life force draining away from her is stymied, and with the most immediate danger passed, tension slowly begins to drop away from his shoulders.

But she would never be in such a condition if it wasn't for one particular man.

Maxie's face flashes before his eyes, and Lee growls to himself.

'I'll make them strong enough that nothing can ever hurt them, to make anyone who tries regret it.'

Lee recalls all of the research he's done so far, and how people think he's making waves with what he and his pokemon have done. His eyes narrow.

'You call those waves? I'll break every known rule of the world if it means we get to live in peace afterward.'

---

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[Fuggmann]

You could have read this early! See below.

I'm reader funded, so if you'd like me to keep writing indefinitely, check out https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann at the place of patrons or become a discord subscriber. As thanks for donating, all patrons get to see updates early and suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live.

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---

To say that Steven Stone is having a long day would be a bit of an understatement.

Firstly, his Aerodactyl did something to upset his mate, a lovely and equally fiery Charizard owned by Drake of the E4. Aerodactyl always makes it everyone's problem when he lands himself in the doghouse, and has been uncooperative all day.

Secondly, his attempts to furret out more info on the happenings around Ash Ketchum have hit brick wall after brick wall. No matter how he tried, Kanto refused to part with any information regarding the young trainer beyond the absolute basics. Within him burns equal parts curiosity and a concerned desire to know what sort of possible danger the young, mysterious trainer might be dragging along in his wake. With so much else going on, Steven's curiosity has to be left on the back burner, something the champion loathes doing.

Thirdly…

"–returned in rough condition, but alive. I believe that concludes my report, Champion Stone."

Leaning back in his office chair, Steven sighs and looks at the ceiling, processing everything Lavaridge's Chief Pokemon Ranger just said.

A clash on Mount Chimney.

The involvement and near death of Lee Henson's group.

The appearance of Magma and their shadowy leader.

In one fell swoop, all of the information given to the Hoenn Champion by Lee Henson has more or less been validated, and many lingering suspicions of the man's motives have been put to rest. If all the reports are accurate, then Lee's Ninetales was nearly a fatality in the melee, so at the very least, the man is genuine in standing against the ecoterrorists.

A skeptical part of him asked, Well, what if he let Ninetales get hurt to throw off suspicion? What if he has another motive?

For a moment, Steven imagines Metagross in Ninetales' place, and part of his soul simply turns into a cold void, one that gnaws at the rest of his being with serrated fangs.

No. No man bonded so deeply to a pokemon would let them be harmed with such callous intentions. It's simply not possible.

Lee reportedly refused to provide memories of the incident to a sanctioned Psychic-type belonging to the Lavaridge PD without his Ninetales present, but Brendan Birch stepped up and volunteered, providing countless precious details in his account.

The boy gave them numbers, names, faces, strength approximations, pokemon information, and verified the story shared between himself, Lee, and their Draconid friend, Zinnia. The plot to extract Fire type energy from the volcano for a reason Brendan didn't understand… It fits Lee's abridged description of Magma's plans to awaken Groudon to a disturbingly accurate T.

Perhaps the greatest thing the young Birch provided is an accurate image of Magma's leader. A memory-assisted sketch of 'Maxie' matches one Maxwell Matsubusa.

Maxwell Matsubusa seems rather unremarkable on paper. Born into old money and journeying around Hoenn from the ages of 14 to 20, he inexplicably and abruptly retired from the life of a trainer and became an ecologist with a handful of published articles on the subject of nature conservation. Over the next two decades, he would go on to fund a handful of successful startups and was a key investor in the Devon Corporation, helping the Hoenn-based company grow and rise to rival Kanto's Silph Co. The smart business moves would nearly double the Matsubusa family's already impressive wealth.

Then Matsubusa began to pull back. He was never one for the public eye, but he became a recluse. No one truly minded, as rich-types tend to be strange that way, which is why no one noticed him quietly liquidating his assets, or moving his money out of Hoenn's National Bank. Eventually, the Hoenn civil government began to look for him regarding unpaid taxes, and that's when his disappearance came to light.

'That explains Magma's funding…' Steven sighs once more.

Apparently, Maxie hasn't been idle over the years in regards to his pokemon. His stint as a trainer painted him as rather average, but if his Camerupt could fight and defeat three above-average teams all at the same time, then the Camerupt must at minimum be an Elite. That alone is worrisome, but even worse are the other things reported by young Brendan.

The Claydol.

The dangers presented by pokemon able to manipulate minds cannot be overstated. Mind reading, memory wiping, psychic domination? All felonious crimes punishable by decades, if not life, in prison. Even frontier regions and the borderline anarchist land of Orre agree on such things. The loss of one's sanctity of mind is a unique horror that many can't even properly fathom, and that's the reason why League-sanctioned Psychic-types are trained so thoroughly, and why amateur Psychics meddling where they shouldn't be are punished so harshly.

The description of the events upon the volcano makes it seem like Maxie was treating the cardinal sins of Psychic manipulation as a checklist. What in the world is compelling the man to do this? Regardless, Magma has made their intentions clear, and they can be afforded no quarter.

'What is Team Aqua doing during all of this?' Steven can't help but wonder. Do they have something even more insidious planned? Are they merely sitting back and watching? The inaction of Magma's rivals is disconcerting.

"Champion Stone?" Steven's deskphone asks. "Are you there?"

With a start, Steven realizes he's still on a conference call with Lavaridge's Chief Ranger. "My apologies, I was busy thinking," he says, sitting up and steepling his fingers on his desk. "Thank you for your prompt report, Ranger Jeremiah. I'm going to contact the Department of Justice once all the proper reports are on my desk and we can make sense of the situation. I have a feeling that Magma and their rivals, Aqua, are going to be wanted men very soon."

"That's good to hear, sir." The ranger sounds relieved. "I'll keep my men on high-alert. Do we have a timeframe on when we are going to receive an official update?"

Steven mulls it over. "That's difficult to say. I'm going to be personally overseeing the progress of this investigation, and I imagine that we will have an official decision within–"

---

"Two weeks?" Maxie's frown is as grim as gray death itself. "Doctor, I believe that you are mistaken."

Hector Kale, director of medical operations within Team Magma and former native of Cinnabar Island, is currently in the process of regretting his life choices. Ever since starting this gig, his life has been nothing but sleepless nights, meek acquiescence, and pulling miracles out of thin air.

Behind Maxie, Claydol looms like some sort of warped specter, its eight eyes all looking in different directions, yet seemingly focusing on Hector at the same time. The pink, psychic sheen on the wall means there must be a sound-catching barrier isolating the infirmary. Some might see the measure as smart or necessary, but Hector knows a menacing gesture when he sees one.

Looking up from the unconscious mountain of muscle that is Maxie's Camerupt on the infirmary floor, Hector stares into Maxie's eyes, feeling as if Giratina itself is staring him down.

'No, this is worse,' the middle-aged doctor thinks, keeping his grimace to himself. 'Giratina would be more fair.'

"I apologize, Leader Maxie," Hector bows his head demurely, "but Camerupt is going to require at least two weeks of rest followed by another week of abstaining from strenuous activity. Your latest test run has pushed him to his limit. Any further, and his long-term health will be compromised."

Truly, Camerupt needs at least a month, ideally more, to recover from his extensive list of injuries. With his countless lacerations, cracked bones, bruised organs, an enormous rent in his side, desiccated and necrotic skin patches from Dark poisoning, and full-body strain from Mega Evolution, Camerupt seems to be suffering from every injury conceivable.

'Poor thing. What did he pit you against?' The doctor can't help but pity the camel pokemon.

Not that Maxie cares about details like that, or he would not have let his pokemon fall into such a state. The Magma leader stalked into a part of the infirmary reserved for his pokemon, practically fuming. Without a word, he deposited his bleeding Camerupt on one of the low-set beds.

Hector required no orders, and got to work stitching the behemoth back together as his assistants carted in blood bags and Sitrus slurry for transfusion after transfusion. There must be other injured pokemon if the volcano operation went so sideways that Camerupt was incapacitated, but they will simply have to wait until Maxie's pokemon is treated. Only now, after several hours of continuous work, is the monstrous pokemon stable.

"…But I will give it my best effort to ensure that Camerupt is back on his feet within a week." The doctor lowers his head further.

Silently, Hector apologizes to Camerupt. 'It's you or me, Camerupt. I'm sorry.'

The answer seems to be exactly what Maxie wants to hear, for the frown on his face is replaced with the smallest of smiles. "Excellent. Your expertise and work ethic are appreciated as always, Doctor Kale. What is the status of Claydol's extras?"

"All ten have been recovered from their hiding places around the volcano…" Hector sighs, preparing himself for Maxie's probable displeasure. "Baltoy number 6 is… no longer fit for duty. The strain of working in concert with Claydol has left number 6 with greatly diminished psychic capabilities."

"Hmm…" Maxie hums. "Yes, Claydol can be quite hungry during missions, can't he?" he asks rhetorically, peering over his shoulder towards his pokemon.

Like it always is, Claydol is utterly impassive and so still it's as if the space around it is frozen in time.

"Retire Baltoy 6 and replace it." Maxie waves his hand as if warding away an irritating insect. "While you're at it, lower Camerupt's dosage of suppressants."

For a moment, Hector flashes back to a moment in time a number of years ago, back to the day that set him on the path of ruin.

---

"I must say, Mister Kale, I was quite impressed by your studies of genetic similarities between the limbic system in humans and pokemon!"

In a darkened meeting room and sitting across from a gentleman older than he, Hector smiles nervously and nods. "Thank you."

"Your suggestions that people and pokemon may share common ancestry based off of your findings is a bold one, yet succinctly supported and thought-provoking in your follow-up research and addendums. I believe that you are just the kind of mind that we are looking for." His lab coat-wearing interviewer smiles and pushes his glasses further up his hooked nose.

For a second, Hector wonders just what he is getting into. What sort of job offer requires such secrecy and security? Nervously, he glances behind him.

Standing at the door are two men dressed in black, their hats tilted down to cover their eyes. The man on the right stands with a full-grown Nidoking, while the left is partnered with a Rhydon.

"I am gathering a team for a special project," Hector's interviewer continues, reaching a hand into his lab coat and producing a closed folder. "I cannot say much right now, but we need the greatest minds of our age, particularly ones well-versed in pokemon genetics and biology. Believe me, Mister Kale, our work will rock the entire world to its foundations."

The interviewer opens the folder and slides a single sheet to Hector, along with a pen. "Here is our initial proposal. Please take some time to read it before signing."

Taking the sheet, Hector scans the contents, his eyes widening into an impression of a Hoothoot.

The amount of payment for the job is simply absurd, with a multimillion credit payout, permanent benefits, a pension, and a slew of other bonuses upon the completion of the unspecified project… And equally absurd is the requirement of an indefinite NDA and XY-grade psychic block.

Hector knows the capabilities of both human and pokemon brains, and how psychics interact with both. Among that knowledge is the severity of different psychic blocks, and XY is the most severe by a longshot. Some blocks could be encoded to be unlocked at the end of a certain timeframe, or be unlocked by an authorized person or passphrase. More sophisticated ones can activate and deactivate based on circumstances. XY, however, is permanent. Once in place, it cannot be removed, and attempting to break it with force will kill the secret holder. The name comes from the final steps before Z, which is shorthand for outright erasing memories.

Hector's common sense tells him no, that this isn't worth it. Whatever project this is must be criminal in nature. The secrecy, the guards, the shady meeting place, it's all so stereotypical that Hector is kicking himself for not realizing it earlier.

But… what if this is worthwhile? If he doesn't take it… will he be missing out on something big? To promise such an unearthly reward… Caution goes to war with greed and a desire to use his talents. Hector hesitantly picks up the pen… Only to set it back down.

"I'm sorry, sir." Hector shakes his head. "I'm afraid I have to decline. I do, however, wish you the best of luck with your project."

The interviewer frowns. "Doctor Kale, I urge you to reconsider. We wish to put your talents to use for the good of the world. We intend to push the boundaries of known science within the field of genetics, and your cooperation would be of immense aid. Surely you understand?"

"I do," Hector replies. "However, I don't believe that I am the best fit for this role. It's a very generous offer, but it's not for me."

The man across the table leans back, his glasses catching a harsh glare off of the dim lighting above. "Very well. If nothing else, please take this."

A business card is slid across the table.

"If you reconsider, and I do believe you will, contact me straight away."

On the plain white business card are a phone number and a name.

Dr. Fuji
(9999)-4352-5677

---

Everything after that day immediately spiraled out of control. Two days after the fateful meeting, Hector was called during work to meet with a grim-faced Blaine, Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island and Director of the Cinnabar Laboratory of Genetics. Out of nowhere, Blaine informed Hector that he was being terminated from his position within the lab. A shocked Hector tried to ask why, but Blaine would answer nothing.

It's fine, Hector thought once the shock passed. There are other jobs. No big deal.

How wrong he was.

Cinnabar University had an opening for a biology professor, but they rejected his application without so much as an interview.

A spot was open in Silph Co for a general laboratory manager, but they shot him down within minutes of submitting a resume.

Hell, an elementary school in need of a substitute science teacher didn't even call back.

Seemingly nowhere would take him. Then it dawned on him just how terrible a mistake agreeing to meet Doctor Fuji had been.

"If you reconsider, and I do believe you will, contact me straight away."

He did no such thing. Hector fled the region, running away to the distant land of Hoenn to escape, for the sheer reach of his tormentors clued him in on exactly who he had slighted.

Team Rocket.

Even without an official Team Rocket presence in Hoenn, the black mark painted upon him held fast, and employment was scarce. Down to his last credits and desperate, Hector latched onto the first people to give him a chance.

Team Magma.

By the time he realized their true nature, it was far too late. All he had done was flee from one criminal enterprise into another. Now he's here, using his hard-earned skills to keep a lobotomized monster in one piece.

Maxie raises an eyebrow, and Hector realizes that he's been silent for several seconds. Bowing his head once more, he speaks. "Yes, Leader Maxie. I'll make adjustments to Camerupt's medication schedule."

The red-clad man smiles. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll leave you to your work." With that, Maxie turns on his heel and marches out of the infirmary, Claydol floating silently behind him.

As the door behind Maxie clicks shut, Hector is left alone. Only Camerupt's labored breathing and the slow beep of the ECG machine hooked to the living volcano interrupt the silence. After a long moment of brooding to himself, the doctor steps over to a refrigerator in the corner, one emblazoned with a large NOT FOR FOOD sign. Opening it and reaching in, he takes a small, unlabeled phial and holds it up to the light.

The solution within the glass phial is clear as water, and no one would be able to tell just how insidious the concoction inside is just by looking. The drug within, formulated by Hector's own hands, retards the functions of a pokemon's cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and amygdala, all areas of the brain responsible for higher thought and emotional processing. One dose reduces a pokemon into a husk for days at a time.

The side effects of long-term usage? Unknown.

He turns the phial in his fingers, the chemicals within refracting the light into a rainbow.

Anyone else might have been confused as to why Maxie asked for a lower dose for Camerupt, but to a man like Hector, the reason is as clear as it is disturbing.

The drug isn't an end in itself; it's merely a set of training wheels for Claydol.

"I'm sorry, Camerupt," the doctor whispers to himself, shuffling over to a cabinet along the wall. Opening it, he withdraws a clean syringe and curses himself under his breath. "Not all who wear chains can be brothers."

---

A bit gloomy, and I understand people are a bit tired of that, but the next chapter marks the beginning of a lighter arc.

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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[Fuggmann]

You could have read this early! See below.

I'm reader funded, so if you'd like me to keep writing indefinitely, check out https://www.patreon.com/fuggmann at the place of patrons or become a discord subscriber. As thanks for donating, all patrons get to see updates early and suggest edits to the final draft before it goes live.

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---

Basics of Mounted Air Transportation in Hoenn

Article 1: Definitions
1.1. "Flying Mount" refers to any living creature, pokemon or otherwise, capable of carrying human passengers or cargo through the air.
1.2. "Private Citizen" refers to any individual not operating a flying mount as part of a commercial, government, or military operation.
1.3. "Flight Zone" refers to the airspace designated for the use of flying mounts, which is separate from airspace designated for conventional aircraft.

Article 2: Licensing and Registration
2.1. All private citizens operating a flying mount must possess a valid Flying Mount Operator's License (henceforth known as FMOL).
2.2. The FMOL may be obtained after passing a written and practical examination issued by the Hoenn Pokemon League Air Authority (Henceforth known as HPLAA), which includes both theory and actual flight experience. Click here for more info.
2.3. Each flying mount must be registered with the HPLAA, and a unique identification code must be broadcast from the mount at all times during flight.

Seated against his bed headboard, Lee looks away from his laptop filled with government jargon and rubs his eyes. Lifting his hand, he looks around the near-silent hotel room.

Sitting on Brendan's bed are Brendan himself, Zinnia, a black-and-blue Marshtomp, and Goomy. All four sit close together, comfortable and at ease. Brendan, Marshtomp, and Goomy are distracted by a colorful anime starring an Emolga on the TV, while Zinnia is impassively scrolling through her phone, occasionally stroking Goomy, who is in her lap.

It's been a week since the disaster of a mission at the top of Mount Chimney, and the entire time, he's been studying and planning as he waits for Ninetales to be released from the Pokemon Center.

Octillery was released after only two days with a several-day light duty advisory. The octopus pokemon has been in a quiet mood ever since, his cheery disposition replaced with something brooding and contemplative. He often stares into space with his eyes narrowed, and Lee can see the cephalopod's powerful brain turning, thinking of something. When asked, Octillery waves Lee off.

Grovyle…

Lee bites his lip.

Grovyle is in little better condition than Ninetales. Camerupt's lethal Flamethrower burned away an enormous portion of his frontal scales and even damaged the nerves and muscles beneath. After five days in the care of the Pokemon Center, he was released with hair-raising scarring. On his chest, where the brunt of the attack struck him, is a starburst-like burn scar of pale, discolored scales. His neck, legs, and left arm were likewise burned, but not as badly as his chest. Regardless, he kept his head held high and insisted he walk out of the burn ward on his own power, no matter how much each step obviously pained him.

According to Nurse Joy, it's going to be weeks before he regains full mobility and nerve sensitivity, and even then, he'll need either specialist treatment or evolution to undo the worst of the scarring. As Lee expected, Grovyle rejected the notion of waiting around for an available specialist, even at Lee's urging. He did, however, allow Lee to restrict him to rest for the next week.

'You really are a legend in the making, Grovyle.' Lee's fingers brush the gecko's pokeball, and the ball wiggles in reply. 'Please don't overdo it, though.'

Finally, Ninetales…

The fox was rushed into surgery upon arrival, as the Pokemon Center's usual healing machines simply couldn't deal with such extensive damage in a reasonable timeframe. Her first two days in the ICU were sleepless nights for Lee, as she was stuck on a ventilator and everything was still touch and go. On day three, the Center declared the worst had passed and took her off the ventilator as she began breathing on her own again. Ever since, Ninetales has spent most of each day resting, her thoughts a jumbled mess as she gradually recovers. Each time she regained a short few seconds of semi-lucidity, she reached her mind out to him, desperately asking 'Are you okay, Lee?' over and over.

'Am I okay?' he answered back the first time. 'I should be asking you that.'

---

Ninetales' Flamethrower is thin and beam-like, slicing through the air like a hot wire, and each falling orb of lava that meets it explodes into smoke, practically vaporized. The Flamethrower greedily sucks down Ninetales' already flagging stamina, but she doesn't seem to notice at all, instead shooting down everything as fast as she can. The single-minded fervor leaves Lee awed and… just a bit frightened.

Try as she might, though, Ninetales is but one pokemon facing down hundreds of falling projectiles. She destroys a hundred, then another hundred, cutting their numbers by nearly two-thirds, but by then, the remainders are just too close.

One slips by, and Lee, so overloaded, doesn't realize it's bearing down on him until the flaming meteor is only fifty feet away. He looks up, his eyes wide.

A gold blur slams into his chest, throwing him away, but he scrambles to his feet a second later. That could only be—!

The meteor strikes his savior, exploding into a cloud of sharp, superheated stones and choking ash, but the explosion does nothing to drown out the tortured cry that follows.

---

Ninetales saved his life, and in doing so, took a spear of superheated stone to her chest, piercing one of her lungs and nearly striking her heart. If the stone had been an inch to the left, Ninetales would have been struck in the heart and killed.

She would have died.

The thought alone fills Lee with equal parts cold dread and burning fury. 'Maxie, your days as a free man are numbered. That's a promise.'

They got no rest after the ordeal, as the police barged in soon after, demanding an explanation. Over the next two days, he, Brendan, and Zinnia would be interviewed no less than four times by the police, the Rangers, and by League agents. Each party got the same story, one approved by Lee's lawyer beforehand.

Strangely, and perhaps a bit worryingly, the expected interrogation from Steven Stone never came. The one from Nigel …

---

As Lee finishes explaining the volcano fiasco to Professor Birch, the other man is understandably silent over the phone line for a few seconds. The seconds stretch into an agonizing, nerve-wracking minute, and just as Lee opens his mouth to ask if Nigel is still there, a sigh answers him.

"Lee…" Nigel stops himself short. "This is…" Again, he stops, sounding frustrated. "Arceus damnit, I know the last thing you want on your plate is more shit to worry over, but if I'm being honest with myself, Lee, then I'm more than disappointed with how you handled this. You knew that Magma would be there in force, and you didn't call for backup? You could have been killed. Your pokemon could have been killed! Brendan could have been killed!" He is almost screaming at this point. "What if he was killed, Lee?! Do you know what that would do to me? His mother? That's not even getting into what would happen to the laboratory if our only Lab Trainers died mid-journey! How could you make such a stupid decision?!"

Never before has Lee heard Nigel sound so scathing, and the words hurt all the more for it. Try as he might, Lee can't help but physically flinch at the professor's palpable anger, drawing a few stares from the people and gaggle of officers in the Pokemon Center.

Tucking himself a little further into the corner he has claimed for himself, Lee clears his throat. "I… I don't have an excuse, Nigel. Zinnia and Brendan look to me as the leader of our little party, and I okayed all of this. I was overconfident in our abilities, and didn't want to be questioned as to why I know all that I know. Neither did I expect Magma to be so willing to use lethal force. Deciding to go in at all was stupid, let alone with so little preparation." Leaning his head back against the wall, Lee begins to consider his options for a new job, which makes his pounding migraine even worse. "The blame here rightfully falls to me. If this results in my… termination, and our group being broken up, I understand," he concludes, the words falling from his mouth as guilty as they are reluctant. "I know I'm overstepping my bounds here, but if you decide you don't want me around Brendan anymore, can I ask you to consider not calling him home? His journey shouldn't be cut short because of something I— Hey!"

Before Lee can finish, his cell phone is abruptly snatched from him by a tanned hand.

"Professor Birch, Brendan's dad and Lee's boss, right?" Zinnia holds the phone up to her ear and turns her back to Lee so he can't easily retake the device. "I'm Zinnia Draconid, the third member of our merry little band. Don't give Lee the third degree, because none of this is his fault; I'm actually the shitty influence here. Fighting Magma was my idea, bringing Brendan included." She speaks too fast for Birch to get a word in, scowling the entire time. "Lee is just being the fall guy because he's too stupid to not blame everything on himself."

"Zinnia, what the hell are you doing?!" Lee reaches for his phone, but Zinnia's free hand shoots out and grabs his wrist, halting him with infuriating ease. "Give that back!"

"You want me to leave Lee and Brendan alone? Say the word and I'll fuck off, just don't try anything with them, because they don't deserve it. If you fire Lee or drag Brendan home, I know you'll regret it. You know you'll regret it." Her piece said, Zinnia thrusts the cell phone back into Lee's hand and stalks off, returning to the distant lobby seats where Brendan pensively watches.

With a sigh, Lee raises his phone back to his ear and leans against the wall. "I'm sorry about that, Professor. Zinnia can be… impulsive at the best of times."

"Was there any truth to what she said?" Nigel's anger seems to have abated, replaced with a weariness that drips from each word.

Lee's first instinct is to answer with "No", but he pauses. "It's… It's complicated. She knows what Aqua and Magma are really up to"—he stresses this, hoping Nigel understands—"and has taken it upon herself to try and stop them. She insisted on confronting Magma on the volcano, but things still went sideways because of my negligence. The fault still belongs to me."

The sound of a hand tiredly rubbing an unshaven face is barely audible over the phone. "I see…" Nigel mutters. "You know, from the moment he could walk, I did my best to instill the value of family in my son."

Lee blinks in confusion at the seeming non sequitur. "Nigel?"

"I like to think I did pretty well, considering he always makes time to call home when he can," the regional professor continues. "You know he talks about you two? You and your friend Zinnia?"

"He does?" Lee asks, mildly surprised. Brendan's calls home are usually private, so he had no idea. He cuts his eyes over to the boy in question.

Liberated of his injured pokemon and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Zinnia, Brendan looks so small and vulnerable. It's unsettling to look at.

"You and her are his favorite subjects outside of pokemon and battling," Nigel confirms. "He tells me about clever little tricks he's learned from Zinnia, and all the lessons he gets from you, and how much fun you all have traveling together. To him, it's never about what he does alone, but what you all do as a group," the professor reveals. "I can hear it in his voice; for better or worse, Brendan looks at you two like family, perhaps like the siblings he has never had."

Even after all the trials of the day, a spot in Lee's chest musters some warmth at hearing that.

"If I call Brendan and tell him to come home immediately, do you know what his answer is going to be?"

Lee doesn't even need to answer. Brendan's determination for excellence in all things pokemon makes it clear what he would say.

"…I'm not going to let you go or call Brendan home, Lee," Nigel finally says, lifting a weight off of Lee's shoulders. "Your pokemon are strong, and you're a good trainer, but I don't think you realize just how high the peaks can get in pokemon battling. Don't play it fast and loose with Magma and Aqua any more. If things begin to look sketchy, you have plenty of resources to call on. For the sake of everybody in your group, use those resources. Heck, call me if you need to. I know this won't happen again, correct?"

"It will not," Lee promises quietly.

"Good." Nigel sighs once more, this time sounding relieved. "Now, if you will please excuse me, I have to call my son and bite his head off."

---

The call from Nigel could have been worse. Much worse. Lee was certain that he was about to lose his job and likely be blacklisted from every pokemon academic institution in Hoenn. After the worst parts of the conversation had passed, Lee was informed by Nigel that he had talked with a psychic expert about meeting Lee and Ninetales to aid in the mediation of their telepathy, and that the expert was making plans to meet them in Fallarbor. The news left him with a touch of apprehension, but with bigger worries afoot, Lee moved those concerns to the back burner.

Thankfully, it looks like everything is on the upswing for once. The Pokemon Rangers locked down teleportation in and out of Lavaridge for the duration of their investigation, so Lee hasn't been able to meet with Mable this week. In lieu of that, preparation for his team's overhauled training regime took center stage.

Article 3: Flight Operation and Safety
3.1. Flying mounts may only be operated within designated flight zones.
3.2. Operators must maintain a minimum safe distance of 500 feet from buildings, structures, and other flying mounts outside of the Operator's formation, unless for takeoff or landing.
3.3. Flying mounts must be equipped with proper lighting and signaling equipment for night flights.
3.4. Operators must be equipped with proper radio and IFF transceiver equipment.
3.5. Operators must follow all traffic control instructions issued by Air Traffic Control (henceforth known as ATC).
3.6. Operators must not fly under the influence of alcohol or any mind-altering substances.
3.7. Operators are required to carry a first-aid kit, redundant communication devices, and emergency signaling equipment during flights.

Article 4: Maintenance and Health of Flying Mounts
4.1. Flying mounts must undergo regular health checkups to ensure safe flight capability.
4.2. Operators must maintain a record of their flying mount's health and maintenance history, which must be presented upon request by relevant Pokemon League and civil government officers.
4.3. Operators must ensure that their flying mounts are well-rested and well-fed prior to flights.

Article 5: Prohibited Activities
5.1. Flying mounts may not be used for illegal activities or to facilitate the commission of crimes.
5.2. Private citizens may not use flying mounts to carry hazardous materials or engage in mounted aerial combat without express Pokemon League permission.
5.3. Operators may not fly in restricted airspace or near sensitive infrastructure, such as military installations or power plants, without proper authorization.

First among that? Get a flying license.

Of course, one can't just hop on the back of a flying pokemon and go wherever they want; it has to be mired down in regulations. Many of the regulations are sensible and even agreeable, but it's still annoying.

The test is simple enough, almost as simple as getting a driver's license. A written test, an inspection of the pokémon you intend to fly on, and a practical test. If you can prove sufficient competence in one go, Hoenn will issue a same-day license, and if not, then you're stuck with a two-week-long course. With the license in hand, Lee will be able to fly anywhere he wishes, which will facilitate the gathering of training supplies, ease of travel, and will significantly shorten any hunts for the sixth team member that Lee is still deciding on.

The sound of steel sliding across steel makes Lee smile. Looking away from his laptop again, he takes in the huge, avian form swallowing a significant fraction of the room with his darkened bulk.

Out of his ball and sitting on the floor, Corvisq— Corviknight cuts an intimidating figure. With his obsidian armor and razor-edged wings, the massive raven is practically the living embodiment of the word ferocious, even if his temperament isn't totally matching anymore.

With the rest of Lee's team sans Shinx all in states of recovery, Corviknight has steadfastly refused to leave Lee's side. Be it sleeping, out and about outside, or anything else, none of it seems beneath him, and he'll dutifully follow. With his evolution, Corviknight's foul temperament and constant fury have seemingly been abandoned, replaced with a brooding, yet patient giant of a bird. Lee still catches sneers and rolled eyes on Corviknight's face, but now they are few and far between, and never directed at Lee himself.

'Big guy has grown up a lot, hasn't he?' Lee muses.

Though big guy is an understatement for Corviknight. The raven is absolutely enormous, and it scratches Lee's kaiju itch just right. To the zoologist's delight, Corvi finally submitted to a physical without a fuss, and Lee had to stand on a park bench to measure Corvi's unreal nine-foot-ten height.

Fucking nine-foot-ten. Practically three meters even. Corvi is over two-and-a-half feet taller than his species' average. Hell, they had to take him to the Pokemon Center and ask to use one of their scales, which showed a whopping three hundred and fifty-one kilograms, or just under seven hundred and seventy-four pounds.

Lee can say that he is the proud trainer of a behemoth. Sadly, Corvi isn't the largest Corviknight ever, but he did snatch third-place from a wild flock leader recorded to be living in Galar, who is said to be about nine-foot-eight.

Not to say that Corviknight's evolution is all upsides. For one, the raven is now so massive that he has to duck his head and angle his body to fit through doorways, which is saying something considering architects often take large pokemon into account when designing interior spaces. Battling in any confined space is going to be a chore.

There is also the matter of his food intake. Lee ran the math, considered as many variables as possible, and overhauled Corvi's meals. The raven's supernatural musculature and the thick, natural armor he lugs around made exact numbers a pain, but after all is said and done, Lee came to a staggering twenty-five thousand calories per day simply for Corvi's daily upkeep. A bulk of these calories need to come from protein, iron, and carbohydrates, and the sheer amount necessitated Lee to burn close to five thousand credits on a pokeblock maker.

Using the same space-bending tech as their bags, Silph Co's pokeblock maker lets trainers condense food down into dense cubes, essentially giving pokemon a one-bite meal for quick energy and nutrition. For large pokemon with serious dietary requirements, it can turn industrial amounts of food into a portable bowl full of cubes. Lee naturally splurged for the top model, which retains the texture, moisture, and taste of the food, and even has separated compartments so different meal components like meat and vegetables aren't homogenized into unappetizing-looking kibble.

…Now, preparing all the food to dump into the briefcase-sized device is a multi-hour spectacle, so Lee dedicated an entire day to just preparing two weeks worth of meals for Corvi.

Without warning, Lee feels Ninetales begin to stir all the way over in the Pokémon Center, and his train of thought is cut off.

Slowly, blearily, the distant fox begins to regain consciousness, and unlike the previous panicked spikes of awareness, this time it's slow and deliberate. Her mind reaches out to his with a telepathic hand on instinct, and Lee quickly meets her halfway with a wave of love and concern.

'Nine? How are you feeling, love?'

The vixen takes her time responding, her thoughts sluggish. 'Like I was impaled through the chest,' she says dryly.

Lee smiles even if the joke is rather grim. 'I'm glad to see that your sense of humor is still okay.'

'Considering the oxygen mask on my face and how numb I feel, no doubt from painkillers, I believe my sense of humor is the only thing I have that is functional.' Ninetales gives the mental equivalent of a sigh and goes quiet. Within her, a mixture of deep, existential despair and near-blinding fury begin to build, like hot and cold water that refuse to mix. Most of all though, there is raw HATE, so burning and hideous that Ninetales is almost quivering. HATE aimed squarely at Maxie for nearly taking Lee away… and HATE at herself for failing, something Lee is all too familiar with.

'Lee.' Ninetales' lips are pulled back into a snarl. Through her eyes, he can see her hot breath begin to warp her plastic breathing mask. 'Beloved, you almost –'

'Let's not worry about 'almost' right now,' Lee gently interrupts, shutting his laptop and closing his eyes before leaning back into the headboard of his bed. He doesn't let his Ace's overwhelming emotions rattle him. 'I nearly died. You nearly died. All of us nearly died. I'm just as furious at what that son of a bitch Maxie did, but what's done is done, and we'll simply be better next time.'

Lee feels phantom fur on his neck shift as Ninetales physically recoils in surprise, her rage abating. 'Lee?'

'When the nurses were rushing you into the operating room and wheeling off everyone else, I was left with some time to think,' Lee continues. 'And you know what I think? I think I'm tired of being scared, for myself and for all of you. We've been without any kind of direction because I've been too afraid to commit to a path, one that will inevitably lead us into the spotlight. I did you and the rest of the team a disservice by doing that.'

Ninetales is silent as Lee telepathically speaks. In the meantime, she peruses Lee's memories of what has transpired while she has been unconscious.

'Well, no more. If the world wants to play hardball, we're going to show them that they aren't ready for what we have. I'm drawing up plans to up everyone's training, to fill our last spot, and to take plenty of safety measures. We aren't going to get mad, we're going to get better. If Magma wants to mess around, then we'll take the opportunity to get even.'

On the other end of the telepathic bond, Ninetales' anger isn't extinguished, but has dipped into a cool simmer, fueled by the implication that they won't be actively pursuing Magma. Slowly, though, a proud warmth thrums through the ethereal band connecting them. 'Although I hate that an event like the disaster upon the volcano was the catalyst, it heartens me to see you more confident, beloved,' Ninetales says, smiling. 'I still want nothing more than to chase down that redheaded, human-shaped filth and make him pay, though.'

'Maxie will get his when the time is right,' Lee sends back. 'For now, let's all recover and put this behind us.'

'Of course, of course.' Ninetales' mind reaches out, and even with painkillers dulling her thoughts, she still wraps Lee in a tight mental embrace. 'I love you, Lee.'

Lee wraps his being around her in-turn, smiling. 'Same to you.'

Their serious conversation over, Ninetales' thoughts begin to drift, whisked away by the drugs in her bloodstream. She looks at the IV bag hooked to her foreleg with annoyance, silently wishing to trade the nutrient drip for something substantial to eat.

'I'll get you something big and tasty as soon as I get the all-clear from the Center,' Lee promises.

As Ninetales shuts her eyes for some real sleep, Lee is given a front-row seat to her vivid imagination going wild. Just before she conks out, Lee is treated to the image of a hungry Nine biting into an entirely-too-big burger, one he recalls eating at some hipster joint in college.

Returning back to the real world, Lee looks at the clock on the wall, noting that it's nearly 1 PM. Shoving his laptop off his lap, he stands and stretches, drawing curious looks from the rest of the room. "Corvi and I need to go take that flying license exam. We'll be back in a few hours."

"Where is it being held at?" Zinnia questions, putting her phone down.

"The Ranger station on the edge of town. Town Hall only does tests if you schedule two weeks in advance." Lee answers. "I need to stop by the Pokemart and pick up the saddle I ordered first, though. The supplier had to custom-build one for Corvi's size."

The massive raven just a handful of feet away scowls, miffed about how undignified wearing a saddle is going to be.

"The practical part should be at 3PM or so, if you guys want to come watch," Lee continues. "Well, 3 PM assuming there aren't any delays. There are only two other people taking the exam today, but you never know."

"I know I'll be there." Zinnia smirks. "Just remember to clench your legs and your butt when they run you through the high-G turn portion, or you'll black out."

Lee raises an eyebrow. "Do you already have a license?"

"Pretty much every Draconid does," Zinnia confirms. "I took my test in Fallarbor on one of the Flygon who live with the tribe, just like every other tribal kid. You don't actually have to have a flying Pokémon to have a flying license."

"Huh…"

"Sounds like fun! Count me in!" Brendan chimes in, Marshtomp nodding beside him. "Say, Lee? If you and Corviknight are okay with it, can I borrow Corviknight to take the test with? I may as well get it now."

Corviknight shrugs, uncaring.

"If Corvi is okay with it, I don't see why not." Lee smiles when Brendan cheers. "Better study up and book your test now if you want to get it done before we leave Lavaridge. I want to start making tracks north as soon as Nine is well enough to travel."

Without delaying another second, Brendan digs his cell phone from his pocket and opens up the browser, making himself busy.

"Ready?" Lee asks Corviknight.

The raven stands, accidentally bonking his head on the ceiling.

---

"Here's your special order!" The cheery woman behind the Pokemart counter slides a large box to Lee, one that requires both hands to pick up. "I don't think I've ever seen a delivery from Westwind Solutions this large before. Do you ride a Dragon?" she asks, badly hiding the curious look at Lee's scars.

"He's got the temper of one," Lee jokes, lifting the hefty cube of cardboard and turning towards the door. "Thank you!"

"No problem! Have a nice day!" The clerk waves goodbye.

Stepping through the automatic doors and into the tiny parking lot of the Mart, Lee, followed by Corvi, who has been loitering outside, head off to a bench around the corner of the building.

"Phew…" Lee drops the box on the ground and wipes his forehead. "Jeez, this thing is heavy. I hope it doesn't add too much weight for you, Corvi."

Red eyes blink as the titanic bird gives Lee an incredulous stare. Corvi then croaks mockingly, as if challenging the notion that the contents of the box would even be noticeable on his back.

"Sure sure, I get it." Lee rolls his eyes. "Let's not go overboard, though. Every ounce matters."

Corvi clicks his tongue, but doesn't protest further. Bringing a wing forward, his steel feathers slice through the tape and metal staples holding the box together with no resistance, letting the top pop open.

Lee peers inside, then reaches in and pulls out the heavy bundle within. Setting it on his lap, he pulls away the covering of waxed paper around it, pausing when a letter falls out. Picking up the paper letter, he quickly scans the contents.

Westwind Solutions
Custom Products for Flying Pokemon
Est. 198X, Proudly in Violet City, Johto

Dear Mr. Lee Henson

Congratulations! Your package from Westwind Solutions has arrived, and within it lies a crowning jewel of our craftsmanship—a custom saddle designed exclusively for your magnificent Corviknight companion. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for choosing us as your trusted supplier of bespoke products for flight-capable pokemon.

At Westwind Solutions, we take great pride in our ability to blend innovation, functionality, and artistry into every creation. Our team of skilled artisans and engineers has poured their passion and expertise into crafting a saddle that not only enhances the comfort and performance of your majestic Corviknight but also showcases our commitment to excellence. We –

The letter is rather self-aggrandizing, and quite frankly goes on for too long, so Lee skips to the end.

– Fly high and forge new horizons, knowing that Westwind Solutions is your ally in the skies.

Order Details:
Saddle (including selected options) – 4,209.50c
Expert Traveler Equipment Pack 2,550.00c – 1,550.00c (special promotion)
Custom Size XXXL – 1,109.50c
Custom Folding Mechanism – 1,088.70c
Rush Interregional Shipping – 581.71c
Sales Tax – 426.97c
Wisdom in picking Westwind – Priceless

Total Amount: 8,966.38c
Payment Due By: [PREPAID]

Thank you for choosing Westwind Solutions for your custom flight product needs. We greatly appreciate your business.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this invoice, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service by phone at (2100)-9887-1302 or email us at service@wwsolutions.jto. We are here to assist you! Be sure to follow our BattleNet page for new products and special promotions!

"Windbag Solutions is more like it." Lee snorts. "Here I am spending money like I'm made of it. Maybe we'll head back to Mauville after this and give Aarons a new TM to copy. How does a business trip sound, bud? Care to menace sleazy businessmen for me?" he asks Corviknight.

The raven smirks, eyes literally flashing in cruel anticipation.

Lee finishes unwrapping the saddle and hefts it up on his shoulder. "Alrighty, let's get this thing on."

Corviknight sighs, but bends down so Lee can toss the saddle on his back.

The exorbitant amount of manufacturer bluster might actually be justified, because the saddle truly is superbly made. The whole thing folds into rectangular fourths for storage, giving it just barely enough clearance to be dropped into Lee's backpack. The contact surface intended for Corvi's metallic back is fitted with soft, yet durable rubber, and when the leather straps around Corvi's chest are fastened, the saddle is rock-solid secure.

The seat is split in half along the middle folding point and is made up of two separate, leather-wrapped cushions, each one shaped to slot into the other. When unfolded, the cushions mesh together, providing a comfortable seat. The stirrups are fitted with leg-securing straps, and through some feat of mechanical engineering that Lee has trouble wrapping his head around, the leg straps apparently auto-squeeze during high G maneuvers, aiding the rider in preventing blackouts.

Near the rubber-coated handholds on the saddle and molded into the leather are a number of mechanical instruments, namely an altimeter, a compass, and a speedometer. Around those are a number of different pouches for equipment. One for an IFF transceiver, another one for a radio, a large one for an emergency oxygen tank, a holster for a flare gun, and several other miscellaneous pouches for whatever the rider might need. Since Lee ordered all the accessories mandated by law and then some, all of the pouches are already filled with their equipment. Likewise, the slots in the saddle for safety reflectors and signaling lights are already populated. Powering it all is a pair of enclosed, cylindrical wind turbines mounted above the saddle bags, which feed into a battery bank.

Finally, the handholds are fitted with a number of pressure-sensitive buttons that activate vibrating motors in the saddle, the intensity and location of which are used for different instructions, like increasing or lowering altitude, increasing or decreasing speed, turning, and maneuvering. Theoretically, a rider can give accurate instructions to their pokemon without ever saying a word.

"That should do it." Lee nods and steps back, inspecting his work. "How does it feel?"

Corviknight grumbles in his throat and struts in a large circle, moving his wings about and testing his mobility. The frown on the raven's face eases some, but doesn't totally go away.

"Comfortable?" Lee probes. "Give me your honest opinion. I won't hesitate to send it back if it's not."

After mulling over his answer, Corviknight nods once, though he still seems sour. His displeased face melts when Lee steps closer and reaches up, scratching the great avian beneath his beak.

"I don't think it looks undignified," Lee soothes him with a small smile. "In fact, you make it look good."

Corviknight is too busy leaning into the scratching fingers to reply.

After they toss the box into the dumpster behind the Pokemart, man and 'mon make the walk to the Pokemon Ranger station out on the edge of town, cutting through the midday streets with the same ease Corviknight's wing did the cardboard box a few minutes prior.

Where Ninetales parts crowds slowly, everyone trying to linger and peer at her as long as they can, Corvi is more akin to a landslide, in that no one has any choice but to move, and they do so with haste. Besides the buildings on either side of the road, Corviknight is the tallest thing around, and thus everyone is given plenty of forewarning to step aside and to occasionally snap a photo on their phones. Lee's raven has no reaction to the attention, and his cold indifference seems to spur more admiration from onlookers than it does resentment.

Upon arriving at the Pokémon Ranger station, which has a door large enough for Corvi, the pair walk inside.

The Ranger station is sparse, as to be expected. Other than the front desk, there are a couple of seats along the wall, a water fountain, and a small shelf with a handful of recruiting pamphlets. Lee and Corviknight ignore everything but the front desk and approach the bored teenager manning it.

"Welcome to the Lavaridge Ranger station, what can I…" The teen scratches a zit on his chin and looks up, double taking when he sees the gigantic raven looming behind Lee. "Uhh…"

"Lee Henson and Corviknight, here for the flying license exam." Lee smiles and makes it as kind as he can, all too aware of how Corvi is probably pinning this kid in place with his red-eyed stare. "I called and scheduled a couple days ago?"

"Oh, uhh, sure." The teen regains his bearings and puts his phone down. He then brings up a spreadsheet on his computer and looks at it. "Uh, the test begins in about ten minutes. In the meantime, my supervisor will inspect your pokemon. Do you have a vaccination and preventative care manifest from the Pokémon Center?"

Lee produces the requested form from his back pocket and unfolds it, handing it off to the teenage attendant.

The teenager takes the paper and photocopies it with a small copier on his desk before handing it back. "Ranger Wanda will be with you in a couple of minutes."

---

Just as the front desk attendant said, a young woman in a Pokemon Ranger uniform comes and leads everyone off to a small classroom promptly before handing out a thick packet of paper to each test-taker. At the same time, another Ranger takes everyone's pokemon out back to be inspected. Corviknight's company in that regard ends up being a Pidgeot and a Skarmory.

The written test, for which Lee and the other two trainers are given an hour and a half to finish a hundred questions, is thorough but not overly hard. It covers a wide variety of subjects, from local laws, international laws, exceptions to specific clauses and rules, identifying weather patterns, radio use and radio lingo, night flight safety, some common sense problems, and just about every subject imaginable. However, it's no big deal if one has studied an hour or two a night a week beforehand as Lee did.

When the test concludes and the Ranger overseeing everything collects the test packets, everyone is dismissed for half an hour as the tests are graded. The passing criteria is rather strict at 95% or higher, and if one fails to achieve a satisfactory score, they're forced to take a longer, more thorough course lasting two weeks. When the Ranger returns, she gladly announces that all three of the prospective flyers passed, and their pokemon passed inspection as well, finally leading to the practical portion. For that, all of them are led to a spacious clearing behind the station, where their pokémon are waiting.

"Okay, everyone!" The lady Ranger before them calls out with a positively booming voice. "We'll be going over equipment checks, communication with air traffic control, maneuverability, and defensive flying to start out. Go ahead and approach your pokemon and begin making your initial checks. I'll be walking around and observing," she says, folding her arms behind her back. Beside her, her saddled Fearow looks as bored as can be, having probably heard all these lines a million times already. "Once we get into the air, remember to listen closely to our instructions! Flying with your pokemon is an incredible, liberating experience and one of the best bonding exercises around, but don't get carried away!"

'Yeesh,' Lee quells the urge to pick his ear with his pinky as he walks over to Corviknight. 'And I thought Zinnia had a big mouth. I guess the instructor needs to be loud in case someone's radio fails or something.'

One of the other two trainers, a fourteen-year-old boy, has to drag his infatuated Skarmory's attention away from Corviknight, who in turn seems exasperated.

The other one is a middle-aged woman who leads a Pidgeot. The Pidgeot unfortunately doesn't seem to respect his trainer, and behaves passive-aggressively throughout the entire process of having his saddle mounted.

"Here goes nothing…" Lee sighs, a tad nervous as Corvi leans down to let Lee mount. Lee has to bring his leg high, step into the stirrup, and with a grunt, throw his other leg over Corvi's wide back. "There we goooo shit!"

Corviknight stands to his full height again, his back tilted forward so Lee doesn't fall off, and all of a sudden the ground is a damn sight farther away than he'd been expecting. Corviknight turns his head, his red, luminescent eye questioning.

"I'm fine, Corvi." Lee takes a deep breath and pats the raven on his neck. "It's no slight to you, I've just never flown before. Back on the volcano, I was too distracted to really have it sink in that we were flying."

Corvi nods, his gaze sharpening. A deep croak reverberates in his throat, and Lee doesn't need telepathy to understand the dark bird. 'I will not allow harm to come to you,' the croak says.

"I know you won't." He smiles, and Lee can't help but be heartened when Corvi's beak twitches up, nearly forming a smile.

Lee then busies himself with checking over all the equipment in the saddle, watching from the corner of his eye as the instructor has to help the flustered woman beside them with her uncooperative Pidgeot. He inputs the temporary IFF code the instructor provided into the IFF transceiver and sets the encryption to 'none', then moves on to the radio. Westwind provided a rather nice unit, fitted with a wind-noise canceling headset, and a small magnet-fitted speaker that Lee attaches to Corvi's helmet so he doesn't have to scream instructions over the wind.

Lee taps the microphone on his headset. "Corvi? Is the volume okay?"

The raven flinches at the noise, so Lee twists the knob labeled Output #2 on the radio down to half power and tries again. "Better?"

Corvi's wings slump in relief.

Lee tests the buttons on the saddle handholds, and after Corvi confirms that he can feel each motor vibrating, Lee straps his legs into the stirrups and watches the other license hopefuls.

The boy trainer and his Skarmory are ready a few minutes later, but unfortunately for the third trainer, she and her Pidgeot are failed and dismissed by the instructor due to Pidgeot's foul attitude, forcing the poor woman to recall Pidgeot and leave, dejected.

The flying instructor clears her throat. "Okay boys – "

The Skarmory trills in her throat.

"–and girl," the ranger corrects, "equipment checks have been completed, so let's get to the fun part! Mister Lee and Mister Corviknight, let's have you guys go first."

Corviknight, with Lee astride his back, steps forward and stares down at the smiling instructor.

"Your temporary call sign is going to be BC-Zero One, and I'm going to play the part of air traffic control. You can refer to me as 'Ranger Ground'. Remember to use phonetics on the radio! Tune your radio to reserve frequency number seven," the instructor takes a pair of pokeballs from her pocket and enlarges them out of their travel size. Both balls pop open, and on either side of her, a pair of Tropius materialize. Each of the dino-like pokemon are wearing green, visored helmets. "My friends here will be acting as backup in case something goes wrong, so if they grab you guys, don't resist and make their job harder."

In response to the Ranger's words, each Tropius extends four thick Vine Whips, one from under each of their wings.

"Kwah!" Corvi croaks, openly offended at the notion of needing help. Lee once more pats his neck, and the crow tones down his annoyance.

Lee adjusts the microphone of his headset once more and hits the 'transmit' button on the left earcup. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, ready."

Smiling, the instructor takes the handheld radio from her belt and holds it to her mouth. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, this is Ranger Ground. Permission granted for vertical takeoff at the Lavaridge Ranger station. For the duration of your sortie, attempt to use nonverbal controls where possible. Winds are two-seven-zero at five. Maintain altitude at one-thousand feet, then take a holding pattern over the ranger station and await further instructions, over."

Shit. They're actually about to fly. Lee's nerves clash with his excitement, and for a moment he forgets what two-seven-zero at five means, then it comes back to him. 'Wind is coming in from the west at five knots, right. Phew. You got this, Lee. Corvi won't let you down…'

"Cleared for vertical takeoff at Lavaridge Ranger station. Will maintain one-thousand feet and prioritize nonverbal controls, Ranger Ground. Bravo Charlie – Zero One, out." Lee takes his hand off his headset and grips both handholds. Taking a deep breath, he taps the buttons under his index fingers twice.

Corvi spreads his wings, and in a single flap, the ground falls away, dragging Lee's stomach right into his toes.

"Oh shit!" The zoologist gasps, his stomach rolling. He takes a deep gulp of air, which zips into his mouth without needing much aid from his lungs. The rushing winds try to yank him off of the saddle, only for the straps on his legs to hold tight.

Hazarding a look at the ground, everyone below are already little more than dots, and the buildings are dollhouse-sized. The only people he can make out are Brendan and Zinnia, who must've shown up when he wasn't looking. Then the instinctual surge of panic is tossed aside. He's got a license to get, and if he messes up now, he and his friends will be stuck here for weeks of remedial classes.

Pulling his eyes away from the ground, Lee instead focuses on the cluster of instruments just above his hands, which grip the saddle handles with white knuckles. The altimeter is rising fast, and before he knows it, they've already cleared nine hundred feet. He grips both middle finger buttons harshly, and Corviknight begins to level out, stopping his ascension at just a hair above a thousand feet.

"Hot damn," Lee breathes harshly, struggling to keep the tremor out of his voice. He squints his eyes into the wind, wishing that he'd had the foresight to bring goggles. "Hot damn, Corvi," he repeats, holding the secondary transmit button on his headset. "You are fast."

The crow lets out a gravelly chuckle that crackles in Lee's headset.

Without needing any instructions, Corvi gently yaws to the side, taking a wide, continuous turn over the ranger station. A moment later, the pair of Tropius catch up, flying on Corviknight's flanks.

There aren't immediately more instructions over the radio, giving Lee plenty of time to catch his breath and once more send a tentative glance down at the ground. "You know? It's not so bad the second time…" He says to himself.

With the reassuring hulk of a bird beneath him, the height, the speed, and the whipping winds aren't so daunting. Lee loosens his tight grip on the saddle, his churning stomach beginning to calm, and his nausea transforming into something light and excited. He can't help the grin that forms on his face. He is a thousand feet in the air flying on the back of his pokemon! This is unreal! Lee is so caught up, that he almost doesn't see Corvi turning his neck to peer back at him. When he notices, the man is dumbfounded for a moment.

Corviknight is smiling. It's no smirk, no vicious grin, nothing of the sort, it's genuine happiness. It's the first time Corvi has ever worn such an expression with him. The fact that the smile made its emergence here, during their first time flying together, isn't lost upon Lee.

The radio crackles. "Bravo Charlie – Zero One, this is Ranger Ground."

Lee composes himself and touches the transmit button on his headset. "This is Bravo Charlie – Zero One, go ahead, Ranger Ground."

"Bravo Charlie – Zero One, good work on maneuver one. You will notice a tall tree at bearing one-eight-zero with a red ribbon affixed to the tallest branch. Increase altitude to fifteen-hundred feet and make a pass over the tree. Return to ranger station airspace and resume holding pattern after. Confirm receipt, over."

"Roger, Ranger Ground. Changing altitude to fifteen-hundred, course to one-eight-zero, and will make a pass over the red-marked tree. Bravo Charlie – Zero One, out." Lee lets the transmit button go and grips the saddle controls again. "Okay, Corvi. Let's ace this."

Corviknight lets out a screech and zooms toward their objective.

---

An hour later finds a jittery Lee and a content Corviknight on the ground again and back inside the ranger station, standing before the front desk. A little ways behind them, Brendan and Zinnia stand, both wearing identical smiles.

As Lee hoped, they passed the test with flying colors, and now they just need to wait for Lee's license to be printed.

The instructor was merciless. After the first few exercises, she began to mix everything up, telling Lee to adjust his IFF transceiver on the fly, pull high-G maneuvers that made the edges of his vision grow dark, suddenly changing her instructions, and even had her Tropius helpers use Whirlwind to simulate inclement weather among other things. However, neither Lee nor Corviknight faltered throughout the various challenges, and they got their prize for it.

With a final whine, the card printer behind the front desk goes silent and spits out a laminated card. The teen manning the desk takes the card, along with a number of printed registration documents, and hands them to Lee with a smile. "Here you go, sir. Remember to keep those on you at all times."

"Will do," Lee grins, holding the bit of plastic up to the light. It's practically identical to a driver's license, and the man can't help but feel the same giddy excitement he felt at sixteen when he got his first car. Actually, he's more excited.

Corviknight is infinitely cooler and way faster than a beat-up Honda his parents bought for a pittance.

Zinnia walks around the raven blocking off a chunk of the room and drops her hand onto Lee's shoulder. "Look at you, Dolittle. You've got that flier's high going on," she smirks. "I remember my first time in the air, too. It's something, isn't it?"

Lee gives the Dragon tamer a grin. "Yeah. Yeah it is. I admit I was kind of nervous at first, but looking back, it's kind of silly since Corvi had my back the entire time," he sends Corviknight a smile over his shoulder.

The great raven visibly preens under the praise, his metallic feathers puffing up.

"Ugh, I can't wait for Shelgon to evolve…" Zinnia groans. "What about you, little hero?" She turns to Brendan. "Are you eager to try out flying?"

Brendan hides how nervous he is admirably, coughing once into his fist. "I guess… Dad took me flying on his Flygon once, but I was really young and don't remember most of it."

"That's the spirit!" Zinnia claps him on the back, either not noticing or not caring about his hesitation.

Turning the license in his fingers over once more, Lee sends a look up to Corviknight. "Say, Corvi?" He begins slowly and a touch unsurely. "How about we go practice flying? We still have plenty of daylight left, and the more we learn now, the better we'll be later, right?"

The corvid's eyes light up in joy. He nods his head eagerly and shifts on his feet, clearly eager to go back outside.

"We'll be back later, guys," Lee addresses Zinnia and Brendan. "Now that we've jumped through the hoops, I want to get some practice in."

"You mean you want to go have fun," Zinnia asserts with a smile. "No judgment here, Dolittle. There's nothing quite like being in the air on pokemon-back. It's the ultimate kind of freedom, and once you have a taste, you never want to do without again."

Lee scratches the back of his head and looks away sheepishly. "Yeah, I admit I had a lot of fun."

"We'll let you know where we're getting dinner and save you some if you aren't back by then," Brendan joins in. "You might want to go. Corviknight looks about ready to drag you out."

And indeed, the corvid is tapping the talons of one foot on the ground impatiently.

"Right, see you then!" Lee turns and waves over his shoulder, Corviknight following him eagerly.

Once outside, Corvi hunches over and lets Lee mount up. Once the leg straps are in place, the IFF transceiver is turned on, and the radio is tuned, Corviknight spreads his wings and shoots into the sky.

As they rise higher and higher, the wind pulls at Lee's hair, face, and clothes with cold, hooked claws, but he can't keep the grin off of his face. 'I really hope I'm not turning into an adrenaline junkie.'

Corvi pulls back even further once they are high in the sky, pulling a full inside loop. For a single moment, the ground is above them, then the raven comes back down and levels out, leaving Lee with a hammering heart.

'Oops, I was supposed to radio before leaving the ground. I've only had this license for ten minutes and I'm already breaking the rules,' Lee smacks his forehead and tunes in to Lavaridge air traffic control. "ATC, this is HLC, I mean-! This is Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, over."

This is a bit more nerve-racking than the exam.

It takes a moment for air traffic control to reply, and the radio sounds considerably worse than the one the Ranger instructor was using. "Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, this is Lavaridge Control, go ahead."

"Lavaridge Control, Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two conducting…" What's the acronym for personal flight? Lee blanks out for a moment. He's using visual flight rules, so that's what the acronym is, right? "…VFR flight of locale. IFF is transmitting. Requesting traffic advisories and restrictions."

"Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, we read your IFF. Current altitude restriction is ten-thousand feet. Be advised, Mount Chimney airspace is currently restricted. No other advisories. Enjoy your flight and remember to radio before takeoff next time."

'Fuck…' Lee twitches and takes his finger off his radio so no one hears his muffled curse. "Thanks, Lavaridge Control. Hotel Lima Charlie – Zero Two, out."

With business out of the way, Lee takes the saddle handholds in his hands and grips them tight. "Okay, Corvi! Show me what you can do!"

Corviknight screeches and flares his wings, shooting forward so fast that Lee's whole body is jolted. Each flap carries them faster and faster through the air, which fights them every step of the way. Corviknight then rises, taking them higher and higher, far higher than what the exam mandated. They roll, dip, and dive with such intensity that gasps and yells of sheer exhilaration are forced from Lee's lungs. For almost an hour, Corviknight flies as extremely as he dares with a passenger, which is still pretty extreme, and when he's done all that he can, Corviknight surrenders control to Lee, flying strictly by the inputs from the saddle controls. More than once, Corviknight looks back, mystified as a grinning Lee goads him into death-defying stunts.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Lee asks through the crackling radio. "I trust you to not let us get hurt."

Corviknight's eyes flash in joy, and the raven really lets Lee have it after that.

Before long though, perhaps after only an hour and some change, fatigue begins to set in for Lee, and Corvi levels out for a calm, relaxing cruise.

Taking a deep breath, Lee looks up at the clouds above, which are so close it's as if he could touch them. If they fly a little higher, he probably can touch them.

Zinnia was right. There is nothing that compares to this.

"Say, Corvi?" Lee begins, a thought striking him. "When the league year is over, do you want to fly to Galar?"

The raven looks back, a question in his eyes.

"Well, have you been back since…" Lee can't quite say it. 'Since your first trainer died?'

Corvi's mood instantly goes sour, and he shakes his head in the negative.

Lee nods slowly and licks his lips. They're wind burned, just like the rest of his face. "I was thinking that we could go to Galar. I promised Ninetales a visit to Kanto, so why don't we make it a big trip? I'd like to go to… To his grave, so we can pay respects. Maybe I could thank him, as well."

His hostility dying down, Corviknight makes an inquisitive trill in his throat, sending Lee a curious glance.

"Why else?" Lee smiles gently. "I want to thank him for how magnificently he raised you. You're amazing, you know that?"

Corviknight falters, buffeting Lee with turbulence. He turns his head away, and then nods stiffly. Turning away however, does nothing to hide the knightly raven's watery smile.

---

I know the radio lingo probably isn't 100% accurate, just consider it a creative liberty I tried my best mang.

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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[Fuggmann]

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---

"I believe that we can do that, Lee. Can I get that list one more time to confirm I have everything correct?"

With one hand occupied by his cell phone, Lee has to flick his wrist to reopen the notebook held in his other hand. "Yeah. I need six copies of Protect, two copies of Solar Beam, two copies of Energy Ball, two copies of Focus Energy, one Dig, one Iron Tail, one Synthesis, one Thunder Wave, one Thunderbolt, one Psychic, one Swords Dance, one Payback, one Roost, one Light Screen, and one Hyper Beam. I'm willing to pay a premium if they come from quality donors."

On the other end of the phone line, Aarons is quiet for a moment. "Quite an impressive order. Why the sudden interest, if you don't mind me asking?"

Lee clicks his tongue. Aarons doesn't need to know. "I'm just closing gaps in my team's coverage. I am a career competitor, after all."

"Hmm…" Aarons hums on the other side of the line. "We can get the TMs to you within the week, though there is the matter of cost. I'm sure I can talk the boys upstairs down quite a bit since your TMs were quite a hit, but even my conservative estimates are putting the bill at nearly a hundred-and-twenty-thousand credits. Your second TM run will cover a fair amount of it, but…" The Silph Co rep sighs melodramatically. "Goodness, the remainder might hurt."

"I'll send you an email authorizing another run of Seed Sniper and Seed Blast when we're done talking," Lee interjects, trying to hold back his cringe at the expected but still painful number. "Just get the TMs to me when you can."

"That would certainly help out…" Aarons, being the asshat that he is, pauses dramatically. "But consumer projections of Grass TMs aren't as favorable as they were now that we're approaching the middle of the league year. The major players have theirs now, and a second run is never as exciting as the first. The Finance department might consider your 'tab' to be a debt if the new run doesn't sell as quickly, and they are rather aggressive when trying to collect an outstanding balance."

A scowl mars Lee's face. "That almost sounds like a threat."

"No no! Not a threat!" the businessman backpedals. "They would never! Silph Co values the relationship it shares with the fine pokemon trainers of the world, and that is why so many trainers look to us to support their journeys and endeavors. Why, we –"

"I'll fly back out to Mauville and let you copy something new," Lee interrupts, already exhausted from the conversation. "Give me two-three weeks."

"–will have your TMs in the mail by the end of the day!" Aarons is all radiant positivity, but he can't quite hide the greed-tinged eagerness in his voice. "Where should we ship them?"

Finally.

"The Fallarbor Pokemart. I'll be there in a week," Lee supplies, reaching up to massage his brow. "Oh, and Aarons? When I show up for the TM copying, skip all the posturing and pleasantries. My Ninetales' temper is much shorter than it was back when she was a Vulpix. Have a good one."

Without waiting for an answer, Lee ends the call and leans back on the rickety park bench, relaxing. The dull throb of his migraine is slowly siphoned off, and he looks down to find out why.

Standing at his feet is Ninetales, who is breathing in deeply with a slight shake to her limbs. The tuft of chest fur on her breast is shaved short, and if one looks at her at the proper angle, they'll see pink scar tissue on her chest, nearly touching her heart.

It's been a week since Lee, Brendan, Zinnia, and their pokemon left Lavaridge, making north towards the distant town of Fallarbor, all the way on the other side of Mount Chimney. It's also been a week since Ninetales was finally released from the Lavaridge Pokemon Center…

… But not without complications.

The Pokemon Center's surgeons worked some absolute magic to save Ninetales' life, and even ensured that any lasting damage would be minimal, but that was only the silver lining of a dark cloud. A portion of Ninetales' left lung was destroyed, and although only a small fraction of her lung tissue was twisted and burned beyond repair, the loss compounded with the rest of the damage was enough to cause physical setbacks.

Until everything recovers, Lee's dear fox is going to be short of breath and easily fatigued. She's hissed and grumbled her discontent the entire way north so far with only Lee to hear her thoughts, as she's spent the long days of walking off of her paws and cooped up in her ball. Only now that they've reached a small border town west of Mount Chimney has she been allowed to begin exercising again, much to her frustration.

'Done with your laps, love?' Lee sends, patting the bench next to him, which Ninetales hops up onto. The fox lays her front half across Lee's lap, and Lee silently pours a bit of his stamina into her. His limbs grow a bit heavier, but the vixen's tremors fade.

'Seven laps around a park at trotting speed and I'm already exhausted?' Ninetales gnashes her teeth and tries to calm her rapid breaths. 'I hate this. I hate this feeling of weakness.'

Lee watches the various pokemon and people in the park as he thinks of a reply. His eyes roam to Zinnia, who is in a distant corner, letting her Tyrunt brutalize a challenging trainer's poor Pancham, to Brendan and Electrike, who are impressing a group of similarly-aged children with Brendan's four badges.

On the surface, everything seems normal. If Lee didn't know his friends well enough, he would have missed the lingering uncertainty, the guarded look in the eyes of his fellow trainers.

Everyone is still recovering.

'Don't let it bother you, Nine,' Lee silently soothes, combing his fingers through her silky pelt. 'Your trotting speed is a dead sprint for most other pokemon. You'll come out of this stronger than before. We all will. It's just a temporary setback.'

Ninetales sets her jaw like she's going to argue, but sighs and melts into his lap when Lee heads her off with a hug, one gentle enough to not squeeze her ribs. 'Very well. I suppose now is not the time or the place. How did your call with the slimeball go? I was not paying attention.'

'I gave him the list, and he estimated a hundred-and-twenty grand. I had to promise a new TM to get him to shut up. I also told him not to mess around when we show up, lest he annoy you too much. I didn't get a reply from him before I hung up, but I imagine he's pissing himself a little.'

Ninetales lets out a raspy, vulpine chortle. 'As he should!'

While Lee would have loved to take the time to teach all of his pokemon new moves from scratch to better aid their long-term mastery and further his own understanding in the process, the incident upon the volcano left the zoologist with a painful idea of what sort of gaps his team possesses, and expedited the need to close them.

TMs are not a perfect solution, not by a long shot. As miraculous as the disks are, they only impart the fundamentals needed to use a move and little else, like inserting a new line of code into a program. Any tricks, quirks, and hangups will have to be discovered manually through use and training, meaning true mastery takes time. Only TMs from truly exceptional donors have the donor's honed, instinctual understanding of the move woven within.

Still, though, TMs provide an accelerated starting point, eliminating the initial hurdles of learning a new move. Time is money, which means TMs are expensive. To Lee, though, the cost is worth it.

The first one Lee looked at when considering TMs was Octillery. He and the octopus have been slowly getting better at working together, but it's obvious that they lack synergy; their effectiveness simply isn't up to par, at least not compared to the rest of the team. Lee is simply too used to having pokemon with superior mobility, and the transition to a slower-paced fighting style has been a difficult one.

The answer for that? Simply make Octillery the faster pokemon in the match. Until Lee's skill as a trainer catches up with Octillery's full capabilities, this is the most straightforward solution. Easier said than done, but some new moves might make all the difference in the world, which is why Octillery is getting Thunder Wave, Psychic, Focus Energy, and Payback.

Thunder Wave's near-guaranteed paralysis will slow down speedier opponents and give Octillery ample time to use Lock-On and Focus Energy.

Psychic is going to be a bit trickier, as Lee wants Octillery to learn telekinesis not for attacking, but for mobility. Pokemon without an innate predisposition to levitation often have trouble moving themselves with telekinesis, as Lee and Ninetales found out shortly after Nine's evolution, but if any pokemon can spare the brainpower to psychically levitate themself, it's Octillery. Telekinesis also opens a lot of interesting doors for the cephalopod.

Finally, Payback is to make other pokemon think twice about getting too close. Octillery's Wrap is crushing, and his Headbutt is painful, but he simply isn't a physical attacker at his core. Payback, which increases the user's physical strength after taking a hit, will even the odds for a close-range engagement.

Grovyle's greatest weakness is his fragility, which unfortunately is difficult to solve. The Sceptile line is not well predisposed for defensive moves in general. Lee is certain that, given enough time, he can work out something viable for Grovyle, but for now, it seems more prudent to go with what's tried and true. Synthesis should aid the wood gecko in his battle longevity as the two of them continue to develop the still unnamed 'drain blade' technique, but in an ideal scenario, the battle wouldn't drag on long enough for Grovyle to get that banged up.

For that reason, Lee decided Swords Dance is a must-have. It's difficult to master, and borderline dangerous for the user if they can't control their own strength, but once the user has some expertise with it, the boost to the pokemon's physical attributes is immense. Lee isn't terribly concerned about that, as Grovyle is nothing if not a master of his own body. He researched the move, and was shocked with how huge a difference it makes. Grovyle is also getting a copy of Focus Energy, because why not? The techniques pair well together.

On the projectile side, Grovyle is also getting Energy Ball and Solar Beam, just in case he faces a foe more susceptible to energy attacks than physical ones. Solar Beam also synergizes quite well with Ninetales' Drought, because as the name implies, Solar Beam is empowered by the sun's rays. In situations where Solar Beam isn't the best choice—say, a cloudy day or at night—Energy Ball will make for an excellent backup.

Corvi might be the best balanced of Lee's team. The great raven has no outstanding weaknesses other than a susceptibility to Fire and Electric-type. Nevertheless, Lee picked out TMs for him too.

Roost was an obvious one. How do you make a flying tank even worse to fight? You give that tank the ability to heal itself. Roost also has some properties that might make for interesting research later. How does the pokemon use Flying TE for healing?

Given how many Fire and Electric-type moves are energy-based attacks, Light Screen was another gimmie. With Light Screen cutting the potency of energy attacks, Corvi should be able to shrug off most projectiles and reduce the potency of his only two type disadvantages.

Lee would have liked to get an offensive Ground move for Corvi to defeat his sole pair of weaknesses, but most experts say that Ground TE is beyond the Corviknight line, meaning that that is going to have to be an independent project on his part.

Thunderbolt is for Shinx once she grows a bit more. It should serve as an accelerated stepping stone once she masters Thundershock. Once the kitten has a few battles under her belt, Lee can more effectively build a movepool for her. If Lee is being honest with himself, Shinx is probably ready to begin battling. She's fully transitioned to solid food, is finally in the healthy weight range for her species, and watches the rest of the team train with growing restlessness.

And for Ninetales? His ace is getting Solar Beam, Energy Ball, Iron Tail, Hyper Beam, and Dig.

Solar Beam was the most obvious choice for her. It hits hard, synergizing with the harsh sunlight brought by her Drought, and is super effective against her three main weaknesses—those being Ground, Rock, and Water. Like with Grovyle, Energy Ball is a backup for when Solar Beam isn't viable.

Iron Tail is a move Lee tried to teach Nine himself, but something about the Steel TE has been eluding her. They can get the fur of her tails to stiffen and shine, but they've always been too rigid to maneuver, sticking out like an awkward fan behind her. The fox is no slouch in melee, and turning her namesake tails into weapons would make her a terror at close range. But this pales to what Lee has in mind for long-range.

Hyper Beam is a ferocious technique spoken of in hushed whispers. Few pokemon have what it takes to use the move in the first place, let alone master it. Even novices can reshape the landscape with it, and Ninetales could make fantastic use of a powerful, Normal-typed beam attack. The poorly understood components within Hyper Beam that allow a pokemon to unleash such unearthly amounts of energy at once will arguably be more useful to Ninetales later, though. If she and Lee can reverse engineer that…

Finally, Dig is almost exclusively to introduce Nine to Ground TE. The move will be useful on its own merits, but the end goal of learning it is to use it as a stepping stone to other Ground techniques. With Ground at her disposal, Nine will be able to effectively counter other Fire-types with unfavorable secondary types, such as Fire-Ground, or Fire-Dark.

Lee can thank some poor guy in his Battlenet megathread for this decision, as the poster proudly announced that he acquired a Houndoom with Flash Fire, an ability that completely negates fire moves, to counter Ninetales. A Fire-Dark pokemon that's immune to both fire and psychic type attacks might be the worst matchup Nine can face.

Lee replied with the word "Dig" and muted the thread for a few days, much to Ninetales' amusement.

Then, almost as an afterthought, Lee decided that everyone, eventual sixth pokemon included, will be getting Protect. Damn near every pokemon can learn it, and it's too useful to not have. In the pokemon games, Protect negates all incoming damage outside of a few rare circumstances, and it works much the same here. Only an attack of truly monstrous power can break Protect's barrier.

According to Zinnia, the Draconid stronghold outside of Fallarbor would provide an excellent place for some private training, meaning Lee will be free to teach his pokemon one TM at a time and help them master each move before moving on to the next. By the time they're back on the road, every one of them should have a greatly expanded repertoire.

'Seems sound to me.' Ninetales nods, following Lee's thoughts. Inside the fox is a twinge of excitement at the prospect of a handful of new moves, with Dig being the only exception. Already she can imagine her fur covered in filth…

'Even with a bit of dirt on you, you'd still be the most beautiful pokemon in Hoenn,' Lee insists. He presses a hand to Nine's chest, just to the side of her scar, and measures her heart rate. 'Your heart is calming down plenty fast, and your breathing is settling. You'll be back to one-hundred percent in no time.'

The fox huffs, a smidgen of her foul mood returning. 'It cannot come soon enough.'

The pair remain there on the bench for a time, their silent chatter turning inconsequential, which Lee can't help but find to be a pleasant change of pace.

'I finished my last book last night,' Ninetales begins, her troubles fading from the forefront of her mind. 'The Cerulean Account is a fascinating read to be certain, though I can't help but feel as if the author glossed over a number of important details. There was never a stated reason as to how Cinnabar Island and the Pallet Outpost began to poach seaborne merchant traffic from the Cerulean ports located on Route twenty-four. One can certainly assume that they lowered their tariffs as low as Kanto would allow, but that does not explain why even ships coming from the north, like from the growing Hisui, would be willing to circumvent Kanto's entire eastern flank and add weeks to their trip…'

Oh Arceus, she's talking about geopolitical history again. If he couldn't lift the knowledge directly from Ninetales' mind, Lee would be so lost. Even if he finds the subject dull, Lee listens dutifully.

The topic drifts here and there, from books and history…

'I would like to take up calligraphy, if funds will allow it.' Nine gives Lee a hopeful look. 'Other Eyes mentioned that it was used as a meditative art form during the days of the shogunate, and I found myself intrigued by the concept. Learning Old Kantonese along the way may also be useful later.'

Lee smiles and holds the fox a little tighter. 'Remind me, and we'll order a starter kit tonight.'

Ninetales nuzzles her face into the crook of Lee's neck, purring softly in her throat.

---

…To Lee's research…

'– why I believe that the Cinnabar laboratory might be onto something. Ancestral memory may be recorded within the DNA of pokemon according to their research, and I can certainly see that being true. The amount of genetic variance between differing pokemon species outside of key sequences is odd, and all that data burned in the DNA may be what is causing such an unusual amount of genetic drift,' Lee finishes, taking a breath even though he relayed everything with telepathy. 'And considering the 'level up' method of learning moves, perhaps IE concentration within the body is what is responsible for activating these dormant genes? A typical learn set wouldn't account for all of the uncategorized 'junk' DNA, though. For all we know, it might be possible for any Pokémon to learn every move. If not that, then the unused genes must be for something.'

Nine seems a little dizzy from the dump of information and theory, and Lee can feel her mind prodding his to get a replay of what he just said. '…Indeed, Beloved. I agree?'

---

…To things much more inconsequential, like happenings online…

"Oh my god, they actually did it…" Lee murmurs aloud, turning his phone to show Ninetales the screen.

Junesoft, the gacha game makers who contacted Lee to see if they could use his likeness in their game, Pocket Masters Epoch, weren't messing around and actually added him and Ninetales as attainable characters. They added Lee and Ninetales as a four-star 'Epic' drop, and Lee and Grovyle as a three-star 'rare' drop. Junesoft sent him an email earlier this morning letting him know when to expect royalty deposits and informing him that they awarded his account with both characters.

Lee has always felt that gacha games are a waste, but Brendan introduced him to this one, and so far it's a decent enough time waster. Naturally, the game is about collecting famous trainers and their signature pokemon, then battling NPCs and other players with them, making it a vague mirror of another pokemon mobile game that existed back on Lee's earth. Never did he imagine that he would be in one of these games, though.

'Four out of five stars!?' Ninetales is affronted. She frowns heavily. 'They should have made us a five!'

'Five might be the 'official' highest, but there are ones who are six, seven, and some other hidden rank I'm forgetting. Brendan was bouncing off the walls when he got a six-star from Sinnoh's battle frontier. Palmer, I think it was.' Lee blinks at his phone and rotates the virtual models of him and Ninetales. He clicks his tongue at the exaggerated scars and scowl on his character's face. He opens his browser and logs into Battlenet, navigating over to the video game section.

Surprise, surprise, the newest patch to Pocket Masters Epoch and the release of new characters has kicked the hornet's nest. No one seems to be complaining about Lee and Ninetales, so they must be fairly balanced in the game, but there is a thread complaining about Tobias, the Sinnoh trainer who recently captured a Latios, being added as a five-star and upsetting the metagame. Apparently, Tobias and Latios have the highest initiative of any five-star and a stellar attack rating, meaning the lucky few who have them can sweep anyone without an all-star lineup.

…No, wait, there is one post in the changelog mega-thread complaining that Lee and Nine are over-tuned. Apparently, Junesoft made Lee's unique perk, Unsung Stratagem, synergize way too well with Nine's unique perk, I Will Not Be Denied! According to the poster, anybody who uses Lee and Ninetales is definitely a 'sweaty tryhard too poor to roll a real frontliner.'

Lee then looks at the various chat groups he's in, realizing he hasn't checked them in weeks.

Fox Friday has the usual chatter. Lee debates bombing them with a photo of Ninetales draped across his lap, and then decides against it.

Fire Masters is quieter. The latest post is from Flint in Sinnoh's Elite Four. He included a picture of his goofy, smiling face with a dour blonde man beside him. Behind the pair are a boardwalk and the open ocean.

9TT is a ghost town as usual, with only Lokoko online as she always is.

Finally, there are the myriad of other chat groups Lee is in, but doesn't really interact with. One for amateur academics, one for rare pokémon hunters, one for rumors and gossip, and a number of others, none of which are of any real consequence. After a moment of indecisiveness, he taps on the one for the rare pokémon hunters and skims through the recent conversations.

'Thinking on our sixth member, Beloved?' Ninetales asks, already knowing the answer.

'Yeah, I am.' Lee continues scrolling. 'Now that I can fly on Corvi, we can realistically get anywhere in the region within just a few days. Hell, if we feel like it, we could probably go to a different region altogether. With that kind of freedom available, I'm wondering what sort of pokemon might be a good fit for our sixth slot. Outside of Octi's Ice Beam, we don't have a good answer for Dragons, so an Ice-type or a Fairy-type would be nice.'

'Or a Dragon-type on our side,' Nine supplies. 'Surely Meteor Falls and the Draconid tribal land have no shortage of them.'

'True, that would save a lot of logistical headaches. Besides Corvi, we're also lacking a bulky fighter. A Dragon could fit both…'

Nine can sense his doubts, however. 'But you don't wish to deal with a typical Dragon's mentality.'

'I don't.' Lee frowns. 'Zinnia's crash course in Dragon etiquette makes me a bit leery of them. I have no problems with the song and dance of dominance displays, but I don't like using physical force when it comes to solving issues with inter-team relations. I didn't like it as a zookeeper, and I don't like it now.'

The golden fox yawns, putting her pearly whites on display for a moment. 'You still want an Eevee, I take it?'

Finding little of interest in the chat group, Lee scrolls a bit further. 'A little. I still want a Vaporeon because I think their hydro-kinetic bodies are fascinating, but at the same time, doubling up on types doesn't seem wise when Octi is already great at what he does. An Umbreon might be nice. They're outrageously tough and scrappy for their size, so one could be a welcome addition as a tanky fighter. Ice was an underwhelming type in the games, but looking around on Battlenet has shown me that a little creativity goes a long way with Ice, so a Glaceon would also be a welcome addition.'

Ninetales nods along. 'You were considering others as well, correct? I recall Audino, Miltank, and Chansey were high on your list for their restorative abilities.'

'A dedicated healer would be fantastic,' Lee thinks with a sigh. 'In an ideal world, there would be a pokemon that can heal, no-sell Dragons, fight, not overlap with our other types, and still be attainable.' His thoughts go to Gardevoir and Galarian Rapidash, who fill all of the criteria except for the 'attainable' part. No one finds a Ralts, as the timid pokemon use their empathetic powers to pick out trainers on their own, and promptly teleport away when threatened. As for Rapidash's colorful cousin, not only are they difficult to find in the wild, the small number of ranches with the expertise to breed them are all the way in Galar and demand adoption fees that approach six figures. For that amount of money, he would prefer an Eevee. 'I suppose I'll just have to make a choice and settle.'

Ninetales, apparently tired of sitting, shuffles off of Lee's legs and stands, giving herself a full body shake as she does. The shake aggravates some of her lingering aches, which Lee acutely feels in his own body, but it passes in only a second. 'I'm feeling rested. Let's go for a walk.'

Lee stands as well, giving both of his legs a shake to get his blood moving. 'Lead the way,' he sends back, locking and pocketing his phone.

The town that the group stopped at along Route 109 is small. It's almost more of a village, really, considering the main street holds roughly 90% of everything there is to see. From what little Lee has gathered from looking around, it seems as though many of the residents sustain themselves by being a resting place for trainers going to and from Lavaridge, as evidenced by the many inns, bed-and-breakfasts, restaurants, and a disproportionately large Poke Mart. The other major industry in town is a large mining operation that set up shop in Mount Forina, an ore-rich mountain along the western side of the town. The valley town reminds Lee of beautiful Appalachia, deep in West Virginia, where he spent more than one youthful summer with his grandparents.

The sight of Ninetales strolling down the street doesn't draw as many eyes as it did in Lavaridge. More than one person slows down to watch them pass, but it's not the pointing and grabbing for cell phone cameras that it was in the previous town. It's surprisingly refreshing.

'It still gets me how damn near everything in this world is so pleasant,' Lee smiles to himself, looking around. Idly, he casts his mind to Ninetales, telepathically feeling up and down her body, taking stock of it with the same ease he would his own. The trainer finds himself pleased that the sedate pace they've set isn't aggravating any of her lingering aches and pains.

'I'm hardly an invalid,' Nine snaps, irritation coloring her voice. 'If walking after weeks of bedrest tired me out, then I would hardly be fit to be your Ace.'

'I know, I know. I just worry sometimes.'

Ninetales' annoyance melts away in an instant, replaced with regret. 'I apologize, beloved. It wasn't my intention to be snippy. I just can't stop dwelling on my failure on the volcano… I should have been able to do more,' she says, one of her tails lashing in frustration.

'Do more?' Lee shakes his head, incredulous. He stares down at Ninetales, who refuses to meet his eyes. 'Nine, you saved my life, nearly at the expense of your own! I'm the one at fault here! I'm the one who let us go up on that volcano without adequate backup, and look what happened! You nearly died, we all nearly died!'

'Your failures are my failures, too,' she replies, her lips pulling back into a silent snarl. She quickly schools her expression and takes a calming breath, finally raising her ruby eyes to lock with his blues. 'I am not only your Ace pokemon, but your partner from now until grim death calls for us, and I would have it no other way. I arrogantly believed that nothing could hope to stand up to us, and did not catch the mistake either, so do not take all the blame for yourself. We are both equally at fault no matter what you think. Remember Mabel's words, and do not put yourself down over everything.'

Lee quickly formulates a reply, but stops himself short when Ninetales silently hushes him, wrapping her mind around his own in a hug of untold intimacy.

'You still don't agree with me, do you?' The fox asks quietly.

Lee's silence is all the answer she needs.

Nine physically sighs, and a twinge of regret jabs Lee for how he is exhausting her. 'Let us agree to disagree for now then, and promise that we will both do better for each other. After that, there is no point in dwelling on the past. Doing so is clearly taxing for us both.'

'I can do that,' Lee finally sends back, reaching a hand down to rub the heart mark on her ear. 'I love you, Nine.'

The vixen leans into him, smiling faintly. 'And I, you.'

'We'll do better,' Lee silently promises himself. 'I'll do better. For you, and everyone else.'

---

"That's such crap!" Brendan cries, clawing at his hat in frustration. In his hand, his PokeGear branded phone flashes with a mocking 'DEFEAT' screen. "Gah! I hate pay-to-win wailords!"

Beside him, Marshtomp chortles.

The afternoon finds Lee, Zinnia, Brendan, and their pokemon back in the park. The inn where the trio is staying the night is rather cramped, as all three were forced into a cramped two-bed room with little more furnishings than a pullout couch, making anything other than sleeping in there unpleasant at best, and impossible at worst.

Forget trying to let all of their pokemon out. Rather than dealing with the squabbling that will surely result from dinner in such tight quarters, they had left and claimed a corner of the public park with an aged picnic table and a slightly crooked, rectangular charcoal grill jutting from the ground.

Thoroughly tired of oppressive thoughts and the lingering malaise hovering around himself and his friends, Lee decided one final splurge was in order and hit up the town supermarket to get everything needed for a cookout. He had cleared out the small meat section of their steak and ground beef, grabbed a bag of potatoes, some whole ears of corn, several packages of buns, all the condiments and fixings he didn't have on hand, and a bag of charcoal.

Before he left, Lee made another round and picked out some appropriate replacement ingredients for the herbivores like Grovyle and Breloom, and the ones not too fond of red meat, like Octillery and Marshtomp.

Brendan, Zinnia, and their teams were equal parts surprised and elated when Lee and Ninetales returned trailing a train of telekinetically cradled bags.

"Damn thing…" Lee grunts, looking down at the unevenly burning coals in the grill. due to the supporting pole having probably been bent by a large pokemon or an especially fat human tripping over it. "Nine?"

At his side, Ninetales sticks her muzzle between the grill grate and coalbed, breathing a stream of flames into the coals. The uneven side glows red, warming back up to match the tilted side. Above the coals and on the grate, four burgers and a steak sizzle with more intensity.

"Thank you," Lee smiles, getting one in turn from his fox as she pulls back.

At the picnic table, Zinnia and her pokemon are tearing into their food with all the manners of… well, dragons. Zinnia is halfway through a rare, borderline raw steak, her corn cob is bare, and two of the three burgers she took are gone. How she can eat like she does and still maintain a slim figure is beyond Lee.

At her feet, Tyrunt mirrors his trainer to a disturbing degree. Huge bites of his meal disappear in his maw with little in the way of chewing. The little dino also took a baked potato… And didn't bother extracting it from the foil it was wrapped in, instead crunching down on the aluminum as if he didn't even notice. All that is left is a few scraps of foil.

Swablu and Goomy are a bit more clean. The bird opted for just grilled corn and somehow didn't cover herself in butter despite tearing it down to the cob in record time. Goomy, meanwhile, swallowed his burger in a single bite and let it dissolve in his acidic mouth.

Shelgon had a single bite of Zinnia's steak and called it quits, still in the middle of his evolutionary fast.

Even knowing that a Shelgon's lack of appetite is normal, Lee still cringes a bit when he looks at Shelgon. All of the healed-over cracks in his shell would fade faster if the orb-like Dragon would eat a bit more.

At Lee's feet, Electrike, Mawile, and Shinx all sit patiently and wait for the next round of food to be done.

'Some are more patient with others, though…' Lee thinks to himself, watching Mawile's crocodile-like jaws drool in the grass. He lets his gaze wander.

Corvi is over beneath a tree, resting along with Octillery as they wait to be called for food. Neither wants to be in the sun, one because he'll overheat in his armor, and the other because he'll dry out. It's good to see the corvid and cephalopod chattering quietly, as they didn't seem too fond of each other before Corvi's evolution.

Grovyle, meanwhile, is lying in the grass along with Breloom. The Grass-types leisurely sun themselves, but Lee cringes when he lays eyes upon Grovyle.

So many of his scales, especially on his chest, are deformed or pale from his burn scars, but it looks like a nightly application of Rawst-infused cream, the same stuff that Lee uses to keep his own scars pliant, is helping minimize everything.

It obviously chafes Grovyle, who is so used to training daily, that his body refuses to move how he wishes. The wood gecko has few tells that slip through his aloof attitude, but Lee can see the annoyed bounce of his chewing twig whenever Grovyle is reminded of his injuries. Every day, he's able to push his limbs a little farther, pulling at his scarred skin, but not as far as he could at the height of his health. It's going to be some time before he gets everything back, and it's heartening to Lee that Grovyle finally seems to be accepting that he can't work himself to the bone.

For now, at least.

Lee touches his spatula to one of the steaks on the grill, and judging it to be right at the halfway point between rare and medium rare, he scoops it up, plates it, and hands it down to Mawile.

The fairy looks at the slab of meat with glee, her eyes starry and both of her mouths watering. Her croc-jaws begin to rise and drape over her shoulder, ready to snap up the meal in one bite.

A canine whine interrupts her.

Looking to the side, Mawile is treated to the sight of both Electrike and Shinx looking at her with large, despondent eyes. Shinx waivers slightly, letting her gaze fall to the steak for a moment before fixing her eyes forward again.

Mawile grimaces, her shoulders tensing as if she were just stabbed. She looks between the steaming meat on her plate and the pair of younglings giving her big Growlithe eyes, indecision coloring every movement. Then with a pained hiss, she shakily holds the plate out to Electrike, trying, and mostly failing, to put a sincere smile on her face.

Stubby tail wagging so fast that it's practically a blur, Brendan's giant, electric puppy takes the steak right off the plate and trots over to a shady spot, Shinx bounding along with him. He tears the meat in half… Then promptly cedes the larger half to a loudly purring Shinx without a fuss.

Mawile drops to her hands and knees dramatically, a mournful moan leaving her.

"Oh, don't be like that," Lee rolls his eyes and bends over, picking up the discarded plate. Taking a patty off the grill, he assembles a regular burger from the spread of ingredients laid out on the folding camp table next to him and hands it to Mawile.

The fairy is back on her feet in an instant and shoves the sandwich into her rearward-facing jaws, shredding it between her teeth like a wild animal.

'Jeez…' Lee smiles awkwardly at the sight. He takes two more patties off the grill and puts more on to cook. With the two he took off, he makes a double burger, leaving out the onions, and holds it at hip height.

'What are you –' Ninetales begins to question before her stomach growls. The inside of her ears turn pink in a blush, and as nonchalantly as she can, she bites into the offered sandwich.

The taste of the burger and Ninetales' satisfaction both wash over Lee, and he smiles as both are equally pleasant.

Looking over his shoulder, Lee finally focuses on Brendan.

The boy is still occupied by his cellphone, seemingly disinterested in any of the food being prepared. Considering his appetite as a growing boy, it's unusual, to say the least. His usually smiling face, is instead neutral as though troubled. It seems as if the young trainer has been smiling less and less over the last week.

Something must be troubling him.

"Brendan?" Lee calls to the younger trainer. "You alright? You look kind of down."

Brendan jumps, apparently not expecting to be addressed. He puts his phone down and plasters a thin smile on his face. "Yeah! I'm fine! Just a bit bummed about a losing streak," he says, lifting his phone and giving it a shake.

Beside the young Birch, Zinnia's eyes sharpen, and she slows her eating. For a brief moment, Zinnia and Lee lock eyes.

She's noticed, too.

"Okay…" Lee lets the word hang. When Brendan doesn't spill, he continues. "If something was wrong, you'd say something, right?"

Brendan nods, though it looks rather unconvincing to Lee.

Clicking his tongue, Lee returns his attention to cooking. 'What's eating you, Brendan?'

---

"You're certain that this is needed?" Courtney weakly asks, looking at her new quarters within the Magma hideout.

It's spartan, even by her own pragmatic standards. A bed, a filled bookshelf, a desk with pens and stationary, a dresser with a mirror atop it, and a small door leading to an even smaller lavatory. Air circulates from somewhere, but Courtney can't see from where.

"Leader Maxie's orders, ma'am," the lieutenant escorting her says. Courtney can't tell who the lieutenant is on account of the bulky, psychic-dampening helmet they wear, but they sound like a man beneath the polarized visor. "Standard quarantine post-contact with hostile telepaths is four weeks. Your decontamination will start at o-seven-hundred hours tomorrow."

If it is Leader Maxie who ordered it, then Courtney is in no place to argue…

Stepping inside the rehabilitation quarters, Courtney looks around and realizes that she's never seen them from the inside. She's seen the schematics countless times in her dogmatic pursuits to ensure that everything within Magma is up to par, but being inside one is completely different.

There is a slam and a click, and the Magma Admin whirls around, seeing that the heavy steel door behind her has been shut and locked. Her first instinct is to reach for the pokeballs on her belt, only to stop.

Her pokémon were separated from her. 'Safety concerns,' said the medical officer who evaluated her. 'We don't want your pokemon to be endangered by unwilling orders from you in the event you were implanted with time delay or conditional compulsions. We'll take care of them.'

With an anxious sigh, Courtney slowly trudges over to the bed and sits, staring down at her hands.

Everything seemed to be going well enough when Leader Maxie rescued everyone, using Claydol to teleport them safely to a hidden clearing on the eastern part of Mount Chimney's flank. As per standard protocol, all of the members scattered and made their way back to the hideout at random times to throw off pursuers. Courtney was one of the last ones to arrive. She immediately made herself useful and began gathering the various lieutenants and low-ranking members of the volcano operation. She received reports and debriefs from each one, then forwarded everything to Leader Maxie in a secure email. Things would play out calmly for some time afterward, and Courtney was thankful for the return to normality. Leader Maxie was scarce, likely dealing with the fallout of the botched operation.

Courtney began to shift her priorities, starkly remembering the words of Lee Henson on top of the volcano.

'Magma is up here on this volcano for one purpose: they intend to awaken Groudon and try to leash it like a rabid dog.'

How? How did he know? Who leaked the information to him? Magma must have some sort of information leak, and for ruining their plans so thoroughly, Courtney found herself determined to plug the leak permanently. She began sorting through all the member dossiers, trying to find who in the world would dare interfere with Leader Maxie's vision.

Then everything began to change all at once.

Countless Magma assets were recalled, filling the hideout to capacity and then some. Some were dismissed, and new blood was brought in to replace them. What struck Courtney as strange is that… She wasn't consulted on any of those changes. She reached out to both Tabitha and Leader Maxie, only to get no reply…

Then out of the blue, Tabitha and a host of lieutenants barged into her office, with Tabitha declaring that Courtney had been compromised. She stood up and argued her case, only to be silenced when Tabitha spoke those damning words.

"The order comes from Leader Maxie."

She wanted to ask why, but she set her jaw and allowed herself to be led off. Leader Maxie must have a reason.

In the medical wing, a psychic specialist saw to her and declared her a risk within thirty seconds. Her pokeballs were seized before her pokemon could do anything rash, then she was led to this room.

'Was I… Really compromised?' Courtney's breath hitches in her throat, her usually placid face screwing itself up into horror. 'Did that Ninetales slip past my blocks? No, that's impossible… But how did Henson know?'

Her hands grip her head, and the room seems to spin. Was someone actually in her head without her knowing? What other secrets did they acquire? What else do they know? All of Magma, all the time, effort, and ambition might be in danger now! Henson might have everything!

For all the damage she may have caused, though, something else hurts just as much now that the botched mission won't leave her mind.

"Should anybody have power like that? Are people even able to handle power like that? I don't know, and the more I think about it, the more fishy the plan to awaken Groudon becomes. If I'm being truthful, Courtney, then I didn't want to join Magma for their goals, anyway…"

"I wanted to join to be around you."

Brendan could have been an Admin like her; he could have helped them change the world.

Then at the last moment, he turned on Magma.

Should anybody have power like that?

Are people even able to handle power like that?

She wants to say it. She wants to say that Leader Maxie is the one, that he alone can lead them into a new era, a shining era, one where man is no longer subject to the whims of the world beneath their feet.

But she hesitates.

She hesitates.

Courtney's eyes shoot wide open, and for the first time since her childhood, she wants to scream.

She has been compromised.

She's betrayed Magma without even meaning to.

---

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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[Fuggmann]

Life really got in the way of this one. First the new covid strain, then my PC dying, then needing to redo my state taxes because my tax guy can't read. Sorry for how long it took, but it's here.

---

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As always, thank you for reading.

---

Fallarbor isn't exactly what Lee expected it to be.

In the pokemon games, Fallarbor is a small, barren town on account of the volcanic ash from Mount Chimney. Much of central Hoenn is subject to a north-blowing jetstream, so once Mount Chimney's ashes are free of the volcano's updraft, they should be blown onto Fallarbor. That wouldn't make for a sustainable settlement in real life, though, constantly living in a downpour of soot.

In the anime, Fallarbor is just another town surrounded by lush green forests on all sides, as geography was never really accounted for. Why would it be? The mostly-child audience wouldn't care one way or another.

The reality is quite a bit more interesting.

As Lee, Brendan, and Zinnia begin their final approach into town, Lee looks up, finding the sky clear and blue. High, high above, wisps of gray and black soot flit in the air, only to stop as though hitting a wall around Fallarbor's southern perimeter. More ash builds up along the invisible wall, persisting against the unseen barrier for fifteen minutes at a time, before it's suddenly pulled down to a distant place on the ground, hidden from view by the forestry. It's as if a giant vacuum cleaner has sucked all of the ash up.

"The Grumpig Glassmakers on the southern side of town are the ones keeping the place clean," Zinnia says, answering the unspoken question on Lee's face. "Whenever the volcano acts up, they use a big psychic net to catch all the ash that would fall into the town. Then they compress it, melt it, and make all sorts of stuff out of it. The place is regionally famous for its glass wind instruments."

Ninetales perks up, though with her being in her ball, only Lee notices. 'Truly?' she asks. 'That sounds as if it might make an interesting stop.'

'We'll have to swing by, then,' Lee sends back.

"How far away is your tribe's land, Zinnia?" Brendan asks, giving the Dragon Tamer a sidelong glance.

Zinnia looks up at the wispy soot above. "Not far. The main village is situated outside of Meteor Falls to the west of town, and it's a three-hour walk. With a pokemon mount, it's way shorter."

"The main village?" Lee questions. "You mentioned a while back that we were actually going to a 'stronghold'. I take it that the stronghold is within Meteor Falls itself?"

Zinnia nods, her usual smile absent. It's been absent for the last several days. "Yeah… It's only accessible by air. It'll be a good place for us to hang out and train in peace."

"And they'll be okay with outsiders like Brendan and I?" Lee continues.

A frown finds its way to Zinnia's face. "If they aren't, then I'll invoke my powers as Lorekeeper and declare you guys are necessary for the continued survival of the Draconids. I know I told Lee that I had some things to share– " she turns to Brendan, who stiffens under the intense stare "–and if you want to hear it Brendan, then you can too. Just be warned that, once you hear what I have to say about the Draconids and my mission as Lorekeeper, you're going to be involved in something big. Once we're safely in the stronghold, I'll tell you guys everything."

Oh shit. Lee nearly forgot. He said he would tell Zinnia about his origins. Now the exchange is actually upon them, maybe less than a day away. 'What do I even say? 'Hey, this sounds crazy, but I'm from a parallel universe where pokemon are just children's entertainment?' I'm sure that will go over well.'

'You have Grovyle, Corviknight, and I to vouch for you Beloved,' Ninetales silently soothes. 'If Brendan and Zinnia require proof, then I can give them whatever you wish me to.'

Ah. Right. Lee did forget that Ninetales can actually use telepathy with other people if she cares to. He sighs in relief. That makes things so much easier…

"It's good to see that the secret dump is still on," Lee weakly jokes. "I'm still thinking about the best way to explain my life before I became a pokemon trainer. Ninetales might need to join in with some telepathic assistance. A couple of the things I have to say might be hard to swallow," he says, looking between Brendan and Zinnia.

Zinnia accepts the warning with a cool nod, but Brendan looks away, his face twisting into guilt at the mention of a 'secret dump'. Neither Zinnia nor Lee miss it.

"Brendan?" Lee begins gently. "Something has been bothering you ever since we left Lavaridge. I know you said it was nothing, but now we're all starting to get worried. What's going on?"

The young trainer doesn't meet Lee's eyes. Biting his lip and nervously fingering his belt right next to his pokeballs, Brendan doesn't answer right away, forcing Lee to hold up a hand and forestall an interrogation from a disgruntled Zinnia. After a long minute, Brendan finally begins to speak.

"So, uh…" He gulps, still unable to look at Lee or Zinnia's faces. "Back up on the volcano, when I went with Courtney, you all remember that, right?"

"Duh," Zinnia answers, her face losing its annoyed edge in the wake of Brendan's uncertainty. "That was a slick move you pulled, getting in close to wreck that machine."

Brendan nods weakly. "Yeah… Uh, about that…" He finally looks up. "I wasn't going to double cross Magma."

'What?' Lee's eyes widen, wondering what in the world the kid is talking about. He shares a glance with Zinnia, but she seems equally clueless. 'Nine?'

'I haven't any idea what he's speaking of, either,' the vixen sends.

"You weren't going to double-cross them?" Lee questions, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Brendan nods again, his voice growing weak. "I… I was going to join them for real. I was this close—" he raises a hand, his thumb and pointer finger a centimeter apart "—to actually doing it. I tried to get Courtney to say that she wasn't in on it, or that you were wrong, but…" He lowers his hand and trails off, distraught. "After all we've done together, I was about to throw it all away because I'm gullible, and it came down to a split-second decision! I can't keep it to myself anymore!" he cries. "I don't want to hear what either of you have to say, or whatever secrets you have! Someone might trick me into giving it all away!"

All at once, it strikes Lee just how critical a mistake it was not trying harder to discern Courtney's motives. It never occurred to him that Brendan might have been her ultimate goal all along.

'Stop. Don't pin all the blame upon yourself,' Ninetales is quick to jump in, her mental tone biting. 'I did not see it, either. We know better now. Magma and Aqua will not be allowed to work such schemes around us anymore,' she says, audibly bitter about the failure.

It takes a moment for Brendan's words to sink in for Zinnia. When they do, her face twists itself into fury, and her hands clench into white-knuckled fists. She marches forward towards the guilt-wracked boy, practically stomping on the ground.

Three of the four pokeballs on Brendan's belt wiggle in warning, a very clear message to the approaching Zinnia.

Zinnia cares none, and keeps walking forward to…

…pull a shocked Brendan into a hug.

"That bitch…" Zinnia's growl is downright animalistic, but her snarl is mostly hidden by Brendan's hat, thanks to how close she holds the boy. "That bitch! Kid, why are you apologizing when she is the one who manipulated you?" the Dragon Tamer demands, pulling her head back to stare at a speechless Brendan. "What? Why are you looking at me like that? Did you think I was going to be mad?"

Lee finally finds his own words and clears his throat. "I have to agree here, Brendan," he begins, drawing an incredulous look from the boy. Stepping closer, Lee puts a comforting hand on the young trainer's shoulder. "We're the adults here, and some of the blame is on us. We were the ones who let Courtney even get close enough to you to pull her stunts, and it was all just to try and get her to slip and reveal some of Magma's secrets."

"That cunt didn't lie about the part where we were on to her from the get-go," Zinnia mumbles into Brendan's scalp. "You're a real honest kid, Brendan, so Lee and I didn't want to let you in on everything and potentially have you slip up, spooking her into doing something unpredictable."

Brendan seems beyond stunned, at this point. He shakes his head slowly, as if he can't believe what he's hearing. "You guys aren't mad?" he asks, the words weak, fragile, and hopeful above all else.

'Am I mad that a twelve-year-old got manipulated by a high-ranking member of a cult who probably had infiltration training?'

Lee almost shakes his head.

"No." Lee's reply is as quick as it is firm. "It takes a big man to own up to his mistakes. You could have said nothing and we would have been none the wiser, so I think I can speak for both Zinnia and I when I say the sentiment is appreciated."

"Damn straight." Zinnia smiles and finally releases Brendan. "Just… don't be offended if Dolittle and I keep an eye on you for a while, okay?"

For the first time in weeks, the gloom around Brendan lifts, and his bright smile returns. He looks between Lee and Zinnia, as if seeing them in a new light. "Thank y –"

"Besides," Zinnia interrupts, a smirk forming on her lips. "I heard the verbal ass-whooping your old man gave you over the phone. Sheesh, I knew a broad-chested guy like that probably had some lungs on him, but I could practically hear the speakers on your phone blowing out. You don't need any from us."

Brendan visibly cringes, his cheerful smile straining to remain on his face. "T-Thanks…"

'Let it never be said that Zinnia does not have a talent for ruining a moment,' Ninetales dryly observes with only Lee to hear her.

'And what do you think, Love? About how Zinnia and I handled this?' Lee asks. He can already feel the vague disapproval in Ninetales' emotions, but he wants to hear her put them into words.

Ninetales is silent for a moment, long enough for Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan (who is now chattering away, making up for two weeks of silence) to get back on the road towards Fallarbor.

'I think…' Nine begins, the minor turmoil within her settling, 'that, given the circumstances, forgiveness is the correct course, even if part of me is frustrated to admit it.'

Even if part of me is frustrated to admit it. Is that the predisposition for grudges that Ninetales as a species seems to have, perhaps? It's heartening to see that Ninetales can work past such emotions. Hopefully, things will go the way Lokoko said they would, and Nine's control of her instincts will tighten.

"So, boys…" Zinnia crosses her arms behind her head as she walks. "Anything that needs to be done while we're in Fallarbor? The Draconid village outside of Meteor Falls has a general store and a clinic, but anything more specialized than that, and you'll have to come back to town."

'I'm going to have to come back regardless,' Lee muses. 'I've canceled on Mable far, far too much over the last month, and I need to meet the Psychic specialist Nigel wants for that study. Who knows, maybe the specialist will have some insight on the deeper parts of what is bothering Ninetales.'

Lee apparently didn't bother to keep his thoughts private, as Ninetales radiates a wave of displeasure as he thinks that. The displeasure dissipates as Lee wraps her in the telepathic equivalent of a hug.

"I'm going to visit the PokeMart for some supplies," Brendan answers Zinnia's question. "My Potion bottle is about empty, and I need to get a pokeball to replace the one I broke while catching Mawile."

"Another pokeball?" Zinnia seems surprised, then her surprise transforms into a grin. "Thinking about getting a Dragon in the falls?"

Brendan makes an undecided noise in his throat. "Maybe. I think Marshtomp is on the home stretch to evolution, and once he's there, I'm really gonna consider who I want for my fifth and sixth slots."

"Well, if you decide on getting a Dragon, Meteor Falls is the place to do it!" Zinnia smiles. "I can show you the little lagoon where I got Goomy. If the breeding cycles of the falls are still synced up, then there might even be Dratini there."

Damn. Dratini? The precursor to Dragonite? Lee silently feels his reservations about acquiring a Dragon-type begin to waver.

Zinnia turns to Lee. "What about you, Dolittle? Got anything to do in town? And since Little Hero here brought it up, any ideas on who your sixth pokemon will be?"

"I need to pick up a bunch of TMs I ordered from the PokeMart, and probably audit all of my current gear just to be safe," Lee muses aloud. "As for a sixth pokemon, that's still up in the air. I've been looking at various breeders while we've been on the road—"

Zinnia seems both amused and exasperated as Lee mentions breeders. Brendan simply nods along as if he was expecting the answer.

"—and I've got a few promising ones picked out that I want to visit," Lee continues. "If I can't get my hands on either a bulky fighter or a healer, then I might have to ask you to help me hunt a Dragon, Zinnia."

Zinnia grins in reply, and it's positively feral.

"What kinds of TMs did you get?" Brendan asks, looking at Lee with a raised eyebrow. "Since you know how to make moves, I figured you wouldn't need TMs."

Lee hesitates and looks to the side of the road, watching a Dustox flit and flutter in the shade of a distant tree. "After all the unpleasantries back on Mount Chimney, I decided that there were some gaps that need to be closed immediately in my team's repertoire. On a more long-term side, this also introduces them to new forms of TE, which makes learning more moves later on easier."

Brendan nods slowly. "Makes sense. Heck, I might see what TMs the Fallarbor Pokemart has on hand now that you mention it. So, what did you get?" When Lee recites the shopping list, Brendan's eyes are wide long before the last TM is named. "Jeez. How much did that run you?"

When Lee remains silent, Brendan's face twists into pity. "That bad, huh?"

"Arm and a fuckin' leg," Lee mutters. "I'm going to have to fly back to Mauville and give Silph another new move to cover the tab."

Before long, the trio enters Fallarbor proper, and the well-trodden dirt road transitions into asphalt and sidewalks. The town is on the smaller side, without much in the way of distinguishing features, so the trio hurry along down the main street, swiftly finding the PokeMart.

Upon entering the shop, everyone scatters to grab what they need. Lee himself sticks close to the front of the building and finds a wall to lean against. Pulling his backpack off and placing it on the ground, he unzips it and peers at the disorganized mess within with a critical eye.

Ninetales apparently takes the stop as her cue to release herself. On Lee's belt, her ball shakes, then pops open in a flash of light, depositing the fox at his side.

'Ah ah! I won't hear any protest!' Ninetales heads Lee off before he can turn his head towards her. 'The air is not filled with soot or anything that may bother my lungs, and I have spent most of the last week within my ball. Two weeks of recovery is enough.'

Lee grumbles. He sucks in a deep breath himself, and Nine, already knowing his intentions, synchronizes her breathing with his, letting him compare his own breath with hers. The disembodied feeling of Nine's sternum expanding and contracting is as easy as can be expected. She's not yet back to where she was before the volcano, but she's in a better place, certainly.

With a mental sigh, Lee gives in to Nine's demand. 'Okay. Tell me if you get winded, though, alright?'

'Beloved, you can tell when I am hungry before I do these days,' the vixen says with a roll of her eyes. 'But yes, if it makes you feel better, I promise to speak up.'

'That's all I ask.'

After spending a few minutes taking stock of his supplies, Lee, with Ninetales in tow, explores the PokeMart for a bit. After grabbing a Mart basket, Lee stops by the Flying aisle and grabs some goggles along with a face scarf, which will make flying on Corviknight that much better. After that, they move to the Electric aisle and get a new multimeter for Shinx, who has outgrown her current one. The little kitten is now pushing over fifty thousand volts at forty milliamps, enough that a multimeter rated for 'weak' Electric-types is topping out.

'My baby is growing too fast.' Lee gives the cartoonish Raichu on the multimeter packaging a bittersweet smile and drops it into the basket. 'Maybe I should see if I can find a battle for Shinx before we leave for the Draconid village.'

After gathering a few other things of a more mundane variety, Lee and Ninetales walk over to the front of the store, where all of the locked displays are. Behind the glass displays are the usual expensive things, like pokeballs, high-end medicine, a few middling-grade evolution stones, and a handful of the things that Lee is really interested in.

Held items.

The various Leagues around the world all have their own rules on special equipment that pokemon can take into battle with them, but many of the general guidelines are the same. Typically, a pokemon can only enter an official match with a single item, be it a berry, a tool, or a weapon. The rule is good to have, and was implemented after some goober gave his Bewear a whole sack of Sitrus berries in an official tournament back in the day, but the rule is less important than most think.

Many items that passively enhance the performance of pokemon, like Grovyle's Miracle Seed, do their mysterious work by radiating Type Energy in sync with their wielders. If two items are in too close proximity to each other, then the TE radiated by each item will conflict with the other, causing a greatly diminished effect. This isn't the case with all items, but it affects enough that most trainers don't see the point in experimenting.

Lee learned all that from a recent delve into the world of held items, and he also learned that a number of the more outlandish held items simply don't exist here.

Leftovers, something Lee abused rather egregiously in the video games, isn't a real item here much to his chagrin. Same with the Shell Bell. The Eject Button, Lucky Punch, Ring Target, Rocky Helmet, and a number of others also have no analogues.

Fallarbor's PokeMart doesn't really have much in the way of desirable held items. Some cellophane-wrapped Power Herbs, White Herbs, and Mental Herbs, a few Smoke Balls, and an empty display where there was apparently a Flame Orb.

'Looks like I'm going to have to suffer through online bidding wars if I want anything for my team.' Lee sighs. Making a mental note to start watching auctions, he makes his way over to the PokeMart checkout.

---

"Must be quite the order!" the elderly lady manning the cash register comments as she rings Lee's items up and produces a cardboard box labeled "Silph Co." from behind the counter. "The deliveryman had me sign for your package in triplicate."

Lee offers the grandmotherly woman a smile as he hands over his debit card. "Hah. Pokemon training supplies just seem to get more and more expensive, don't they?"

"For certain." The cashier clicks her tongue. As she finishes ringing Lee up, she reaches into a transparent tub of bone-shaped biscuits by her cash register. Taking one, she leans over the counter and offers one to Ninetales. "For you, dear."

The fox screws her face up into a mixed expression, like she's not sure if she should be offended at the pet-like treatment or impressed with the elderly woman's bravery. Regardless, Nine takes the offered treat so as to not appear rude. She croons a low, half-hearted thanks as she crunches into the morsel.

'That biscuit tastes better than I would've expected,' Lee thinks to himself, looking at the brand name on the tub before bidding the cashier farewell. 'Better than what the work dogs back at the zoo were trained with.'

'I still don't understand why you felt the need to try your animals' food, Lee.' Ninetales rolls her eyes and licks her lips, cleaning up any errant crumbs.

'I wouldn't feed anyone or anything in my care any food I wouldn't eat myself.'

Outside the Mart, both Zinnia and Brendan stand, having finished their shopping before Lee and Ninetales have. As the man and fox approach they pick up what the other two trainers are talking about.

"...It doesn't really matter to me." Brendan shrugs. "It would be nice to rest since we've been walking all day, but a few more hours won't kill me."

Zinnia withdraws her phone from her pocket, unlocks it, and opens up her browser. "Let's rest and finish off the trip tomorrow then. Hanging with the Draconids can be pretty exhausting for outsiders, and the last thing you want to do is appear vulnerable around a bunch of Dragons." She looks up, finally noticing Lee and Ninetales. "There you guys are! Little Hero and I were just discussing getting a hotel for the night. Like I was saying, you might want to be rested up. It will also give me some time to give you guys an idea of what to expect."

Lee nods easily. "Sure. I was hoping to try and scrounge up a battle or two for Shinx, anyway."

---

With Fallarbor being on the small side for a town and in a part of Hoenn without a Gym, the town isn't well-equipped for accommodating traveling trainers, forcing Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan into a two-bed room in an older inn. A grumbling Brendan loses the three-way rock-paper-scissors game for the beds, and is forced to take up residence on the pullout couch.

Once their things are situated in the room, they venture out to a nearby park with several packed dirt battlegrounds scattered around. Claiming a corner of the park to themselves, Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan release their pokemon for a late lunch. Once all the various food bowls are passed out, the trio of trainers all sit down at a nearby picnic table and dig into their own lunches. By the time they've sat down, Ninetales and Shelgon have both finished their food. Each pokemon returns to the side of their respective trainers to better listen in on the coming conversation.

"Alright, let me give you boys the rundown of how things work in the Draconid tribe!" Zinnia exclaims, twiddling the last bit of a sandwich between her fingers. After wolfing down the last bite, she continues. "First and foremost, don't take shit from anybody. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but I'll point out who to avoid as we encounter them."

"Don't take shit from anyone, huh?" Lee asks, raising an eyebrow. "Zinnia, if we're guests in the tribe, shouldn't we not rock the boat?" he asks, Brendan nodding along next to him. "Starting fights seems counterproductive."

Zinnia shakes her head, making her dark locks bounce. "No. That's where you're wrong. Most of my tribesmen won't bother you, but it'll reflect poorly on you if you don't rise to a challenge, or at least call them out. If someone wants to get in your face and be rude, challenge them to a pokemon battle, and don't pull your punches. Fuck their whole day up," she insists.

'Perhaps this visit will be more fun than expected if that is the first rule.' Ninetales' eyes shine.

Zinnia's voice then shifts, and it sounds as if she's chewing on rocks. "Go ma rok ja gan, taz tu ke ganzha. Yor skol, vaz belkan gan'hrus," she recites in a tongue that sounds as if a human mouth shouldn't be able to speak it. "Most everyone in the tribe speaks Galarian, but if they don't, or if they're being a jerk, hit 'em with that and they have to agree to a battle to save face. I'll write it down later, along with a couple of other phrases for you guys to practice."

"Your tribe's first language isn't Eng—Galarian?" Lee corrects his slip-up at the last second. He goes to reach for his notebook, but when he reaches into the backpack leaning against the picnic table, the cardboard box of TMs gets in the way. Already, the foreign words he's heard only once are a chore to recall, but he can feel Ninetales snatching up the info into her steel-trap of a mind for later.

Zinnia shrugs and makes a 'so-so' gesture with her hand. "Spoken Draconid has a ton of loanwords at this point, so it really depends on how you look at it. Back to the topic at hand, though, don't let anyone push you around, otherwise everyone will think they can push you around. A Draconid Tribesman can smack down a regular trainer without any issues, but you boys shouldn't have too worry about much. Like I said, I'll point out the exceptions when we come across them."

"What's the phrase you told us mean?" Brendan asks, leaning forward in open interest.

Zinnia thinks to herself for a moment. "If you're going literally, it means, By my right as a warrior, I challenge you to a duel. Raise your head, or be known as a coward!" she recites with a dramatic flair of her cloak. "Kinda lengthy and corny, but that's how the Draconids have told each other to nut-up or shut-up for generations."

A guffaw escapes Brendan's mouth, and Lee can't help the amused smile that plants itself on his face.

Nut-up or shut-up, bitch! Said a Dragon Tamer to another once upon a time. What a thought.

"Next up, if someone decides they have a problem with me, don't step in. Just let me handle it," Zinnia continues, a frown finding its way to her face. "I… It's the right of the Draconid Lorekeeper to pick their successor, but it really ruffled a lot of feathers that Aster picked me over anyone else, so it's entirely possible that someone might decide that they have a problem with me," she admits, rubbing a fray in her cloak with her fingers. She looks at the fray with eyes that are suddenly wistful, then returns her attention to Lee and Brendan. "Since the Lorekeeper is supposed to be the most resilient member of the tribe, it will look really bad if I have someone jump to my aid. No matter what gets said or what you want to do, let me handle it."

What? Lee furrows his brows. He shares a glance with Ninetales, then with a deeply frowning Brendan. He then sends a look to Shelgon, who stares back with narrow, serious eyes. 'I can understand the reasoning, but…'

"Are you suuure?" Brendan asks, dragging out his words as if Zinnia will reconsider.

"A hundred percent sure." Zinnia crosses her arms. "I'm a big girl, Brendan. I'm not going to get upset if someone says something mean to me. If they really get out of line, I'll trash them in a battle and they lose their right to complain."

Brendan looks none too happy, but doesn't complain further.

Once she receives no more protest, Zinnia clears her throat and continues on. "Okay, next on the list are our laws."

Zinnia leads Brendan and Lee through a number of other rules and things worth knowing, like how the tribal land has its own sovereignty and that many of Hoenn's laws don't apply, how fully-evolved Dragons should be verbally referred to as a superior regardless if they are around to hear it or not, how the handful of tribe elders should be addressed, some Spoken Draconid phrases, and a smattering of other things, all delivered with such enthusiasm that Brendan begins to nod off.

After Zinnia promises to give them a refresher before they leave in the morning, Brendan gets up and makes himself scarce, off to scrounge up a battle. Before Lee can rise and leave, however, Zinnia stops him.

"Hey, Lee?" Zinnia begins, slowly grinning. "How about a battle? Swablu needs just one more solid push to evolve, and I don't think any of the local trainers are going to cut it," she says, throwing a look over her shoulder.

Lee follows her gaze, taking in the sight of a young boy and his Makuhita, who are embroiled in a clumsy match against a teenager and his Zigzagoon. 'It's not really fair to compare one of Zinnia's pokemon to pokemon raised by casual trainers, but yeah, I get where she's coming from.'

"Swablu, huh?" Lee rubs his chin. 'I wanted to see if I could find a rookie to use as a first challenge for Shinx… Buuuut it has been quite a while since Zinnia and I had a battle.' He looks down at the box of TMs within his bag. 'It would also be a good excuse to get started with our new moves.'

After a moment of thought, Lee slowly nods. "Sure. I'm down."

Zinnia's reply is a feral grin. She turns on her heel and calls to her pokemon. "Swablu!"

The little cotton-winged bird looks up from her lunch bowl, which she is just polishing off.

"Get ready for a battle! We're evolving you today!"

Swablu's eyes light up, and she takes to the air, quickly finding her way to Zinnia's shoulder with an excited trill.

As Zinnia and Swablu go to secure a battleground, Lee looks over his pokemon, who are all either finishing their food or are already done.

"Humor me and get another few days of rest before you return to battling, okay Nine?" Lee says aloud, stroking Ninetales behind her ear. "For me?"

The fox huffs, visibly displeased even as she leans into Lee's touch. 'Very well…'

Lee looks over Corviknight, and the giant crow stares back without bothering to step forward, likely already knowing Lee's decision. 'Yeah, Corvi is a really bad matchup for Swablu. That wouldn't be a very fair match.'

Grovyle pretends to not care as Lee's eyes skip over him, but the downward turn of his lips is obvious to anyone who looks. 'Sorry, Grovyle. I really want you to recover a little more, and walking into a match with a type disadvantage like that is counterintuitive to that goal.'

Shinx, who is sleepily basking in the sun after her meal, is also discounted. 'She might have a type advantage, but Swablu is simply too experienced. That just leaves…'

Octillery slithers forward on his tentacles, standing ready.

"Already figured it out, huh?" The zoologist gives Octillery a smile. "Swablu is going to be a pretty harsh fight, but if anyone can figure out a new move on the fly, it would be you, wouldn't it, bud?"

Octillery's eyes widen as Lee reaches into his backpack and withdraws the Silph Co box.

While all of Lee's pokemon were excited by the news of new moves on the horizon, Octillery was by far the most fascinated. The very concept of TMs seemed to amaze him, and he's been the most impatient of them all, waiting for the group to finally make it to Fallarbor.

All at once, Octillery's carefree self is replaced with a laser-focused machine, one locked on to the box of TMs. He breaks his staring contest with the cardboard to give Lee an irritated glare, as if asking what he's waiting for.

"Geez, I can feel the daggers coming out of your eyes," Lee jokes, holding the box out and letting Ninetales hook a claw into the tape sealing the cardboard shut. Once the top pops open, he stares down at the neatly packaged disks within, each one devoid of its cringy outer box and secured in labeled plastic cases.

"Let's see…" Lee leafs through the TMs with his fingers, stopping on a case of translucent purple. Picking it up, the label reads 'Psychic.' "Here we are! Okay, let's get this show on the road," he says, taking Octillery's pokeball from his belt and pointing it at the narrow-eyed octopus. "Return!"

In a flash, Octillery is sucked back into his ball.

Opening the TM case, Lee slots the center hole of the disk on the pokeball button, gives the button a tap, and holds his hand clear as the disk spins up on a thin cushion of TE. After a few seconds, the disk whines, then cracks and crumbles away, turning to dust before it hits the ground. Some of the dust finds its way onto Ninetales' head tuft, and the vixen shakes herself vigorously to be rid of the filth.

A grin rising to his face, Lee brushes the TM dust off his shirt, opens the pokeball, and lets Octillery back out in the grass. When the light of the pokeball fades, the octopus' eyes are as wide and disbelieving as can be. He looks down at his primary pair of tentacles, as if seeing them for the first time.

"…?" Octillery lets out a mystified breath and shakes his head.

'Do you feel any different?' Ninetales questions aloud, her words coming out as a foxy croon. 'If you do not, envision Psychic as a limb you cannot see.'

Octillery blinks, then focuses on the empty TM case lying on the picnic table. With a hesitant gurgle, he raises a tentacle.

The case lifts up in a corona of violet and floats into his grasp without so much as a dip.

Lee can feel his wallet suddenly hurt, as Octillery's eyes take on a positively voracious light.

---

"Ready?" Zinnia calls from the other side of the battleground.

Around the battleground are a handful of spectators, no more than five excluding Brendan. The locals took a single look at Zinnia and backed off, unwilling to act as the referee which left Brendan with the duty.

On Zinnia's side of the field, Swablu is already hovering and lets out an eager trill.

"Ready!" Lee calls back staring at Octillery's back. In a quieter voice he says, "Remember, bud. If you can't manage to use telekinetic locomotion safely, then save it for some calmer training."

Octillery waves him off with a tentacle. 'Great. Didn't listen to a word I said…'

Looking between Lee and Zinnia, Brendan grins and raises a hand. "If both battlers are ready…" He chops his hand down. "Begin!"

"Octazooka!" Lee immediately starts on the offensive. 'Octillery's ink is heavy and stains like a motherfucker. If we soak her wings with it, Swablu will be a sitting duck for a follow-up… Or a sitting Farfetch'd? Sitting Ducklett? Agh!'

"Mist!" Zinnia orders a split second later.

Octillery sucks in a breath, puckers his lips, and then, with a sonic crack, fires a screaming bolt of ink at Swablu.

The blue bird tweets in alarm and ducks out of the way with inches to spare. At the same time, she rapidly flaps her wings, which produce a thick, white mist. In no time at all, a dense cloud begins to overtake Zinnia's side of the field.

'No, you don't!' Lee narrows his eyes, already knowing how effective this particular strategy is. "Lock-On!"

Octillery goes still, his eyes shining a bright blue. If one were to look close enough, they would see red rings in the blue glow that rapidly flit across Octillery's field of vision.

"Take Down!" Octillery's sudden lack of movement isn't lost on Zinnia, who grins and orders a rush down.

Swablu bursts out of the mist with a snapping cloak of white energy enveloping her. Like a vengeful meteor, she shoots down towards Octillery, intent on hitting him with the force of a cannon shot.

'Please let this work!' Lee says a prayer in hopes Octillery is as much a genius as he seems. "Strafe right!"

Octillery's entire body suddenly shoots to the right, as if the ground beneath him has turned to slick ice, letting Swablu's Take Down miss by a mile. At least, that's how it would look to an outside observer.

No one but Lee and Octillery know about the cushion of telekinesis that the octopus is sitting on, letting him maneuver with a magnitude of freedom his tentacles alone would never afford him.

"What the fuck?" Zinnia's grin falters, and Swablu aborts her failed Take Down to stare at Octillery in befuddlement.

Octillery, meanwhile, drags a pair of tentacles along the packed dirt of the arena, slowing his rapid slide to a stop. The look he gives Swablu is almost diabolically smug.

'Definitely have some work we need to put into it.' Lee looks at the skidmarks left behind by Octillery's tentacles. 'Particularly the stopping part. But I'll be damned if that wasn't an amazing first attempt.' He shakes his thoughts away and gets his head back in the battle. "Octazooka!"

Another bolt of supersonic ink blasts from Octillery's maw, aimed squarely at the wide-eyed Swablu.

"Cotton Guard!" Zinnia doesn't bother ordering a dodge after Octillery's Lock-On.

Swablu crosses her wings in front of herself as they puff up to twice their size providing a downy layer of armor. When Octazooka smashes into her, drenching her wings as Lee planned, Swablu is thrown spinning through the air with a pained cry. She spreads her wings and struggles to right herself, but even flapping as hard as she can, it's all she can do to maintain altitude with her sullied wings.

"Back into the Mist, then use Refresh!" Zinnia is leaning forward now, her face hardening into focus.

'Refresh? That heals status conditions like poisoning, burns, and whatnot. Can it clear off contaminants like ink as well?'

"Charge Beam, don't let her go!" Lee pushes the offensive.

"Dragon Pulse, counter!"

Octillery narrows his eyes and, with minimal flourish, throws his head forward, shooting a crackling stream of electricity as thick as a man's arm at the retreating bird.

Flying backwards as best she can with her ruined wings, Swablu opens her beak and, with a furious screech, expels a whirling beam of blue.

Charge Beam and Dragon Pulse meet at the halfway point in the field, pushing against each other for only a moment before both destabilize and explode with a bone-rattling Bang! In the wake of the explosion is a rain of sparks and hissing wisps of Dragon TE, obscuring Swablu from sight. When the aftermath fades away, Swablu is nowhere to be seen.

Lee's eyes shoot to Octillery, and he's pleased to see that the Water-type is already re-casting Lock-On.

Octillery looks over his shoulder towards Lee, waiting for a signal.

'Zinnia has to realize that Octillery is Locked-On again, so she's going to counter with another attack, likely Dragon Pulse, and probably try to close the distance. Ice Beam would beat Dragon Pulse in a stalemate, but is Octillery's slowest beam attack, so with that in mind…'

"Aurora Beam!" Lee orders.

"Swablu, Dragon Pulse!"

Octillery's eyes track something in the dense mist that Lee cannot see and, fast as can be, the octopus spits a flashing beam of rainbow-colored light into the wall of white.

A raging Dragon Pulse flies out to meet Octillery's attack, but unlike with Charge Beam, Aurora Beam plows through the Dragon-type attack, dissipating it with some difficulty to lance through the mist.

Cra-Boom!

Aurora Beam hits home, and Swablu's shrill shrieks draw winces from both Lee and Zinnia.

The Mist rapidly clears without Swablu consciously holding it together. As it does, it reveals Zinnia's little bird panting harshly, barely able to stay aloft. Refresh cleaned off Swablu's wings but she now sports several spots of cracked, frostbitten skin from Aurora Beam.

Swablu looks down at Octillery, who stares back up dismissively.

A furious trill building in her throat, Swablu spreads her wings and shrieks in anger. Just as she does so, however, a bright light begins to envelop her.

'This is it!' Lee smiles and pulls out his Pokedex to record everything.

Swablu's downy cloudlike wings grow, expanding across her body until she practically has a full-body covering; her egg-like body morphs, her neck lengthening into something long and graceful, and her tail feathers lengthening with new feathers forming a regal-looking fan.

As the light fades, Swablu is no more, and in her place is a glowering Altaria. The newly evolved Altaria puffs up her chest and releases a nails-on-chalkboard screech.

Lee cringes at the sound. Ugh! She's not even using an attack, and the sound is deafening.

"Yes!" Zinnia's feral grin is back in full force. "Altaria, baby, I knew you could do it! Let's rock!"

Altaria, fresh once more, trills in agreement. Unlike her prior form, the trill is practically musical in nature, as though the sky blue bird might break out into song at any moment. She turns her beady black eyes to Octillery, and within those eyes is an aggression that Swablu never had.

"Take Down!" Zinnia orders, her manic grin growing ever wider.

Where Swablu was fast, Altaria is fast. The bird-shaped Dragon closes the distance between herself and Octillery in a split second, and Octillery can do nothing before he's struck and thrown end over end.

'Shit!' Lee grimaces. "Octillery, back on your feet! She's swooping again!"

Altaria's cloud wings flare out, slowing her damn-near instantly and allowing her to turn towards Octillery, who is shaking the stars from his vision. With a borderline sadistic hiss, she shoots forward like a missile.

Thwack!

Octillery tries to strafe on his telekinetic cushion, but is slammed with another Take Down. This time, he grips the ground with his tentacles and remains upright as Altaria surges past. Octillery lets out a watery groan, his side already beginning to turn into a giant bruise.

'C'mon man, think!' Lee frowns, watching Altaria take to the sky again. 'How do we…' He pauses, eyes drawn to the most vulnerable part of Altaria's anatomy.

Her long neck.

In both his studies and in nature, Lee has seen what happens to long-necked avians who let something get at their most defining characteristic, and it's never good.

I feel a little bit scummy gunning for the obvious weakness, but I owe it to Octillery to try and win this.' Lee grunts. He's yet to net a substantial win with the red cephalopod, though not for a lack of trying. As Altaria again stops on a dime and turns to re-engage, Lee puts his plan in motion. "Octillery! Wait until she gets close, then grapple her! Her neck is her weak point!"

Octillery's eyes narrow, and he holds his main tentacles ready.

Zinnia, however, is having none of that. "Altaria, pull back!" the Dragon Tamer barks.

Altaria doesn't seem to hear Zinnia and keeps charging forward, eyes burning with the desire to harm. She slams into Octillery with another brutal Take Down, rocking the Water-type with a painful impact.

Narrowing his eyes vindictively, Octillery doesn't give Altaria any chance to escape and wraps two of his tentacles around her windpipe, squeezing as hard as he can.

Altaria immediately gags and chokes, desperately flailing to free herself.

"Altaria! Listen to me, dammit!" Zinnia bellows at max volume, frustration plain in her voice. "Fury Attack! Free yourself!"

Altaria continues to struggle, heedless of the words of her trainer.

'What in the world is with this sudden aggression?' Lee wonders. 'Something with her evolution?' Then it hits him. 'Oh shit. Altaria gained Dragon typing with her evolution. Did it mess something up in her head?'

Off to the side of the arena, Ninetales subtly flinches.

Altaria hisses as best she can and snaps her beak almost mindlessly at Octillery, who is visibly straining to keep her from overpowering him.

'Let's not drag this out.' Lee looks away for a moment. "Ice Beam, point blank!"

Octillery takes a deep breath, and then from his nozzle-like mouth comes a beam of pale blue cryo-energy that strikes Altaria directly in the face. Frost crawls over the body of the bird-dragon, who screams and thrashes harder in Octillery's grip. Since she's both Flying and Dragon-type, and both types are weak to Ice, Ice Beam is hitting her four times harder than usual.

The newly-evolved Dragon wavers in Octillery's hold, shivering like a leaf in a windstorm from the brutal cold. Finally, she goes limp and Octillery cuts off Ice Beam, dropping the frostbitten and unconscious Altaria to the ground.

Brendan, still playing the part of the referee, raises a hand and makes the call after a long five seconds. "Altaria is unable to battle! Lee and Octillery are the winners!"

Zinnia sighs and raises her pokeball. "Looks like this is my loss… Altaria, return," she mutters recalling her nearly-frozen pokemon in a flash of light.

"Excellent work, Octillery," Lee praises his pokemon, rubbing a hand on an unbruised bit of Octillery's head. "Damn fine job with your telekinesis. You've only had it for twenty minutes and it's already combat-viable. We'll work on fine-tuning it later."

Octillery nods tiredly, raising a tentacle to lay over Lee's hand.

"Get some rest, bud." Lee smiles, raising Octillery's ball and getting a grateful look in return. "Return."

Like Altaria, Octillery vanishes in a flash. His pokemon secured, Lee walks over to Zinnia, who is staring down at Altaria's ball with a frown. As he walks, Ninetales retakes her usual place at his side.

"Great battle, guys!" Brendan interjects, skidding to a stop before Lee and Zinnia. The boy conspicuously looks at Altaria's ball, but doesn't comment on the blatant disobedience he saw.

"I'm going to guess suddenly becoming a Dragon… did something to Altaria?" Lee gently asks, slipping his hands into his pockets.

Zinnia nods and shrinks the pokeball into its travel form, clipping it to her belt. "Yeah. I knew that she was going to be really testy after evolving but I didn't expect her Dragon aspect to be that strong." Zinnia's smile returns. "Sucks that we lost, but evolving and immediately getting knocked off her high-Horsea probably did Altaria a lot of good in the long run, so thanks for not throwing the match or something because you wanted to spare her feelings," Zinnia smirks. "Knowing you, you probably considered it, didn't you?"

"I didn't, actually," Lee admits, getting a surprised look from the tanned woman beside him. "I thought surrendering or sandbagging would upset you, and I hadn't had a solid win with Octillery yet, so I pulled out all the stops."

"Well, I hope one of you is up for another battle!" Brendan interjects with a wide grin. "Breloom and I managed to get a battle in before you guys started, but it was against a rookie that we had to take it easy on. After watching Octillery and Altaria duke it out, we're all raring for a good one!"

Marshtomp's ball suddenly snaps open on Brendan's belt, materializing the mudfish next to his trainer. As if to punctuate Brendan's statement, Marshtomp lets out a rumbling croak and punches a fist in the air.

'This is what I signed up for when I agreed to travel with battle junkies, I guess.' Lee rolls his eyes and shares a glance with a rather amused Ninetales. "Sure, sure. Do you want to pick your poison, or should it be a surprise?"

Brendan and Marshtomp's identical smiles only grow when Corviknight's ball rumbles, then pops open of its own accord.

They would all later be chased out of the park by a groundskeeper, furious about one of the battlegrounds being rendered unusable.

---

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---

Of all the reminders that Lee now calls an alien world home, the most eerie is certainly the lack of crickets in the early morning.

Zinnia, in her excitement to return to her tribe, woke everyone up not-so-bright, but definitely early, as the sun was only just now beginning its journey over the horizon. Lee was the first to get packed up, leaving him ample time to watch the sunrise, nurse a steaming paper cup of coffee, and muse about how strange a food chain without insects is.

Indeed, pokemon outclass animals so thoroughly when it comes to survival that not even insects can compete. Mosquitoes, crickets, bees, cicadas, and every other noisy invertebrate that existed as background noise on Earth are wholly supplanted by their pokemon counterparts here, leaving the morning peaceful. So peaceful, in fact, it nearly feels unnatural.

'I'll have to dig into the subject of botany, sometime,' Lee thinks to himself while taking a sip of his coffee. 'With no insects actively pollinating plants, the plants themselves have to have become more aggressive when it comes to reproduction. Even with bug and grass-types assisting in pollination, there must still be some slack that the plants themselves are picking up.' As he thinks that, he looks to his side.

Joining him in watching the sun outside the hotel is Grovyle, who needed even less time to prepare than Lee. All Grovyle had to do was apply a softening ointment to the slowly healing burn scars around his body, eat his breakfast, and then he was ready.

'What is everyone else up to?' the zoologist wonders. He can vaguely hear what's going on around Ninetales in the hotel room and feel a faint annoyance that is not his own. It certainly sounds like Brendan and Zinnia are still tidying up. 'They sure are taking their sweet time, especially when Zinnia's the one who wanted us to wake up so early.'

Concentrating, Lee taps deeper into Ninetales' senses, letting his own become muted.

Through Ninetales' eyes, he sees the disgruntled vixen with the scruff of Shinx's neck held in her teeth. Together, the fox and pouting kitten wait outside the bathroom for Brendan to finish his shower.

'What happened?' Lee asks.

'Shinx, Goomy, and Electrike decided it was a grand idea to play beneath the beds despite being told that it's filthy down there.' Lee is sure that if Ninetales' mouth was free, she would click her tongue… Or at least try. Making such a sound is tricky with a muzzle.

Nine then turns her head, letting Lee see a frowning Mawile tongue-bathing Electrike, who shivers with each lick from Mawile's croc-like mouth. Behind them, Zinnia is wiping down a sheepish Goomy with some wet wipes on a bed. In the background of it all Lee spies Marshtomp and Octillery washing out the breakfast dishes in the kitchenette sink. Naturally, Octillery is flexing his new telekinesis for the job, picking up dishes and drying them off with a rag without so much as raising his tentacles. The ease with which the cephalopod has taken to the skill draws an envious pang from Ninetales.

'I'm going to bathe Shinx, pack our dishes, and perform a headcount, then we should all be ready. I'll return our room keys to the innkeeper and bring your bag out shortly,' Ninetales concludes.

'Do you want any help?'

A warm wave of gratitude flows from the fox into Lee's psyche, but she refuses. 'I can manage, Beloved, but thank you. Enjoy the morning away from the helm for once.'

Lee is sure he's physically smiling. 'You're the best.'

'Don't you forget it!'

Returning to reality, Lee is just in time to see Grovyle giving him a strange look. 'Oh, whoops,' Lee thinks to himself, somewhat embarrassed. 'I was standing there staring at him while talking to Ninetales. That probably looked a little creepy.'

Tilting his head just a bit, Grovyle lets out a short, inquiring warble in his throat. "Something you need?" the sound seems to say.

"Sorry about that. I was talking with Ninetales," Lee says in reply.

Nodding easily, Grovyle turns back to the sun, watching it rise with crossed arms.

Arms covered in a smattering of burn scars.

Unbidden, Lee reaches up and touches his own burns, feeling the stretched, dry skin. Grovyle is dealing with the same taut skin… But scattered across much of his body.

"How are you doing, Grovyle?" Lee asks, sending a gentle look to the mobility-impairing scars on Grovyle's limbs. "Less stiff now? I talked to Fallarbor's Nurse Joy after we left the Pokémon Center last night. After pulling up the records from Lavaridge, she said she's surprised with how far you've already come in your recovery."

Try as he might to remain stoic, Grovyle's yellow eyes take on a disgruntled light. The expression is so subtle that anyone else would have missed it. Grovyle doesn't give a verbal reply, but the rigid jaw clamping down on his signature chewing twig says more than words could.

He's frustrated.

'With Nine's evolution, Corvi's return and evolution, his injuries, and now Octillery learning a new move in one go, Grovyle is probably feeling left behind,' Lee realizes with a hidden frown. 'Or maybe even useless…'

"Grovyle, I can already see what you're thinking, so stop those thoughts about your worth compared to everyone else immediately," Lee orders, reaching out and giving Grovyle's shoulder a short squeeze.

The Grass-type's eyes shoot to Lee's, and Grovyle can't entirely hide his surprise.

"I've seen that look on my own face in the mirror more than once. Are you really so surprised?" Lee looks up at the sun, creeping its way over the trees. "I meant what I said when I swore I would help you get to the very top. Don't sweat things when this journey is nowhere near over."

Grovyle slowly turns away and looks back down at the ground, crossing his arms in thought. His twig bounces in his lips, giving away the conflict still playing out within his skull.

'Platitudes aren't going to do anything.' Lee blows a breath out of the side of his mouth and takes another sip of his coffee. Withdrawing his hand from Grovyle's shoulder, Lee slips it into his pocket and drums his fingers on his leg, considering what to say next. While fishing for an idea, Lee looks back down at Grovyle, his eyes gravitating to the leaves on the pokemon's wrist.

It's quite amazing how Grovyle's combat style has evolved towards using his leaves for blade attacks. Mastering Night Slash has been a long road for Grovyle, and X-Scissor is as devastating as ever, but both pale in comparison to Leaf Blade. At this point, Leaf Blade is as instinctual as breathing to Grovyle. Even without any focus on maintaining the move, Leaf Blade is razor-sharp and always bites deep into any foe unlucky enough to face him. Even against Fire-types and other Grass-types, Leaf Blade will leave unforgiving cuts that bleed profusely. Anything that would help Leaf Blade be more effective is sure to raise Grovyle to even greater heights.

Lee's mind suddenly goes back to the night prior, as he was getting ready for bed. Ninetales borrowed his phone to enjoy an e-book before lights out, and she was naturally reading about her favorite subject: history. The fact that she was reading isn't important, but the particulars of what she was reading is.

She was engrossed in feudal military accounts, back when samurai still served in Kanto and Johto. The fox pokemon's reading cited a number of actual manuscripts that the samurai used, one of which was on swordsmanship. According to the manuscript, a properly trained samurai could hold their own against hostile pokemon with nothing but their sword and martial skill in the event that their own pokemon were defeated.

'If humans armed with steel swords can do that…' Lee suddenly sees Grovyle's leaves in a new light. Gifted in the art of battle he may be, but Grovyle has nothing in the way of formal technique. 'Then what is stopping Grovyle from learning those skills and taking them to the next level?'

With a new path suddenly open before him and his second pokemon, Lee smiles and gives Grovyle a nudge. "Say, I think I have a new avenue of training that you might enjoy. It's technical stuff—light enough for you to do while the last of your injuries heal up, but groundbreaking enough that you might use it for the rest of your life."

Grovyle's head turns so fast that a human would've gotten whiplash. Yellow eyes bore into Lee, unable to hide how eager they are.

"I was doing a bit of talking with Ninetales last night, and she was telling me about the warriors in the olden days of Kanto—the samurai and their skills as swordsmen," Lee continues. "If the manuscript she was reading is correct, then regular humans could hold off pokemon who were trying to tear them up with swords and technique alone. What if we learned those same techniques and applied them to you?" Lee smiles, then looks at Grovyle's wrist leaves. "How good are you at changing the shape of your Leaf Blade?"

Rather than verbally reply, the Grass pokemon holds a hand out, one of the leaves hardening into his standard reverse scythe blade. The blade flattens out into a thick, imposing cleaver that runs down his whole arm. A moment later, the cleaver transforms into a long, rail-like blade with a gentle curve.

"Right there! That's what we're looking for!" Lee smiles. "Can you invert the curve and bend it forward, so you can hold it and manipulate it with your hand?"

Grovyle tilts his head and looks at the thin Leaf Blade. With a sound like warping sheet metal, the curve inverts, and the base of the blade bends forward, running along Grovyle's forearm and extending past his claws. Narrowing his eyes in concentration, Grovyle rolls the edges of the razor-sharp blade nearest to his claws into a rudimentary handle, then bends it one last time, making the 'handle' slap into his waiting palm. It leaves him holding a green glowing 'katana' of roughly four feet.

Lifting his newly styled Leaf Blade, Grovyle gives it a few test swings, and the thin weapon slices through the air with a quiet hum. Like the combat savant he is, his eyes widen as he realizes how much easier it is to manipulate his weapon when he's gripping it in his hand. All it takes is experiencing it firsthand.

"Combine some tried-and-true techniques with your new sword, and throw in the absorbing attack we're still working on, and you should be able to slice competitor after competitor to ribbons and still be fresh as when you first stepped into the ring," Lee says, watching Grovyle slowly rotate his wrist, pulling Leaf Blade along. "Does that sound like something you would be interested in?"

The look Grovyle gives his trainer is almost offended.

With a chuckle, Lee turns back to the sunrise. "I'll get copies of those manuscripts, and we can get started on the basics tonight."

For the first time in weeks, Grovyle smiles.

---

Once the rest of the crew have finished packing up, they join Lee outside. Ninetales, carrying Lee's pokeballs and bag in her telekinetic grip, pads over to Lee upon arriving, letting him don the bag and return Grovyle, holstering the pokeballs on his belt. Once all is said and done, Zinnia takes point and they begin the trek to the west towards the Draconid village through the valley.

As they walk, they begin to leave the range of the psychics guarding Fallarbor from the effects of the falling volcanic ash. Halfway into their trip and after a turn leading them southwest along the mountain range, the landscape around them has transformed into a dry, rocky, and, above all else, sooty environment, much to the dismay of Ninetales, whose coat attracts filth like a magnet. The trees are small and gray, with harsh shrubs and other short foliage making up most of the plant life. They pass few wild pokemon during the trek, and the ones they do pass are those of notable hardiness, such as Sandshrew, Skarmory, and a trio of Koffing, to name a few. It's only a short time later that they come upon a fork in the road without a sign, and Zinnia leads them along the right-hand path, making a sharp turn towards the northwest and through a dirt path much less trodden than the one they were on.

Upon the third hour of walking, Zinnia speaks up during a lull in the idle chatter of the group. "Not much longer now…" she murmurs. "The edge of the Draconid sovereign land is coming up, so remember what I told you guys: most of Hoenn's laws don't apply, don't let people walk all over you, and just play it cool around fully-grown Dragons. We might run into a sentry, and if we do, let me do the talking."

"How does the law thing work?" Brendan asks, sending a distrustful look toward the snaking path ahead. "Like, how did your tribe get exempt from the law? I've never heard of such a thing, and you'd figure that something as unusual as a whole village with self-sovereignty would be common knowledge."

Lee, already seeing the parallels from Earth, has a few guesses as to why.

'Seems eerily like a Native American reservation,' Ninetales observes, mirroring his thoughts. 'And considering the phobia of death that the Pokémon League has...'

Zinnia shoots Brendan a sardonic smirk. "The Draconids and the growing central government of foreign settlers got into it hundreds of years ago."

'Called it,' both Lee and Nine think at once.

"The fighting got pretty nasty near the end, but ended in a cease-fire before someone got the upper hand," Zinnia continues. "The Draconids got perpetual ownership of their ancestral land, monuments, and strongholds, no questions asked, and the rest of Hoenn got to expand into previously uninhabited areas." She fingers a pokeball on her hip, and the ball wiggles in reply. "I'm not surprised you've never heard about it. The League probably doesn't want to dredge up unpleasant history, and the Draconids don't believe in taking credit for the victories of others—even those of our own ancestors."

'A cease-fire? That's a better ending than I could've hoped for,' Lee thinks and nods. "Interesting stuff. Do the Draconids keep historical accounts written in Galarian? I'd love to take a look, if they are."

Zinnia sends him a smile as if she was expecting the question. "There's a handful of translated books that the elders keep. I'll ask for you."

The winding path eventually straightens out, leading up to a hill and under a wooden arch with a signpost upon the top. In scratchy lettering, the sign reads "Freksaran."

Hanging on the underside of the sign like an insect is a Vibrava, who eyeballs the group warily as they approach. Just a few feet away from Vibrava and leaning against one of the sign supports with his arms crossed is a man roughly Lee's size, with tanned skin and dark hair similar to Zinnia.

As they approach, the unknown man gives them a warning look and stands straight. His sharp red eyes lock onto Zinnia. "Thelban, tu yul terug? Frax se tu yul ke tuk?" he says, each word rough and accusing. Above him, the Vibrava flutters its wings.

"Ah, tu yul, vaz suf belon," Zinnia replies in kind, taking a challenging step forward. Behind her back, she gestures for Lee, Ninetales, and Brendan to stay still. "It's rude to speak such around non-speakers, you know this."

The Draconid tribesman doesn't seem impressed by Zinnia's words. "Pazen, vaz fo raen jir tu ma se? Ja Thelban, tu yul vrih ke inke, vaz tu nara jir fo tu yul frax ke parsa." He aims a hard gaze at Lee and Brendan. "Frax lat ke se yul shud, vo'ganhrus, zuk ma sifrih vaz bel ja tu yul giv fon ma geld."

Zinnia actually growls. The noise sounds like a human throat should be unable to create it. "They are neither dishonest nor weak," she grinds out. "I wouldn't have brought them here if they were. Perhaps you would like to test one of them yourself?"

Ninetales takes that as her cue to step forward, baring her teeth in a bowel-loosening snarl with her tails whipping behind her.

The sentry's face hardens and for a moment Lee fears that a battle is the only way they'll be able to pass. After a long second, the tribesman sighs, easing his stance and raising a hand to his Vibrava who also calms down. "Very well. Enter, if you must," he says gruffly. "Mind yourselves, outsiders. Visitors have been too common a sight recently, and each more a nuisance than the last. Take care not to follow a similar path."

"Visitors have been a common sight?" Zinnia questions, her eyes narrowing. "Who's been snooping around?"

The sentry clicks his tongue. "Who hasn't is a better question. We expelled a tall woman with dark hair a week ago who claimed she merely wished to rest here. She began to put her nose where it did not belong, asking questions she has no right knowing the answers to. Questions that she should not even have the idea to ask."

'A tall woman with dark hair?' Lee frowns, his mind going to the female admin of Team Aqua. 'What are they looking around here for? Can Archie not use Mega Evolution yet?'

Zinnia's eyes narrow further. "I see. We'll keep that in mind," she says, offering the guard a shallow incline of her head. "Belin guz yara."

The Draconid man nods. "Belin guz yara, Thelban."

With that, Zinnia beckons Lee, Ninetales, and Brendan along, and all four pass beneath the gate.

"Can we expect confrontations like that to be common?" Lee asks once they are a distance away from the gate. "Battling is fun and all, but…"

With a tired sigh, Zinnia shakes her head. "No. The sentries are specifically told to be hardasses. Not everybody is going to be like him. In fact, we shouldn't be bothered for a while. I'm going to need to do some sweet talking to convince the elders to let you guys into the Meteor Falls stronghold. My grandmother is one of the elders and should be the easiest to convince, so we will start with her. After that, I'll show you guys to my place so we can relax a bit. We might be here for a few days."

Brendan audibly hums. "Is there any special reason we need to go to the stronghold? If it's going to be a pain to get in, why don't we train here?"

The Dragon Tamer opens her mouth to answer, then stops, apparently reconsidering her words. "The village is secure, but the stronghold is extremely secure. I don't want anything we say to be heard by anyone who doesn't need to. Plus, there are some—" she hesitates, "—other reasons why we should train there. I'll talk about it more when we actually get there."

The young Birch frowns at the non-answer, but doesn't pester Zinnia further.

As they descend the hill, Lee looks down at the village nestled below, taking everything in with a critical eye.

"Village" is a generous term, as the hamlet can't possibly be home to more than a few hundred people. The humble buildings and houses, though relatively modern, bear signs of age and hand-worked upkeep. Around the edges of the village, there are a number of houses where the sparse electrical lines don't reach, and around those houses are what look like unpainted gazebos of impressive size. Only after squinting at one with a Flygon occupant beneath does Lee realize the gazebos are, in fact, covered Dragon nests.

The village has four main streets, which intersect in the middle at a large plaza. Up and down the streets and around the plaza are various businesses, though more rustic than anywhere else in Hoenn to his knowledge. The most prominent and easily recognizable thing on display is a great stone monument in the central square of the village. Even so far away, Lee can make out most of the individual Dragon pokemon of the monument, who are all nesting in a circle around a massive stone Salamence, whose head is raised high and defiant. The monument must be at least three stories tall, as it stands taller than any building. The symbolism isn't lost on Lee.

"Here we go…" Lee whispers as they make their way into the village proper. Lee keeps his eyes forward and his face schooled so as to not look nosy, but Ninetales has no such reservations and looks around for him, wordlessly offering her sense of sight.

It only takes a minute to confirm that Zinnia's tanned skin, dark hair, and to a lesser extent, her red eyes must be genetic, for nearly all the people they pass on the road share the same traits. Exceptions pop up here and there, mostly with eye color, as a number of curious Draconids have non-red eyes, and there is even a teen girl with the Draconid tan, but possessing vibrant red hair and yellow eyes. The only person that doesn't match is a blonde, fair-skinned man holding hands with a Draconid tribeswoman.

'Probably married into the tribe,' Lee muses.

The sheer abundance of young Dragon-pokemon is also mind-boggling. It seems as if for every person, there is a Dragon with them. Dratini wrapped around a man's shoulders like a scarf, a Bagon having his steel-like head polished with a rag by an elderly man, a Druddigon walking by holding the handles of a wicker bassinet gingerly in his teeth, with the sleeping infant within undisturbed. Countless rare pokemon the average trainer may go their entire life without seeing in person are out and about.

Zinnia leads them all past everything towards the northern border of the village and to a humble two-story home. Nothing about the residence strikes Lee as out of the ordinary.

"Granny's place. Looks the exact same as it did three years ago," Zinnia muses aloud. Stepping forward, she gives the door of the home three firm knocks, then takes a step back.

After a moment of waiting, the lock shifts, the doorknob twists, and the door is pulled open, revealing a diminutive elderly woman who can't be any taller than Brendan. Her gray hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, and her dark skin is weather-beaten, but her eyes shine a red surpassing even Zinnia's, rivaling the likes of Ninetales. Said eyes take on a fond light when they rest upon Zinnia.

"Ah! Tu welkan, my dear!" the elderly woman exclaims, stepping out to embrace Zinnia, who returns the hug with a wide smile. "You return. The years number three, nearly four, and such change they have brought upon you. Timid girl no longer, I see before me a proud woman."

'Timid?' Lee tries to imagine Zinnia acting in such a way, but the image simply won't come to him.

"Thank you, Granny. It's good to be back home." Zinnia's smile only widens as she and her grandmother release their embrace. "I wish I could say this was only a social visit, but my friends and I actually came here with some business in mind."

Zinnia's grandmother turns her eyes to Ninetales first, then to Lee, before finally finishing with Brendan. Where her eyes were warm before, now they are deadly sharp. "How curious. To catch the eye of the Draconid Lorekeeper is an action that brings either ruination or glory. Which will befall you lot, I wonder?"

The way she says that makes a shiver run down Lee's spine.

She then stepped back inside her house, beckoning everyone to follow with a hand. "We shan't waggle tongues upon the stoop. Come! Come inside and be welcome."

Zinnia follows without a second thought.

Brendan and Lee share a look, then step inside, following after Zinnia and her grandmother.

The inside of the home is just as humble as the outside, and quite a bit warmer than the moderate weather out in the village. The door leads directly into the living room, which has its walls decorated with handwoven tapestries and paintings upon stretched skin canvases. In the corner of the room sits a dusty television that looks like it came straight from the 80s, VCR, rabbit ear antennas and all. The furniture—a pair of couches and a lounger of dated appearance—all bear hand-stitched rips.

"Please, rest and relax, o' guests," Zinnia's grandmother insists. "I shall return shortly."

As the woman shuffles away into the nearby kitchen, Lee and Co. all sit-down and make themselves comfortable, with Brendan opting to take Lee's side on one couch while Zinnia sits alone on the other.

When a great snore suddenly shatters the peace, Lee's head shoots to the side.

'Oh… I can see why it's so warm in here…'

Curled up on a rug by the fireplace, over on the opposite side of the room, a fully grown Dragonite sleeps. The great beast's orange scales are marred by crisscrossing scars that sag with age. While not marked up as horrifically as Moore's Ty, the Dragonite certainly bears its own long-standing epic upon his body.

'Maybe he's less fucked up because he won more often..?'

"Don't mind him." Zinnia seems rather nonchalant about the Dragon only a dozen feet away. "Granny's Dragonite sleeps like the dead. The house would have to come down on top of him for him to wake up."

"If you say so…" Brendan says unsurely, and Lee is glad he's not the only one concerned with the pseudo-legend's presence.

The sound of glassware moving in the kitchen breaks up the silence, and, a few moments later, Zinnia's grandmother reemerges with a tray, upon which are four steaming cups of tea. Setting the tray down on a low coffee table, she sits by her granddaughter and offers everyone a smile.

"There, now we may proceed to the pleasantries." She smiles and takes one of the cups, prompting everyone else to also take one.

Lee takes a probing sip of his cup and struggles not to make a face. Whatever is in his cup is strong.

The old woman takes a deep sip of her own without so much as a twitch. Smiling, she sets it back down and begins speaking. "My greetings to you boys. I am Juniper, an elder of the Draconid tribe. Who might you be, to have followed our Lorekeeper to her home?"

Brendan, boisterous as ever, takes the lead with a wide grin. "I'm Brendan Birch, ma'am. It's nice to meet you!"

Juniper's eyes flash in recognition. "Birch, you say? Are you the son of Nigel Birch?" At Brendan's confirming nod, the elder continues. "Ahh. The prowess of Nigel Birch is known far and wide, including here in our lonely corner of Hoenn. Do you pursue the title of Champion?"

"Yes, ma'am," the boy replies and nods. "I'm halfway there with four badges, and I intend to get the other four and go all the way to the Ever Grande Conference."

"Four badges?" Juniper raises an eyebrow. "Are you on your first journey?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Now the elderly woman seems genuinely impressed. "In a story repeated time and time again, it seems as if the son will surpass the father. How interesting!" she says, clapping her hands together once. "Perhaps I will have to have my old television repaired if a fine young man like yourself will be in the Conference."

Brendan blushes and looks away, taking a sip of his tea.

Juniper then turns her attention to Lee, looking at his scars, then to his eyes, then to Ninetales before settling back on his face. "And you, young man, who might you be?"

"Lee Henson, ma'am." Lee inclines his head. "I'm a Lab Trainer under Professor Birch."

The elderly woman takes much longer to consider Lee than she does Brendan. "Do you compete within the gym circuit as well?"

"I do," Lee confirms with a nod.

"And the badges you've acquired?"

"Four. All the same as Brendan."

"Yet." Juniper gives him a piercing look. "The title is not why you compete, is it?"

Lee, having halfway expected some sort of clairvoyant nonsense, smiles awkwardly. "Not really. I…" He stops, remembering what he vowed to himself in the Lavaridge Pokemon Center. "I want to live a peaceful life with my pokemon—" as he speaks, he reaches a hand down, rubbing his thumb on the heart-shaped patch behind Ninetales' ear. The Kitsune smiles and leans into the touch, "—and the best way to do so is to be so strong that no one can ever challenge us," he says, voice resolute. "The gym circuit and the championship is the grindstone we need to make it happen."

Beside him, Brendan looks at Lee with a measure of shock. Zinnia seems to have been caught flat-footed by the declaration as well.

Juniper, however, nods slowly. "I see…" she murmurs. "It has been many years since I've seen such a look in the eyes of a trainer," she says severely. Rather than elaborate, she then turns to Zinnia. "My dear, what is the business that you mentioned earlier? What do you require of me?"

Zinnia schools her face and takes a deep breath before settling her hands in her lap. "Granny, I want to take Lee and Brendan to Meteor Falls."

The old woman raises an eyebrow. "Then do so. One hardly requires permission from me to traverse the luminescent caves. Why, the beauty is something all should behold at least once in their lifetime, for –"

"Granny, don't play coy!" Zinnia scowls. "I mean The Crater."

There's a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Where things were warm and homey a moment ago, suddenly it's as if the air is thick with prickling needles of ice.

Juniper's eyes narrow. "Lorekeeper, you know as well as I do that such a thing is out of the question."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was necessary." Zinnia crosses her arms. "I know I'm asking for a lot, but I need you to work with me here, Granny. Please?" she asks, her tone softening into something uncharacteristically gentle. "I genuinely believe that I need help, and Lee and Brendan are the best for the job."

Zinnia's words ward away the cold atmosphere. Somewhat. From the corner of his eye, Lee can see Brendan's face growing firm, even if he doesn't know what he's required for yet.

The elder falters slightly, but shakes her head. "I cannot allow it."

Now a scowl finds its way to Zinnia's face. "I can't do it alone. The Crater is the best place to get them informed and for us to train. Elder Juniper, I need this."

Juniper shakes her head. "What you ask cannot be done."

"Can't, or won't?" Zinnia counters instantly. "You are the eldest and most esteemed of the elders, and you're telling me that you can't sway the others? You know what's coming, and what is at stake! I'm not asking anymore, I am telling you as the Lorekeeper what I require to do my job!"

"Thelban…" Juniper suddenly switches to Spoken Draconid. Her wrinkled face is twisted in conflict. "Konsidar fo tu yirn von ma. Sifrih mest archa vaz sakred liven inwin do inrik rokam von Metron'fall krate. Frendi vaz nai, frax bel fobid!" she exclaims, standing with her fists clenched, throwing her teacup off of her lap to spill on the floor. "Foolish girl! Such things are guarded to protect our people!"

Zinnia's entire face twists into a snarl. "A lot of fucking good that did for Aster!"

If the air was frigid before, it dropped to absolute zero at the uttering of those words.

Juniper stumbles, stricken. All at once, every single year she's lived seems to physically weigh down upon her, and she falls back to the couch heavily.

"The secret is already out, Elder Juniper…" Zinnia's anger drains away, leaving her visibly exhausted. Her shoulders slump, and her tattered cloak suddenly seems too large for her. "We fought someone several weeks ago, someone who could use Mega Evolution, and he was using it for all the wrong reasons. There's no point in trying to stubbornly pretend that it's sacred or exclusive anymore."

The elder says nothing, merely staring down at her hands. Then, she draws in a shuddering breath. "I see… I see…" she sighs. For several minutes, all is silent as she thinks. Just as the lull stretches into its fifth minute, Juniper speaks. "Very well, you will have my support. I will convene the council of elders and we will speak."

Zinnia inclines her head. "Thank you, grandma."

"Go." Juniper points towards the door, her voice weak. "Go, now. I am weary, and you all disturb me. I wish to rest."

As one, Zinnia, Lee, and Brendan all rise, filing out the door and leaving.

"C'mon, guys," Zinnia mumbles. "My place is just a few doors down."

---

"I'm sure you can have the guest room, Brendan," Lee insists, leaning against said bedroom's door sill and watching Brendan unpack his necessities. "I'll be fine on the couch."

Brendan levels Lee with a raised eyebrow, but doesn't protest further.

Zinnia's home is a small, rustic, one-story affair perfectly suited to a single person, but with three people and their pokemon, it's a bit cramped. With two bedrooms, one small bathroom, a kitchen, and a living room, it has all the very basics required for the house. Unfortunately, that means that someone is going to be sleeping on the couch until they can go to The Crater, which should be the tribal stronghold only accessible by flight that Zinnia mentioned.

'Didn't take Zinnia to be the homeowner type,' Lee thinks, pushing off of the door sill and walking over to the other bedroom. The door is open, so he peers inside, finding Zinnia lying face down on her bed, unmoving.

Lee gives the spartan room a once over. Other than a framed picture of a young, grinning Zinnia standing next to a gently smiling Draconid woman on the nightstand, the room has little in the way of personal effects.

'Is that woman Aster?' the zoologist wonders, noting how the woman is wearing the brown, scale-collared cloak that Zinnia is rarely seen without. He puts the thought out of his mind for now, and instead clears his throat to announce himself. "You okay?"

Zinnia groans into the bed covers. "I'm fine, just exhausted…" With herculean effort, she grunts and pushes herself over onto her back so she can stare at Lee. "I knew that Granny was going to fight at first, but I had no idea she was going to take that much convincing…"

"You know what they say about plans and first contact and all that." Lee shrugs. "Do you want to talk about it?"

His question earns him a smile. "You already know all about Mega Evolution, don't you?"

Lee considers his answer, then nods. "I know the basics, like how you need a keystone, mega-stone, and a bond between the trainer and pokémon to make it all work."

Zinnia sits up and crosses her legs. "That's the gist of it, but did you know that the stones are just training wheels? That Mega Evolution is possible without them?"

That throws Lee for a loop. "N-No. I had no idea." He shakes his head. "I thought that the stones were a hard requirement."

"They aren't, and Aster figured that out too." Zinnia looks up at the ceiling, her face set into a wistful smile. "Like I told you before, she was the Lorekeeper before me, and she was the best one in generations. She was a Dragon Tamer of unmatched skill. It was like she was a Dragon herself, able to just understand pokemon on a level no one has ever seen before, kind of like you, Dolittle. It was a wonder just watching her talk to a pokemon. If anyone was worthy of Mega Evolution, it was her and her Salamence. The only time I've ever seen a pokemon and trainer that close was with you and Ninetales."

'Truly?'

Lee looks down to his side, where Ninetales now stands. So engrossed in Zinnia's words was he that he barely noticed the fox approaching.

Ninetales must have projected her mental voice outward and touched Zinnia, because the Lorekeeper levels Ninetales with a grin. "You better believe it, sister. They were thick as thieves, and could practically read each other's minds without any fancy telepathy. They were so in sync that, when Aster and Salamence battled together, Aster barely needed to say a word." Zinnia's grin begins to fall. "But despite being the best damn Lorekeeper in hundreds of years, the elders still denied her access to the stones needed for Mega Evolution."

'That seems rather foolish…' Ninetales says, blunt as can be. 'For what purpose?'

"Sycamore…" Zinnia hisses distastefully. "He's the regional professor over in Kalos. I think he knew the best way to get the right answer was to give a blatantly wrong one and wait for a correction. If what I heard is correct from some contacts of mine, then Mega Evolution's origin is a subject the really hush-hush upper parts of the regional Leagues like to debate about. Then Sycamore began to get nosy about it over in his home of Kalos, and when no one wanted to share, he made his own theory and touted it as fact. Naturally, someone with more pride than brain cells corrected him and put the Draconid tribe on his radar. Once the elders got wind of it, they got spooked and put everything under lock and key, not even allowing Aster access."

Lee frowns, once more reminded of the amount of cloak and dagger the Pokemon League gets up to.

…Well, not so much the dagger part, but there is certainly a lot of cloak.

"Ancient Draconid texts never mention the use of the stones in the first instance of Mega Evolution, though, and Aster noticed." Zinnia's grin is all but gone now, replaced with a grim face. "She and Salamence puzzled over how to Mega Evolve without the stones for weeks before finally figuring it out, and… when they tried, they…" Zinnia halts, unable to continue past the lump in her throat. "It could have all been prevented."

A shiver runs down Lee's spine, and he shares a look with Ninetales.

Despite her fur, Lee knows the fox's face is pale.

"I see…" Lee finds his voice after a long minute, his mind in a million different places. "I'm sorry if I dredged up any unpleasant memories, Zinnia."

She waves him off. "It's okay, Dolittle. It… It feels good talking to someone about it," she says, a thin smile finding its way to her face. "I'm going to take a short nap and sleep this off, so you make yourself at home, okay? Once I get up, I'll take you guys to Yukkani's for dinner. The village doesn't have much in the way of restaurants, but I'll be damned if Yukkani's isn't top-notch!"

Smiling in return, Lee nods. "Sounds like a good time! Enjoy your nap."

Lee closes the door behind him, leaving Zinnia alone, and walks back to the small living room with Ninetales on his heels. Seating himself heavily on the dusty couch, Lee sighs and idly pets Ninetales when she drapes herself across his legs.

"Okay, Miss Political Intrigue," Lee mutters. "I need you to become a master of Dragon politics overnight so I don't have to deal with all of this shit, okay?"

Ninetales looks at him with an unamused face. 'Pray tell, what do I receive in return?'

Lee pulls her into a tight hug, resting his head on top of hers.

The fox sighs. 'That will have to do, I guess.'

---

Due to the large amount of non-English lines in this chapter, I've included translations below. This is not the Skyrim dragon language as some thought last chapter, but a language I made myself.

Freksaran
Outer Refuge

Thelban, tu yul terug? Frax se tu yul ke tuk?
Lorekeeper, you've returned? Who are these outsiders you have brought with you?

Ah, tu yul, vaz suf belon.
Indeed I have, but enough of this tongue

Pazen, vaz fo raen jir tu ma se? Ja Thelban, tu yul vrih ke inke, vaz tu nara jir fo tu yul frax ke parsa. Frax lat ke se yul shud, vo'ganhrus, zuk ma sifrih vaz bel ja tu yul giv fon ma geld.
Perhaps, but for what reason would I care? As Lorekeeper, you are free to enter, but I do not see why I should allow the outsiders to pass. The last outsiders to come here were dishonest weaklings, coveting our secrets and acting as if we would surrender them for money.

Belin guz yara
Be in good health

Tu welkan
You are welcomed

Thelban, konsidar fo tu yirn von ma. Sifrih mest archa vaz sakred liven inwin do inrik rokam von Metron'fall krate. Frendi vaz nai, frax bel fobid.
Lorekeeper, consider what you ask of me. Secrets most ancient and sacred live within the inner chambers of the meteorfall crater. Friends or no, outsiders are forbidden.

---

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---

(A Borne of Caution x Naruto "What If" Oneshot)

---

"Again, I apologize about the injuries to your ninja, Hokage-sama. My team can get a little jumpy sometimes, especially when things get dicey like that." The scarred man standing on the opposite side of the mahogany desk smiles apologetically. "I probably should have remembered Konoha's storied past with foxes, though in my defense, I did get a handful of throwing stars whipped at my face…"

To say that Sarutobi Hiruzen, 3rd Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, is having a stressful day is a bit of an understatement.

Earlier in the morning, he had a ninja from the gate burst into his office in a great panic, yelling: "The Kyuubi is loose!"

The old man's stomach dropped like a stone.

Without another thought, Hiruzen sent a squad of ANBU Black Ops to find Naruto, and another to follow the gate guard back to assess the situation as he prepared for a village-wide emergency. Once preparations were made, the Hokage looked from the window of the Hokage Tower only to see no giant fox ravaging the village. Befuddled, Hiruzen took his trusty crystal ball from its cabinet and scryed the Kyuubi's container, Naruto.

The boy was perfectly fine. He and his genin team were in the middle of a D-rank mission, reluctantly moving lumber for a construction site.

Hiruzen then focused on his ANBU, following them with his crystal ball.

The ANBU confronted a foreign-looking man holding a passport at the gate, who was looking at them with confusion. Someone else may have mistaken the healed wounds upon the stranger's face for claw marks, but Hiruzen recognized them as burns. He inflicted such wounds on other ninjas during previous wars with depressing regularity.

The second visitor made his blood run cold.

Next to the scarred stranger was a miniature Kyuubi no Kitsune. Its fur gold, and its form delicate, but there was no mistaking a fox bearing nine tails.

One ANBU, who participated in the defense of the village against the Kyuubi over a decade ago, made an overzealous decision to attack in a fit of old trauma. In a flash, he loosed a fistful of shuriken towards the intruders.

The fox was fast as lightning, and from its mouth came a searing beam of white fire to intercept the throwing stars. The beam did not melt the shuriken, but vaporized them.

On the belt of the human stranger, a pair of odd red-and-white spheres enlarged before bursting open. In a flash, there were two new threats. One a great green-scaled reptilian with leaves sprouting from his body, and the other a titanic raven bearing obsidian armor. Once they entered the field, the fight had been decided.

The reptilian was blindingly fast, moving from one place to another as if teleporting. Before two of the ANBU could react, scaly hands reached out and grasped each by their masks before smashing their heads together, concussing both and knocking them unconscious.

The raven cackled and threw a wing wide, kicking up a veritable typhoon that ripped another ANBU off his perch high in a tree. As the ninja twisted midair to get his bearings and land safely, the raven charged him with speed unfitting for a beast of such size, intending to use his whole body as a bludgeon. With a hollow clang and the cracking of bones, the ANBU was down.

The final ANBU clapped his hands together and formed hand seals for a jutsu, only for an invisible force to seize his wrists and ankles, dragging him to the ground and forcing him to kneel before the hateful face of the fox. Try as the ANBU might, even the supernatural strength of a shinobi could not match whatever devilry the fox was working.

In the span of seven seconds, a squad of Konoha's finest were incapacitated.

All three beasts were poised to finish their victims off, and Hiruzen tensed, ready to rush to the aid of his men... but then with a single word from the foreign man, the beasts calmed, and gently gathered the injured ninja so the stranger could treat their wounds.

Needless to say, the second squad of ANBU was told in no uncertain terms to use diplomacy. Against all odds… It worked like a charm. The stranger submitted to his arrest and complied with the orders of the ANBU without so much as a peep.

… Perhaps arrest is a strong word, considering it was a formality at best. The other beasts vanished back into their orbs, but the fox refused to leave the side of the stranger. They certainly received more than one pensive stare as they were escorted through the village and to the Hokage Tower.

Leading up to now…

Hiruzen steeples his fingers and clears his throat. His eyes are on the face of 'Henson Lee', but most of his attention is on the golden fox in his peripherals. "Worry not, Henson-kun," he begins. "Misunderstandings can happen. Your compliance and the first aid rendered to my ninja are most appreciated. Most would not so readily treat their foes with such kindness."

Henson waves Hiruzen off. "Think nothing of it."

With a nod, Hiruzen continues on. "If you would humor me, I would like to know what brings you to our fine village, and who your companions are. You are a unique visitor, to say the least."

"Well," Henson reaches up and strokes his stubble-covered chin. "I'm… I guess you could say I'm a scholar, and I travel quite a bit for my studies. I started off with just zoology, but recently I've been broadening my horizons and studying life in a more general sense. I was interested in getting first-hand accounts on the utilities of chakra and how its users approach their day-to-day lives. After thinking about it, I decided Konoha was the best village to travel to."

Curious.

"Your paperwork stated that you are not a shinobi, Henson-kun, so I assume your companions are for your protection?" The old Hokage asks, finally giving the miniature Kyuubi a look.

Ruby eyes filled with fire stare back.

Hiruzen is no proper sensor, but he doesn't need to be to feel the hot, prickling chakra practically rolling off the fox in waves, saturating the room and making it feel several degrees warmer than it truly is. The chakra lacks the nauseating, miasmic hatred of the Kyuubi, but it's just as overwhelming.

'It's like the Kyuubi was condensed down into a regular fox… And it's here within my village.' The thought is chilling.

Henson smiles and looks to his side, down at the fox. He reaches a hand down and strokes the beast, who smiles and leans into his side, making a warm purring sound in its throat.

The Hokage can see several of the ANBU hidden in the room watching the scene in disbelief.

"That they are," Henson smiles, his tone fond. He schools his face and turns back to Hiruzen, an apologetic smile on his face. "I'm no good in a fight, so my friends have to do so in my place."

"I see…" Hiruzen sorely wishes that he was retired as he ponders his next question. Turning his eyes to spheres on Henson's belt, he frowns. "Are they all of comparable strength?"

Henson nods, confirming the Hokage's worst fears. "Ninetales here is my strongest, but the others are always on her heels."

Nine tales? Did he really make the name of his pet biju a play on words? This is swiftly becoming insane.

"Interesting, interesting..." Hiruzen sighs and tries to stem his mounting dread. There's not one, but six creatures that might be comparable to the Tailed Beasts, all serving at the whim of a random scholar.

Many questions come to the aged ninja's mind. Where did they come from? What are they, truly? Summons, perhaps? But most of all, why would they serve a man who is thousands of times their martial inferior?

"Thank you for indulging me so far, Henson-kun, I promise I am nearly finished with my questions," Hiruzen nods. "Your companions, how do you control them, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ninetales' eyes narrow, and Hiruzen tenses, ready to defend himself at a moment's notice.

"Control?" Henson seems mystified, his brows furrowing. "They're just as intelligent as you and me, so there's not really any 'control' involved. A little love and compassion go a long way in building permanent friendships."

A little love and compassion go a long way in building permanent friendships.

The Hokage was ready to hear anything but that. Mind control jutsu, some sort of slave seal, or even something as mundane as bribery or contracts, but never love and compassion. Hiruzen stares intently at the foreigner, scanning his face, his body, and his stance, only to find no trace of deceit. He replays the words within his head, only to hear no warble of dishonesty.

The man speaks nothing but the truth.

Henson fidgets under the stare, and without a word, Ninetales moves to stand in front of him protectively, guarding the man behind her with a fan of golden tails. Her narrow eyes burn with a fearsome, willful fire.

For a scant second, Hiruzen sees a phantom face beside the fox, one bearing the same firm visage and burning eyes.

Hiruzen sees Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, founder of the village, and the man who brought an end to the warring clans era with The Will of Fire, his philosophy of… love and compassion…

Both Hashirama and Ninetales share the exact same expression.

Hiruzen's eyes widen. Oh, it's so obvious now!

Within Ninetales' eyes is that same Will of Fire.

All at once, the mysterious being before the Hokage is no longer quite as unnerving, and he smiles, his fears draining from his body.

"Thank you for indulging this old man, Henson-kun. One moment, if you please." Hiruzen allows himself to relax. Leaning back slightly in his chair, he opens a drawer and withdraws his wooden pipe. Taking a minute to stuff it with fresh tobacco, he hums and feigns looking for a lighter before looking down at Ninetales. "Might I trouble you for a fire jutsu, my dear? I seem to have misplaced my lighter."

The kitsune raises an eyebrow and gives Hiruzen an unsure stare. Without her moving at all, the tobacco in the Hokage's pipe begins to smolder, seemingly of its own accord.

"Remarkable…" The elderly ninja breathes, looking at the embers in his pipe. No seals, no words, nothing. Just pure chakra manipulation. 'What other wonders can you manage, O Kitsune?'

Hiruzen takes a calming drag from the pipe, then exhales a small cloud of smoke, smiling once more as he does so. "Well, my boy," he addresses Henson, "we've been rather rude hosts so far, so please allow me to be the first to welcome you to Konoha. If it is chakra you wish to study, then perhaps we can accommodate you."

"Oh?" Henson leans forward in interest. "I'd certainly be grateful, but there's no need to go out of your way for me. I understand that I can commission the ninja mission office after doing a bit of paperwork to confirm I'm not a criminal or saboteur, right?"

Hiruzen nods. "Indeed you can, but you see, our Academy recently graduated a number of genin teams, and these children are beginning their advanced training alongside their respective jonin teachers. Some of these children are quite brilliant, and I believe that interacting with them will provide you with a wide and rich data set to work from. If you wish, I can have inquiries sent to the jonin-sensei of a few teams to see if they would mind an academic observer."

Henson's smile lights up the room. "Sounds like an excellent start to me."

If friendship is what Henson and his beasts desire, then friendship they shall have. Konoha shall not turn away such powerful allies.

---

Note: Please don't go nuts and start a power-level war. I'm just assuming Champion-level pokemon are on-par with Kage-level ninja

---

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[Fuggmann]

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---

Grass clippings and fallen leaves whip wildly around in the gale Corviknight's wings kick up as the mammoth bird touches down just outside of Slateport's Pokemon Center. Around the landing site, several people let out startled exclamations and raise their arms, shielding their eyes from the dust.

Astride the raven's back, Lee takes off his flight goggles, pulls down the scarf around his face, and rubs his arms to help chase away the high-altitude chill.

It gets damn cold several thousand feet up in the air, regardless of how tropical Hoenn is.

Once some feeling has returned to his limbs, Lee looks down at the clock in the instrument panel of Corvi's saddle, raising a brow. "We made good time."

Corviknight croaks deep in his throat and looks over his shoulder as Lee dismounts as if to say, "Was there ever any doubt?"

"You're right, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Lee easily agrees, smirking. "Aarons was, though. I don't think he expected us to show up only a few hours after calling, and he certainly didn't expect to see you."

Corvi haughtily chortles.

With deliberations between the Draconid elders on whether or not Lee and Brendan would be allowed to accompany Zinnia into 'The Crater' expected to take several days, Lee decided to take the liberty of clearing up his outstanding obligations. After informing his friends that he would be leaving for a day or two, Lee saddled Corviknight up and flew to Mauville, stopping at the Silph Co. office to speak with Alec Aarons, his… Ugh. His account manager. Since Corvi can leisurely cruise well over a hundred miles an hour, the raven swiftly got them to Mauville before midday.

After demonstrating and letting Silph Co copy an unnamed Ember shotgun blast technique from Ninetales, and signing an agreement for another run of Seed Blast and Seed Sniper, Lee left the Silph Co office and came to the realization that, in only a few hours, his errands were finished.

'Flight really opens up the world, just like in the games,' Lee muses. 'Only flying is much more fun here.'

With so much time and freedom suddenly in his hands, the zoologist wondered for a moment if there was anything else he had to do before returning to the Draconid village; then, his eyes fell on the empty sixth pokeball on his belt.

With both time and spare credits available, why not tour around and see if any pokemon breeders in the area have a pokemon who would fit the team? Naturally, his mind went to Leo, the breeder who he had adopted Shinx from, and who had a pair of Eevee brothers.

"Raising your team limit to seven is easy enough," Nigel had said on a call earlier that morning. "The limit of six is actually just a traditional safeguard; did you know that? It's so young trainers don't collapse under the strain of a large team. Distinguished trainers can have their limit increased by the League or whoever is offering ranch services to them, though six is still the maximum you can use in competitions. Hang tight, and I'll adjust your account."

If the pair of Eevee don't want to be separated, then that's just fine to Lee. He'll get them both.

'If I'm being honest, I don't want seven pokemon,' Lee thinks to himself, returning Corviknight to his ball for a rest. 'Shinx is more or less recovered from all the side effects of her premature birth, but she's really gunning for the position of "biggest handful" out of all of the cubs I've raised. More pokemon to split my attention between has some definite downsides.'

'The Eevee duo, assuming they wish to be adopted, could function as more eyes to keep watch of Shinx,' Ninetales offers from within her ball. 'They seemed fully mature last time we met.'

'That relies on the assumption that the brothers themselves aren't troublemakers,' Lee sends back.

'True,' Ninetales concedes. 'Perhaps you should have Shinx walk with you today. Both as an exercise in discipline, and to surprise Leo when you arrive at his market plot.'

'Not feeling up to walking with me today?'

The click of the fox's tongue is mental, but Lee still hears it within his ears. 'I stayed up late into the night reading up on the lore and law of the Draconids. If it is all the same to you, Beloved, I would rest for now and enjoy a midday siesta.'

The hand hovering over Nine's pokeball instead grasps Shinx's. 'You know I was joking when I asked you to become an expert on Dragon politics overnight, right?'

'Joke or not, it's valid and worthwhile preparation,' Ninetales replies, her thoughts slowly growing lethargic as she settles for her nap. 'Wake me if you need me.'

'I will, love. Have a nice nap.'

Ninetales sends back a warm, slow flow of love, before nodding off.

Taking Shinx's ball from his belt, Lee taps the pokeball button and lets it pop open. In a flash of light, a blinking Shinx takes form at Lee's feet. After the kitten looks around and gets her bearings, she turns her bright yellow eyes up to Lee with a tilt of her head.

"We're back in Slateport, babygirl," Lee says, kneeling down closer to her height. "I'm going to go visit the market and see Leo, the man I adopted you from. Do you remember him?"

It takes a moment for the name to click, but when it finally does, Shinx's face lights up with a smile. Behind her, her star-tipped tail flicks back and forth eagerly.

"C'mon." Lee offers an arm. "Let's make tracks."

Needing no other encouragement, Shinx leaps up and drapes herself across her trainer's shoulders like Ninetales used to do before her evolution, purring all the while.

Together, man and kitten begin the trek to Slateport's famous outdoor market. As they walk, Shinx's head is on a constant swivel, turning all around to take in all of the unusual sights, sounds, and smells. More than once, she tenses as if to leap off of Lee's shoulders and go investigate things that pique her interest, like a group of wild Taillow chirping back-and-forth on a public bench, but each time Lee gives her a firm look and she reluctantly settles back down.

Once they pass the outer boundaries of the Slateport market, Lee glances around and finds it much the same as the last time he visited. There are a few new vendors here and there, but it seems like most have retained their places. He even spies the phony TM merchant from before, who gives Lee a sour look as he and Shinx pass.

Once they walk past all of the common wares and back into the corner where all of the breeders have set up shop, it doesn't take long for Lee and Shinx to find Leo, the breeder who raised Shinx for the first few weeks of her life. The man is leaning on his truck next to his pen of young pokemon, humming a tune as he jots something down on a small clipboard.

"Hey, Leo!" Lee smiles and raises a hand in greeting as he approaches. "Long time, no see."

The pokemon breeder looks up briefly, then back down to his clipboard. A second later, his eyes widen and his head shoots back up in a prodigious double take, looking at Lee with barefaced surprise. "Mister Henson?" he asks, his eyes then falling to Shinx. Leo gasps. "Oh my stars, is that…?"

Shinx leaps from Lee's shoulder into Leo's arms in one deft motion, forcing the overall-clad breeder to drop his clipboard with a 'clack!'

"Is this her? Is this little Shinx?" Leo asks again, looking down at the kitten nuzzling her face into his chest with disbelief. "She's so big…"

'Big? She's only now hitting a regular size and weight.' Regardless, Lee smiles in pride. "Yeah. She's certainly grown like a weed, the last few weeks especially."

A laugh bubbles out of Leo's mouth. "A weed? Ain't no weed that can hope to match this!" he exclaims, stroking Shinx's head and earning himself a purr. "I'll be… and here I thought today was gonna be a boring one! How did you bring her back from such a state, Lee? I thought for sure little Shinx was going to spend the rest of her life small and sickly."

Lee rubs his chin, organizing his thoughts. "Nightly physical therapy, a diet rich in protein and calcium, plenty of play time around other pokemon, and her own willingness to go through with it. The last one is the most important, I think. You can't force someone, human or pokemon, to recover from an atrophied condition if they themselves aren't willing to work at it."

"I get the feeling that you're oversimplifying things," Leo replies, smiling. "What brings you back to Slateport? You said you were going to Mauville last time you were here, right?"

"Indeed," Lee confirms. "We've been through both Mauville and Lavaridge, and now the rest of my group is back in… Fallarbor." He hesitates slightly, unsure if he should talk about the Draconid village. "I flew back here with the help of my Corviknight so you could see Shinx's progress, and because I wanted to see about adopting that pair of Eevee you have."

Leo winces. "Oh, the boys? About that…"

'Shit...' Lee turns and looks in the pen of young pokemon all playing about. There is a Poochyena and a Houndour roughhousing, a Meowth dozing in the corner, a Silcoon hanging in a faux tree near the back, and several others, but not a single Eevee in sight.

"A gruff but nice kid all the way in Orre contacted me a few weeks ago, saying he's been looking for a pair of good pokemon who work well together," Leo explains as Lee turns back to him. "When I told him about the brothers, he was interested and wanted to adopt. The boys liked him after a little video meeting and agreed to go with 'em. Either the kid or his parents have some deep pockets, because he put up the money without any trouble."

Lee blows out an exasperated breath. "That's what I get for not calling ahead, I suppose…"

The breeder looks down at Shinx, who is still in his arms.

The kitten blinks sadly back, mirroring Lee's attitude.

"If it's an Eevee you want, I can give you a referral." Leo looks back up towards Lee. "A friend of mine runs a mighty professional operation in Verdanturf. Evelyn is her name. Sweet gal, and a whiz when it comes to working with rare or difficult pokemon. Heck, she advised me through the first couple of days after Shinx was born. She's usually got a few Eevee on hand."

Lee's smile is restored almost instantly. "That would be fantastic."

After passing Shinx back to Lee, Leo bends down and picks up his dropped clipboard. He takes a blank paper from the pocket of his overalls and jots a quick something down, before folding it and handing it to Lee. "There ya go. Evelyn doesn't really like parting with her rare ones unless she's sure a trainer can actually care for 'em. That should convince her to let you adopt."

Lee shifts Shinx up to his shoulders and takes the note, tucking it away into one of his pockets. "Thanks, Leo. I've got a couple of other breeders on my short list, but it's nice to know that one of them is guaranteed quality."

"Merow!" Shinx agrees.

Leo snorts. "Think nothing of it, pal. You two take care now, you hear?"

---

The flight to Verdanturf doesn't take too long, as Corvi flies low and fast. When they touch down outside of a spacious rural residence with a fenced backyard on the edge of town, it's only half past two in the afternoon.

"This should be it," Lee says, looking at the house number on the mailbox. It matches what Leo gave. "Let's go say hi."

After dismounting Corviknight, Lee recalls the great raven to his ball for a rest, then walks up to the large home. Stepping onto the raised porch, Lee reads the sign in one of the windows.

"Greener Pastures Boarding and Breeding Services?" Lee reads with a raised eyebrow. "Sounds premium."

The door bears a sign saying 'Please Come In!' so Lee does just that and steps inside, closing the heavy wooden door behind him. Turning back around, he's greeted with a startling sight.

Sitting a little ways away in the entrance to the foyer of the house is a Sylveon, one who stares back up at Lee with a neutral, practically dead expression.

Lee, despite trying not to, tenses slightly.

Sylveon is the rarest of the eeveelutions by a wide margin, and arguably the most dangerous. The strange ways that pure Fairy pokemon look at the world are at odds with the mindset of most others, both human and pokemon, making a Sylveon unpredictable at best. The amount of reliable information about them is only slightly greater than what is available for a Ninetales.

Which is to say, very little. The expression on this Sylveon's face and the disheveled, sickly look of its coat do nothing to inspire confidence, either.

"Hello, there." Lee smiles, steadying his nerves. "Is Evelyn in? I was given a referral by another breeder, and I was hoping to speak to her."

When the Sylveon tilts its head, Lee reaches into his pocket and presents the note given to him by Leo. He steps closer to give it to the Fairy, but one of the Sylveon's ribbons extends out, stretching across the distance and taking the offered note. Reeling its ribbon back in, the Sylveon opens the note and reads the contents with a raised eyebrow.

Upon finishing the note, the Sylveon folds the paper back up, then turns and begins to walk, looking over its shoulder with a beckoning expression.

"Coming." Lee hurries along.

The Sylveon leads Lee through the spacious, if a bit rustic, home. On the way, they pass several bedrooms furnished for pokemon, with appropriately-sized beds, toys, and food bowls as well as decorations that simulate a natural environment, among other luxurious accouterments. Past those doors are several closed ones. On one of the closed doors hangs a sign saying, 'Mother and newborns inside! Please be quiet!'

Past all of that, Sylveon leads the way to a double set of doors leading to the backyard. Reaching up with her ribbons, Sylveon pulls both doors open and steps outside, letting Lee follow.

Stepping out into the sunlight, Lee looks over the huge backyard and feels his jaw drop.

Outside in the huge backyard is a medley of rare and unusual pokemon.

Near the edge of the fence, one Eevee leads a game of tag followed closely by another Eevee, a furious Fennekin, and a green, cat-like pokemon with pink eyes that Lee can't readily name.

Under the shade of a small tree, a Liepard grooms a fussy Purrloin. It takes a moment for Lee to realize that the tree the parent and child are relaxing under is no tree at all; rather, a sleeping Trevenant, a Ghost-type resembling a haunted tree.

In a corner, a self-satisfied Houndoom lies cuddled with a serene Arcanine, one that is decidedly large even by most accounts of their species. Together, the pair watch three Growlithe pups wrestle and play.

In the center of the yard, a shiny Vaporeon and a normally-colored Floatzel both lounge in a small pond, floating without a care.

"Wow…" Lee says with a smile. 'Look at all of these pokemon! No wonder this Evelyn character is so picky with trainers.'

A tiny part of Lee is still a little uncomfortable with the 'breeding sapient creatures' thing, but… 'I guess if you look at it from the perspective of a pokemon, they get a secure home with free food, free healthcare, resources for offspring, and a dedicated vetting process to ensure their offspring can be successful, comfortable, or both.' Lee looks at the fence around the yard, noting how short it is, and how no adult pokemon would struggle to leap it. 'And there's nothing really stopping them from leaving, either. Maybe it's not a bad deal at all?'

The Houndoom beside his Arcanine mate catches Lee staring, and gives the man a smug look, nosing his mate's shoulder as if to say, "Yeah, I'm pretty much the best. What do you think?"

Lee gives the Houndoom a subtle thumbs up and the pokemon grins back.

Behind Lee, the rear door of the house opens and closes, followed by the sound of someone stepping over a squeaky floorboard on the patio. "Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?"

Lee turns to the voice, seeing a small, green-haired boy looking up at him nervously. The boy seems familiar for some reason…

'Oh!' Lee suddenly remembers. 'This kid is Wally. He was a throwaway character back in Pokemon Emerald, but became a rival in the remakes. What's he doing here?'

"Do you work here?" Lee asks, getting a nod from Wally. "I'm here to see Evelyn on referral from another breeder. Is she in at the moment?"

"I think she's in the newborn ward," Wally answers, seemingly unsure. "Miss Lopunny gave birth a few days ago, and she's a new mom, so Miss Evelyn has been watching her and the babies closely."

Lee nods. "Perfectly understandable. Do you know when she might be available?"

"Umm…" Wally looks away, watching several of the pokemon play in the yard. "I'm not too sure. I would go check for you, but I'm not allowed in the newborn ward yet…" He looks down at Sylveon, who has been watching the conversation with a blank mask. "Miss Sylveon, can you check for me please?"

Without a word, Sylveon rises and steps back inside, closing the doors behind her with a click.

"Is she always so dour?" Lee asks, watching Sylveon walk deeper into the house through the glass doors.

Wally's sigh says everything Lee needs to know.

Before the silence can stretch into something awkward, Lee clears his throat and addresses Wally again. "You seem awfully young to be working here, bud. What brought you here?"

The young boy puffs himself up. "I want to be a real pokemon trainer, one who can help the people he loves when they need it. I'm working here with Miss Evelyn to save up some money and get started."

Surprised, it takes a moment for Lee to formulate a reply. "Huh," he begins, slipping his hands into his pockets. "That's a lot of resolve for a kid your age. What started you down that path?"

Wally grimaces slightly. "A friend tried to help me and my Kirlia a while ago, going so far as to steal for us. He was a good person, but he was hurting real bad and not making good decisions at the time. It felt… Bad. Bad, that we couldn't do anything for him, or stop him from making those bad decisions." Wally looks up, and there is fire in his icy blue eyes. "We're going to be strong for the people who can't be strong themselves."

One of Lee's pokeballs wiggles, but when he looks down his belt, the wiggling has already stopped.

"That's heavy stuff, kid," Lee says, meaning every word. He looks up at the afternoon sun. 'Being strong for the people who can't be strong themselves, huh? Not a bad goal, honestly.' He shakes his head. "I realize I never asked your name. I'm Lee Henson. A pleasure," Lee says, holding out a hand.

Wally's resolve wavers, replaced with a nervous child once more. "Oh! I'm Wally, sir. It's nice to meet you too." He takes Lee's hand and gives it a shake.

Lee smiles and releases the kid's hand. "Say, Wally? You said you have a Kirlia? Are they a male or female?"

"Male, Mister Henson," Wally answers, brow wrinkling in confusion. "I'm hoping that we can get a Dawn Stone and evolve him into Gallade in a few years."

"In that case – " Lee shrugs off his backpack and unzips it, digging a cased TM disk out, "– I have something for you. I don't know if Gallade can learn it, but take this."

Eyes so wide that they almost pop out of his head, Wally gingerly takes the disc case labeled 'Focus Energy.'

'Of course, Octillery would learn Focus Energy the night after I placed the order.' Lee's smile is just a touch sour. 'And then Grovyle learns it from Octillery in a single afternoon, making the TM useless. Gah.'

"Mister Lee…" Wally breathes, clutching the present. "Are you sure? TMs are really expensive…"

"Positive," Lee replies and nods, zipping up his bag and putting it back on his back as he does so. "I don't need that one. I'll consider the favor repaid if you do good on your promise to be a great trainer, okay?"

The fire returns to Wally's eyes, and he nods. "You can count on me."

Just as they finished their conversation, the back door of the house opens once more and out steps Sylveon, followed by a smiling, mature woman of perhaps fifty years of age, who Lee inspects with a critical eye. 'So this is Evelyn?'

"You must be Lee!" the woman exclaims with a wide grin. "I'm Evelyn, and let me welcome you to our little slice of heaven!" she says, her curly locks bouncing with each word. "I understand that you're looking to adopt."

Lee gives the woman a smile in return. "That I am. It's nice to meet you."

"Ha!" Evelyn laughs. "Honey, the pleasure is all mine," she says with a flirty wink.

'I'm so glad that Ninetales is still asleep.'

"Now, let's see who we can add to your family," Evelyn continues, reaching out and lightly taking Lee's arm. "Let's get ourselves sat down and talk."

The pokemon breeder, with Sylveon on her heels, leads Lee over to a patio table surrounded by wicker chairs. After everyone is sat down and relaxed, Evelyn addresses Wally. "Wally, can you run inside and bring some drinks out? Our visitor looks thirsty."

Wally nods and heads off. "Yes, Miss Evelyn!"

As the back door shuts, Evelyn shakes her head flippantly. "If only there were more courteous young men like that. What a doll, that Wally," she sighs. "Okay, honey. What kind of trainer are you? And why are you looking to adopt?" she asks, visage growing serious.

"I'm first and foremost a Lab Trainer and researcher under Professor Birch," Lee says, resting his elbows on the table and his chin on his intertwined hands. "I'm competing in the gym circuit for independent funding and exposure, and occasionally take on law enforcement duties as dictated by necessity. As for why I'm looking to adopt, I want to add one last pokemon to my roster, and I would prefer having one that is both capable in a fight and potentially help with my research on the nature of Type Energy. I would like an Eevee if any of the ones in your care find me agreeable."

Evelyn nods slowly, digesting the words with care. "I see… If it's an Eevee you want, then you've put thought into what you want them to evolve into, haven't you?"

"Umbreon and Vaporeon are my top two picks," Lee answers. "I wouldn't be upset if my hypothetical Eevee changed their mind later, but one of those two is who I really want."

"Yet, you wouldn't be entirely satisfied with that," the breeder says matter-of-factly, leaning forward. "Is there another quality you're looking for?"

Lee has to hand it to the woman sitting across from him. She is damn good at reading people. With a sigh, he nods in confirmation. "Yeah, you're right. In an ideal world, I would like a decent fighter, someone to help with research, and someone who has some healing capabilities. Me and my team have been in some nasty situations before, where immediate medical attention beyond what I myself can provide would have been appreciated."

Evelyn narrows her eyes and crosses her arms, thinking to herself.

For a minute, the only sounds are the pokemon playing in the yard, then Evelyn turns her eyes to Sylveon, who is sitting on the ground and watching the exchange. "Sylvy, can you go see what's taking Wally so long, please?"

Sylveon raises an eyebrow, but stands and goes back inside the house as requested, looking for the boy.

Once the door shuts, Evelyn returns her attention to Lee. "Lee, Leo said that you fixed up his poor little premie Shinx. Can I see her?"

'Where is this going?' Lee wonders. He takes Shinx's ball from his belt and lets it pop open, depositing a Shinx-shaped mass of light on the table. When the light fades, a confused Shinx is left behind.

Evelyn's gasp is quiet. "Goodness gracious…" she murmurs. She reaches a hand out gently, and Shinx gladly pads forward, nuzzling her head into the offered palm. "It's like nothing was ever wrong with her…"

When Shinx grows bored of the halfhearted petting she receives, she pads back across the table and drops herself into Lee's lap, sitting and setting her chin on the table to watch.

Rubbing the fingers that were just caressing Shinx, Evelyn nods firmly, seemingly more for herself than anyone else. "Lee, I have a proposition for you."

A proposition? Lee narrows his eyes. "I'm listening."

"I want you to take my Sylveon."

Of all the words that could've come out of the woman's mouth, those were not what Lee was expecting to hear. "What?" he asks, narrowing his eyes even further and tilting his head. "Are you serious? Why?"

The pokemon breeder's mouth is drawn into a thin line, and she takes a deep, calming breath. "Trust me, this ain't something I'm asking because I want to. I'm asking because I have to. Sylveon is dying here, Lee. Don't act like you haven't seen it, how unkempt and unhappy she looks."

Lee frowns. "I suppose she did seem a bit out of sorts, but I'm no expert on Fairies."

A humorless laugh finds its way from Evelyn's mouth. "Who is? I know I'm not. There are maybe two dozen Fairy masters alive—but I'm getting off topic here." She looks down at the table and clenches her hands, telling Lee just how much she doesn't wish to continue. "Honey, Sylveon used to be one of my breeding mamas before she evolved. She's been part of this ranch since the beginning thirty years ago, and she ruled the place as the Queen Beedrill. Then she evolved…"

"How did her evolution cause this?" Lee asks, leaning back and gently stroking Shinx across the back.

Evelyn reaches her hand up and runs it through her curly hair. "Sylvy got sweet on some hired help a year back. He was a nice young man, and so good with the young ones. Poor Sylvy was smitten, and followed him around everywhere. He didn't know any better, and pampered her, paying special attention to her, just treating her like a princess, really. To him, it was all innocent." Evelyn's face takes on a tired look. "I can't blame him no matter how hard I want to. No one knew just how seriously Sylvy was treating it until she evolved for him, turning into a Sylveon."

Lee gets a cold feeling in his stomach, already suspecting where the story is going to go.

"That ranch hand, he knew what that meant. He had a fiancée, and he didn't want an obsessive Fairy in his life mucking that up," Evelyn continues. "He came to me saying that he's got to quit, and that's the last I saw of him. When Sylveon found out, she… She didn't take it well."

"Shit…" Lee mutters, leaning back and pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to stem the coming migraine.

Sylveon is one of the handful of pokemon that would not exist without human interference, considering an Eevee can only really evolve into one by reciprocating human affection… And because of that, they have a depressing tendency to die of a broken heart if a trainer can't properly provide for their emotional needs. Researchers and breeders have all tried to figure out why, but the completely illogical nature of Fairies only yields muddled results in the face of conventional science. The only thing anyone can agree upon is that a Fairy's emotions must be directly tied to their physical health.

The reason Sylveons are so rare is not from lack of trying.

'For Sylveon to have lasted a full year…' Lee thinks, rubbing his forehead.

"Evelyn," Lee slowly begins, lowering the hand rubbing his brow. "I really appreciate the vote of confidence in my abilities as a trainer, but I don't think I'm the best pick for Sylveon. Remember, I did say that I'm an active battler, and sometimes face mortal danger. I sympathize with the plight Sylveon is going through, but I can't risk the rest of my team with a potentially unstable ally."

Surprise flashes across Evelyn's face, as if she didn't expect pushback. "My Sylvy isn't a pushover, and she even knows Wish, so she can do first-aid like you're wanting. If that's not enough, her ability is Pixilate," she shoots back. "You know the one? It makes all Normal moves into Fairy–type."

Lee narrows his eyes. That is a bit more tempting, but ultimately he's forced to shake his head. "She sounds wonderful from a purely statistical view, but my point on the potential instability still stands. I have serious concerns about Sylveon butting heads with my Ninetales. Like many Ninetales, she has..." Lee hesitates, trying to think of a better phrase. "She has possessiveness issues," he finally admits.

Out of curiosity, Lee silently probes Ninetales' mind, only to find the vixen still asleep.

Evelyn is quick to respond. Smiling mirthlessly, she says, "Honey, I don't think you need to worry about that. After such heartbreak, Sylvy's refused to look at any male, human or pokemon, the same way again. I talked to a Fairy expert after weeks of false starts, and you know what I was told? Sylvy is going to pine after her first love until the grave."

A shiver runs down Lee's spine.

"That doesn't mean that she has to be miserable, though." The breeder leans forward, reaching across the table and taking one of Lee's hands in her own.

Her grip is shaky and weak.

"Please, Lee. She can't stay here, not with so many bad memories tainting the place!" the woman begs, her composure beginning to break down. "My baby needs to go out and find a new reason to live! I wish I could make it all better for her, but I can't! I've been sitting here, biding my time and hoping she would work her way past it so I didn't have to let her go, but I've waited far too long! Every morning, it's a little harder for her to get out of bed, and it's all I can do to get her to choke down one meal a day!"

Lee's face screws itself up into a grimace as guilt gnaws at him. "Evelyn…" Dammit, there really is no good way to answer. "I…" Lee stops himself short again. "I want to help, I really do, but why me? Am I really the best choice?"

"I don't know." The answer is immediate, with the woman reaching up to wipe at her moist eyes. "I can't afford to wait any longer, though. I want her to go to a good, talented trainer who will treat her kindly, one who will give her a rich life, and you're the first trainer that happened by that I feel confident about."

Lee sits back and looks down at Shinx.

The kitten stares back with wide, yellow eyes, unnerved by the tense atmosphere.

'A Sylveon would shut down Dragons, which is useful considering where I will be for the next few weeks.' Lee closes his eyes and tries to see the pros and cons from a neutral place. 'A Fairy also provides resistance to Dark and Fighting. Wish works a bit differently than from the games, and is more along the lines of a generic healing ability, so that would be nice. Pixilate would also be wonderful to study. That might reveal some interesting relationships between the different types of TE. If I remember correctly, Sylveon is also deceptively bulky when it comes to defense, especially when it comes to taking energy attacks. On the flipside…'

He frowns. 'On the flipside, there is a whole lot going on here. Sylveon has a lot of baggage which… I guess isn't unusual for my pokemon. Geez, that's a bit of an unpleasant realization. Is Octillery really the only normal one around here? I also don't have much personality-wise to gauge from Sylveon. I really don't want to take her in only for her and Ninetales to maul each other.'

'If she behaves, then I will as well.'

The telepathic words are groggy as Ninetales slowly returns to awareness in her pokeball.

Lee sighs in relief. 'Did you have a nice nap? I was just about to wake you to ask your opinion.'

The vixen grumbles slightly. 'My sleep was pleasant, yes, though your introspection woke me. No matter, I suppose, if you were about to wake me anyway.' Pausing for a moment, Ninetales scans through Lee's most recent memories, and the man can practically feel the frown on her face. 'Let it never be said that the dilemmas this team faces are not interesting.'

'What's your take on the matter?'

As the fox thinks over Sylveon's plight, Lee is silently surprised to feel a pang of sympathy from her. The irritation at potential competition for his time is far more mild. '…Perhaps it would be best to bring Sylveon into the conversation. As you told Leo regarding Shinx, one cannot become better if they themselves do not wish to be better.'

Lee smiles. 'Sounds like a good idea.'

'I would like to be present as well.'

'Easily done.' Lee reaches for his belt, unclipping both Shinx's ball and Nine's ball, before pointing one at the tense kitten in his lap. "Why don't you take a rest, baby girl? Sorry for stressing you out with all the adult talk."

Shinx doesn't protest, so Lee returns her to her ball and puts it back on its magnetic clip.

With his other hand, Lee releases Ninetales, setting her next to him with a flash. Once the light fades, Lee turns back to Evelyn, who is sending Ninetales a wary look. "Since this is such a big decision, I want Ninetales to sit in on it. Is that okay?"

"No problem, honey…" Evelyn replies, looking between Lee and Ninetales with a calculating eye. A sudden realization seems to hit her, as it's visible on her face. "Oh. Telepathy? Well, I certainly get your concerns now."

'How did she…?' Ninetales shakes her head.

Lee smiles thinly. 'We both moved our eyes in-sync, and she noticed.'

The fox pokemon huffs.

"Anyway," Lee continues, "At Ninetales' suggestion, I want to include Sylveon in this conversation. I don't think it would be a good idea to suddenly spring it on her. It could just make her resentful of both of us."

Evelyn nods and laces her fingers, leaning back tiredly in her chair. "That's a good idea."

After a moment of waiting, both Wally and Sylveon reemerge from the house, with Wally carrying a pair of tall glasses filled with a yellow liquid and ice cubes. "I'm so sorry about how long it took!" the boy apologizes, sheepishly setting the drinks down before Lee and Evelyn. "We were out of aspearade, so I juiced a few Aspear berries and made a fresh batch."

"Don't you worry your cute head about it, Wally," she replies, a smile returning to her face. "Could you go check on the big laundry machine in the basement? We need a few minutes to talk, and those bed covers are probably due to be dried."

"Yes, Miss Evelyn!" Wally dutifully turns back around and walks back inside.

In the meantime, Lee lifts his glass of aspearade and gives it a sip, finding the refreshment pleasant. The fresh made kind is definitely better than the canned stuff in corner stores.

Across the table, the pokemon breeder takes a swig of her own drink, wetting her throat for the unpleasant conversation to come. Setting the glass down, she gives her Sylveon a smile. "Sylvy, my baby, I've been talking with Lee here, and he's quite the trainer! Traveling around, taking on the gyms, seeing all sorts of new things…" She pauses and gauges her pokemon for a reaction.

She gets nothing in return. Sylveon's blue eyes stare blankly back.

"…And I think, Sylvy," Evelyn continues, picking each word carefully, "that… that this would be a really good opportunity for you. You're hurting here, so I'd really like it if you went with Lee and his pokemon. What do you say? Can you do that for me?"

That elicits a reaction. Sylveon's face twists into hurt, and a growl begins to build in her throat. Her ribbons, which were placidly limp, bend themselves into zigzags.

"Do not mistake this as me kicking you out because I don't want you. Don't you dare ever think that." Evelyn's eyes grow misty again, and despite how quiet her words are, the commotion in the yard stops as all of the pokemon watch pensively. "Look at yourself, Sylvy. You're letting yourself waste away. If I could keep you in my arms forever and fix what hurts you, I would, but every day you stay here you die a little more!"

Sylveon flinches, but despite being told in plain English, she still doesn't seem to understand. Her ribbons pull themselves into more rigid zigzags, and her growl turns into a snarl, one unfitting for a cutesy, pink creature.

"You need to go, Sylveon!" Evelyn insists, standing from her chair and growing more emotional. "I won't let you sit here and torture yourself! Please, I want you to live and be happy!"

The breeder gets a hiss in reply.

'This doesn't seem to be working…' Lee watches the back-and-forth with some frustration.

Ninetales is silent, but Lee can feel her brain working, watching both the pokemon breeder and her pokemon argue. 'Perhaps you should step in, Lee. I don't foresee this ending on its own. Both of them are too emotionally charged.'

Emotionally charged.

Lee blinks as an idea comes to him. 'Nine, be ready to help if need be. I have a bit of an idea.'

'Typically one should approach dangerous situations with a whole idea,' Nine quips, but nonetheless, she stands and takes a protective step closer to him.

'Just like your pyrokinesis was a little tidbit from the game pokedex that no one knew…' Lee begins, standing out of his chair and crouching down '…How well-known is a Sylveon's touch-based empathy? Did this Sylveon ever get the opportunity to use that empathy before she was heartbroken?'

Both Evelyn and Sylveon watch Lee kneel down to Sylveon's level, and Sylveon growls when Lee slowly reaches out, stopping halfway to her.

"I really believe that Evelyn means what she says, Sylveon," Lee begins, keeping his voice low and gentle. "She cares so much about you, and it's tearing her apart. Can you take my hand? Maybe I can put it in a way you understand."

The Fairy looks at the extended hand distrustfully. Instead, she looks over Lee's shoulder to Ninetales.

The fox replies with a warm purr deep in her throat.

With great reluctance, Sylveon extends one ribbon out and wraps it around Lee's hand with a featherlight touch.

Taking a deep breath, Lee exhales and prepares to muster everything he has for the coming conversation.

"Evelyn loves you like you wouldn't believe," as he speaks, Lee closes his eyes and imagines the face of each of his pokemon, each one smiling at him. Warmth and meaning blooms within him, and the ribbon around his hand flutters.

"If you died, the pain of your death would never go away," he continues, his veins growing cold when he remembers the sleepless nights after the disaster on Mount Chimney, and how Ninetales' life hung in the balance. "She just wants to do what is right for you, even if it hurts her. Love is strange like that."

Lee hazards a look through his eyelids, and Sylveon is intently focused on him.

"My pokemon and I, most of us relate to the loss of something precious like you do," he says, his memory cycling.

Grovyle losing his home.

Corviknight losing his trainer.

Lee losing everything.

"Some of us never even knew the precious thing we lost."

Shinx living without her mother.

Ninetales living without an identity.

"But…" Lee smiles and closes his hand around the ribbon in his grasp. One by one, the struggles he and his pokemon have faced flashed before his closed eyes, and each time, they came out of it stronger and closer than ever. "That doesn't mean you can't find something new to live for, you get what I mean?" He opens his eyes and looks at Sylveon.

Wide blue eyes leaking tears stare back in disbelief.

Taking deep, shuddering breaths, Sylveon breaks her stare and looks down at her other three ribbons. Slowly, almost unsurely, she reaches one out to a watery-eyed Evelyn.

Without hesitation, the pokemon breeder takes the ribbon in her hand, and the instant she does Sylveon stiffens, fresh tears springing into her eyes. Lee can scarcely imagine what Sylveon must be feeling from the woman.

"If you want to try the 'new lease on life' thing," Lee finishes with a smile. "We're willing to help. Friend in need, friend indeed, and all that, right?"

The Fairy sniffles and shudders, tearing her eyes away from her trainer of thirty long years to stare back at Lee. With a shaking breath, she nods, the ribbon around Lee's hand tightening.

Lee squeezes back, sealing the deal and securing his sixth pokémon.

---

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---

Stretching his arms over his head with a jaw-cracking yawn, Nigel Birch settles into his office chair and mentally reviews what he needs to get done today. 'Mister Nelson's Dustox has been looking a little under the weather, so he probably needs to be added to the checkup roster. Need to finish up my article from the Verdanturf Sitrus grove study. The fire extinguisher in Exam room B needs to be replaced after the mishap with that Torchic…'

As he writes his mental list, Nigel jiggles the mouse of his computer, waking the old device. As per usual, he goes to check for any emails that came in during the night. Yawning once more, he goes down the line. 'Not important. Not important. That one can wait. Spam. Why am I still getting this one? I need to have the IT guy adjust the mail list.' Nothing seems urgent, and then Nigel spots two that came in a few hours after he went home the night prior.

New mail from: Ranch_Monitor@hoennpkmnlab.org
Subject: Lhenson New Capture

New mail from: Lhenson@hoennpkmnlab.org
Subject: Logs and Research

Nigel's eyebrows rise to his hairline. A new capture and updated research logs? Lee hasn't sent in any logs recently, though with the debacle on the volcano still fresh in the mind, the professor can't say that he minds much. "Well, let's see who your sixth is, Lee," Nigel murmurs, opening the email.

Acquisition Details:

Pokémon Species: #0700 – Sylveon
Gender: Female
Method of Acquisition: Adoption
Location: Verdanturf – "Greener Pastures Breeding and Boarding Services."
Research Value Index: 0.89
[Attachment #1: Adoption Forms]

Nigel sighs, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. "A Sylveon. An adopted Sylveon. Why am I even surprised? I shouldn't be. I said it before, and I'll say it again—for a man deathly afraid of drama, Lee sure finds himself mixed up in a lot of it."

Already resigned to the fact that today is going to be a long one, Nigel leans toward the screen and continues. Opening the adoption forms, he scans them with a critical eye and finds nothing out of place. Upon finishing, his mind immediately goes to Lee's Ninetales. The professor can only imagine how in the world Lee is going to manage with not one, but two emotional time bombs on his team.

"Well, if there is anyone who can get a Ninetales and a Sylveon of the same gender to get along, it would be Lee," Nigel muses. He resolves to check Battlenet after this and to remind the lab's PR team to be vigilant for a week or two. The internet is going to have a heyday with this one.

Moving onto the next email, there are fewer audio logs than expected, but there are a few research papers attached. Again, likely a consequence of Lee being so busy after the volcano incident. After standing to close his office door, Nigel opens the first log and sits back, listening.

"Log twenty-four, day one-hundred-twenty-one."

"It was narrow, but we took the win from the Lavaridge Gym yesterday. I had no idea that Leader Moore was going to blindside us like that, but looking at silver linings, he was an excellent test for me and my team."

"I didn't expect Grovyle to actually take down Moore's Rapidash, and I admit I feel a little scummy for doubting him. The plan originally was to have Grovyle essentially be a sacrificial buffer to weaken the first opponent for Octillery. I can't overstate how continually I'm amazed by him. Grovyle, that is. He's something else. Taking down a fully evolved, near-elite Fire-type as a middle stage Grass-type? It's crazy. His air control using Quick Attack is also advancing faster than ever, and he showed that off yesterday with how he continually outran Rapidash's Flamethrower while avoiding the burning ground. This fight also highlighted his predisposition for cutting attacks more than ever. The Sceptile line has very little natural inclination for Dark moves, yet Grovyle's Night Slash cut into Rapidash easily. Leaf Blade, X-Scissor, and now Night Slash. Not a bad repertoire of slashing attacks, if I say so myself. I'm thinking we're going to lean into this strength and see where it takes us."

"I'm still rather frustrated with my poor synergy with Octillery. I'm so used to having the fastest pokemon on the field that trying to transition into Octillery's preferred fighting style is a pain. He has power in spades, and the accuracy to nail a bouncing Joltik at a hundred yards, but none of that matters if I can't effectively work with him. His performance in the gym match was stellar despite me choking with our defensive measures. Gunk Shot is a truly heinous technique, and if not for landing it right in Arcanine's mouth, I'm thinking that the fight would've been a complete blowout. Octillery is one intelligent 'mon, so I'm sure between both of us, we can figure something out."

"Ninetales… Well, I'm sure that you saw the fight. Ninetales and I are as in-tune as we can possibly be, so I don't have much to comment on there. This did show me how higher level pokemon can resist more esoteric forms of attack, like Confuse Ray, Baby-Doll Eyes, or being held aloft with telekinesis. I can say with no exaggeration that Ninetales' Confuse Ray is officially too dangerous to use on weaker pokemon at full power. We haven't tested it much considering the unpleasant effects it has on targets, but Nine's Confuse Ray has gone from being discombobulating to sending weaker targets into full-blown seizures. Sources and research papers I read say Confuse Ray can't cause permanent harm, but I think it's better to err on the side of caution here. Until I can study the effects to confirm that it's not causing irregularities to the autonomic nervous system of targets, we're saving full power Confuse Rays for emergencies."

"Like with Ty. Arceus damn, what a monster. He barely even flinched."

"Baby-Doll Eyes is… a really weird one. I thought that the attack induced muscle weakness via involuntary relaxation, but I'm getting inconsistent results with tests. Sometimes the targets relax against their will, other times their muscles stay tensed, but they simply aren't able to bring all of their strength to bear for a reason I don't readily understand. Ugh. Fairy-type. It's times like these that I'm glad Ninetales is a Kantonese Ninetales, and not an Alolan one. A fox that doubles as a portable air conditioner would be great, but not if it means dealing with Fairy nonsense all the time."

"Alolan Ninetales, huh?" Nigel blinks and pauses the recording. Turning to his other monitor he types the species name into a search engine and digs for several minutes. "Huh…"

Alola does have its own species of Ninetales! Lee mentioned it in another log, but Nigel didn't have time to look. There is even less about them than the already mysterious Kantonese Ninetales, and only a handful of Alolan Vulpix have been confirmed to be owned by trainers. There are even fewer confirmed Ninetales captures. If Nigel is reading right, then the white fox species is even more elusive and temperamental than their Kanto cousins.

"Sometimes I forget that Lee is filled to the brim with secrets and trivia you'd never find anywhere else." Nigel shakes his head. Oh, how he'd love to study Alolan pokemon habitats to see what causes so many regional mutations. "I need to go to Alola at some point," Nigel resolves to himself. "Maybe I'll drag Lee along. He already has a knack for troublesome foxes, so maybe he can nab an Alolan Vulpix to study," he says, resuming the playback.

"Brendan and Zinnia have been sticking close to me, apparently worried since all three of my active battlers are recuperating in the Pokemon Center. I never really considered the cultural angle of having no battle-ready pokemon on hand. I guess it's kind of like conceal-carrying a gun back home. Some people do it for so long that they feel a bit nervous when they do without, wondering about 'what if' scenarios. I myself owned a pistol, but I rarely took it with me anywhere, and thankfully never needed to use it in self-defense, so I guess I don't really know what that feeling is like. Also, I've still got Shinx, and although she is nowhere near the level of the rest of the team, I don't feel unsafe having just her. Her Thundershock has to hurt like hell."

"Not too much more to say for this one. Lee, out."

Nigel plays the next one.

"Log twenty-five, day one-hundred-thirty-four."

"Corvi came back."

There is a short pause broken up by a joyful, disbelieving laugh.

"Corvi actually came back. On his own. I can't… I can hardly believe it. The worry over him has lessened over the last few weeks, but never totally gone away. I came back to our hotel room to find him and Ninetales talking. He's like a changed pokemon! He actually let me touch him, something he never allowed before. Oh man. After letting him inside and getting him some dinner, I had Ninetales act as a translator so I could understand him word-for-word as he explained what he was up to."

"It's… Well, Corvi's story is a personal one, and not really mine to tell. I'll just say that my theories about him having a trainer before me were correct and leave it at that. His tale does explain why he acted the way he did, though. It was enough to satisfy Ninetales, so I think just about anyone would understand why he did what he did. Hoooo… Okay, I'm getting a little too excited here. Let me back up and try this again, or I'm just going to end up rambling… What was I saying again?"

A scratchy 'caw!' fills the lull in the recording.

"Right, right. Anyway, I gave Corvisquire a check over, and I'm happy to say that he is still in great health. He's roughly at the same level of combat ability he was before he left, so he probably has a bit of catching up to do with Grovyle and Ninetales, but that's nothing he can't handle. I admit, I'm a bit surprised that he didn't evolve while he was away. He was on the cusp back in Mauville, and he still is today. Curious. Regardless, I'll be revising his diet and adding him back into our training routines soon."

"Regarding the rest of the team, I'm currently brainstorming a new technique for Grovyle. Grass is a type of somewhat poor defensive capabilities, so to counteract that, I've been wanting to create an energy-draining technique similar to Absorb or Drain Punch for Grovyle, one that he can use with his Leaf Blade. I figure that rather than try to bulk-up a pokemon not known for being bulky, it would be better to play to Grovyle's strengths, namely his speed and proficiency with cutting attacks. With this hypothetical 'Drain Blade' in his repertoire, Grovyle should be able to endlessly dance around his opponents as he cuts them to ribbons. Our initial tests have produced some results, but it's going to need a lot of refinement before it's ready for live combat. I'm hoping that we can use Grovyle's understanding of Absorb as a starting point for this technique, and to facilitate that, I've been having him drive a Leaf Blade into newly felled lumber, then using Absorb on the same piece of lumber. My hope is that he can begin associating the two attacks together, and the focal point of Absorb will migrate to the edge of the Leaf Blade."

"Not much to report with Shinx. She's steadily outputting more voltage each day, and she's certainly cemented herself as the leader of the group's younglings, despite being the youngest of them all. She's making use of different cries for different instances and scenarios, so if you're comparing her to a human baby, she's in the toddler stage where speech starts emerging. I might be mother-henning a little, but I still want to hold off for another week or two before I begin to actively look for battles for her. She's done well in spars with Grovyle, who can shrug off her electricity and safely divert her physical attacks, but I still want her to firm up a bit more before throwing her into a real fight. I should've taken a picture of her face when I pulled her aside one afternoon and told her she doesn't need to be a fighter if she doesn't want to. I've never seen her look insulted before. I guess that also confirms that her grasp of human speech is maturing as well."

"Octillery, I'm still trying to make plans for. He has such a wide array of techniques with the capacity to learn more, but I am still not good enough to command slower pokemon effectively against trainers of equal or greater skill than myself. I initially thought, 'Well why even bother? Let's get him a technique to facilitate faster movement, like Aqua Jet,' then dismissed the thought. I don't know if a shortcut like that will do us any favors in the long run. Otherwise, it's business as usual for Octillery. He is still as voracious an intellectual as ever, and hungers for stimulation. I'll admit, I broke Battlenet's rules on "pokemon sock puppet" accounts and let Octillery make his own so he can peruse the site without using mine. Thankfully, he's very opsec conscious and tends to keep to himself. He learned quite quickly that it's useless to argue with morons online, even if he's right about whatever he's talking about. He certainly learned faster than I did as a teenager."

"He's not the only one who has been doing some reading. After our win at the Lavaridge Gym, a number of groups reached out to us, and one of them was a cabal of trainers who own their own Ninetales. I got the invitation from Kabu, a gym Leader all the way over in Galar, and the place is run by a Pokemon Master called Lokoko. I swear I've heard that name somewhere before, but for the life of me, I can't remember it."

There is the sound of an exasperated sigh over the recording.

"Anyway, Ninetales' temper has been especially short here recently, so I reached out to Lokoko for advice. We had a very enlightening discussion, and I can certainly see why Lokoko is referred to as a Pokemon Master, as she had some unique insight on the Ghost, Psychic, Fairy, and Dark types. A large part of our discussion revolved around the psychology of Ninetales as a species, however. She had… a few interesting things to say."

Nigel leans in slightly, listening carefully.

"According to Lokoko, trainer fixation is just something that Ninetales is going to experience, and constant telepathy is only making things worse. She advised that we don't use our telepathy any more than needed, or we face a serious risk of becoming a gestalt entity."

Pausing the recording for a second, Nigel narrows his eyes in thought. "A gestalt?" he wonders to himself. "Like a Dugtrio or an Exeggutor?"

The concept of a gestalt entity is not something completely unknown to pokemon academics, but neither is it well understood. The hows and whys of things such as identity or consciousness are still purely theoretical. For all the resources and advancements in the fields of medicine and science, the inner workings of the conscious mind for both man and pokemon alike remain largely a mystery. Even with the aid of expert psychics, it all rapidly hits a dead-end that traditional science simply isn't equipped to handle. After a certain point, things simply become indescribable to any who haven't experienced it firsthand.

Feeling a touch uneasy, Nigel resumes the recording, hoping that Lee provides his own insights.

"I… The thought of breaking what Nine and I have is unthinkable, Nigel. Even if we don't speak a single word to each other, just knowing that she's there is reassuring in a way I can't put into words. It's an affirmation that I'm not alone, that someone else out there is real. There are still some days where I think I'm back on Earth, and this is all just a wonderful hallucination before I die, and then I feel Ninetales and I know this is the real world."

A long pause, then Lee begins speaking again.

"I'm not a philosopher, or psychologist, or anything like that, so take the following with a grain of salt. You know, we rely on our hands, our eyes, and our ears to perceive the world around us, and we simply have to trust that they are correct. What if they aren't? What if what we see and what we hear is not the same thing other people see and hear? What if we're missing something entirely? What if we're missing everything? In a way, the only thing we can ever know is true is our own existence. The telepathy between Ninetales and I, though, is proof that more exists beyond the sanctity of my mind. It takes away a weight, knowing for certain and on all levels that I'm not alone. It's a kind of weight I don't think people even realize they're carrying, at least until it's pointed out to them."

"Neither of us can go back to living without that—without each other—Nigel. I'm really hoping that your psychic expert can offer some kind of alternative, otherwise Ninetales and I might have to figure this out on our own."

"Jumping backwards a little bit, I had to sit and think on the gestalt bit Lokoko mentioned. I know the definition, that a gestalt is something that is somehow more or different from the sum of its parts. It's a loose definition with a lot of room for interpretation, and that's probably why I've seen so many people attribute the word to so many different things, or even use it wrong during some independent research. By some definitions, Ninetales and I are already a gestalt, if you count the telepathic bond as an integral part of our beings. I get the feeling that Lokoko was referring to something different when she used the word, however. It seemed to have a more dire meaning. I know that fanciful fictional stories of the Lovecraftian sort… Wait, Lovecraftian isn't a genre here, is it? Stories about cosmic and existential horror sometimes deal with the concept of fusions and gestalts. They often depict it in the worst way possible, where the components that make up the resulting entity are miserable and devoid of individuality. That can't possibly be what Lokoko was talking about, was it?"

"…This turned kind of grim and gloomy, didn't it? Well, Lokoko also mentioned that a hobby is a good way to ease a Ninetales out of a fixation, so we went out and found a bookstore that piqued Nine's interest. She's got the mind for history and political intrigue, so a book retelling the fall of the Johto shogunate caught her eye. I'm already saving up for a house with a full library in it, because I know I'm going to need it. She's turned into a bibliophile overnight."

"I think that's everything relevant for this one, so… Lee, out."

As the recording ends, Nigel can't help being left disturbed, the talk of new pokemon techniques overshadowed by Lee's musing about the mind. There is a slight crawling to his skin as he thinks over Lee's words and admissions, questioning about how anyone can be certain of the world around them. Such a line of thought never occurred to Nigel, and after having it thrust upon him, he finds that he doesn't care for it. Something about Lee and Ninetales' relationship still seems unhealthy, but now doubts gnaw at the professor. He notes down the recording, resolving to get the relevant parts to his loaned psychic, Anabel.

Nigel's thoughts then turn to Anabel: master of the Battle Tower, natural-born empath, and the young woman who is going to be meeting Lee and Ninetales in just one more week. The teen girl is famous the world over not only for her team of Elite pokemon, but for the empathic powers she possesses. With her amazing psychic gift, she can telepathically communicate with all of her pokemon, making battling her a daunting prospect to say the least. If anyone can understand what Lee and Ninetales are experiencing and offer them appropriate help, it would be her.

'Took her long enough to get ready… But I suppose I can't complain, considering Scott is letting me borrow Anabel for free.' Nigel sighs as he thinks of his old frenemy. Not wanting to dwell upon Scott or Lee's disquieting words anymore, he moves to the next recording.

"Log twenty-six, day one-hundred-sixty-five."

"It's been two weeks since the volcano. I'm sorry for not recording recently, Nigel, but… I just haven't had my head on straight for what feels like weeks now. I'll try to keep this one brief and relevant. I know you probably don't want any extra shit."

"We left Lavaridge a week ago, and we're stopping at a small border town to rest for a day or two before we continue on to Fallarbor. We're planning on meeting Zinnia's tribe near there, then taking a bit of a sabbatical to train for a while. By the time we get there, all of our pokemon should be back in decent shape. Octillery is mostly recovered from the confrontation with Magma, but Ninetales and Grovyle are different stories.

"Poor Grovyle… Camerupt's Flamethrower burned away large patches of his skin across parts of his body, and the resulting scar tissue and misshapen scales are leaving him stiff. The scars are fading with time and treatment, but they won't fully clear up until he evolves. This has left him with diminished maneuverability, and by Arceus, it's frustrating him something fierce. I'm working with him every day and providing physical therapy to speed up the recovery, but I know that he's not going to be satisfied with the pace. He should be back to a hundred percent in a few weeks."

"Ninetales… She took a fully-powered Eruption from Camerupt, lodging a spear of superheated rock into her chest. If I ever meet who created the modern pokeball, I need to thank them, because without the stasis-like effect pokeballs have on a pokemon's physical body, she would have died within minutes."

There is a weak shudder, barely audible in the recording.

"…I…If she had died, I think the shock would have killed me."

Professor Birch's blood runs cold.

"Thankfully, the rock missed her heart, but it irreparably destroyed about ten percent of her left lung, and the temporary damage that she's still healing from has left her with diminished lung capacity all around. She's getting over it, but it's going to take another two or three weeks before she stops being short of breath."

"As with last time, there's not much to report with Shinx. She hasn't been sleeping very well recently, and I think the gloomy atmosphere is what's causing it. Thankfully, she didn't seem to be having nightmares, and I'm fairly certain that she is ignorant of what happened on the volcano. According to Ninetales, pokemon have to actively try to see outside of their ball, and I don't think Shinx is quite capable of that level of focus yet. I'm quite glad for it, because she frankly didn't need to see what went on up there. I'm also going to try looking for actual battles for her. I can only hope I don't intimidate the kinds of rookie trainers who would be a fitting match for Shinx."

"Moving on to lighter things, I guess if you haven't seen it already, Corvi evolved. Heh, he's really something else now. Nine-foot-ten, and over seven-hundred and seventy pounds. He's enormous! I think one of the things that appealed to kids back home about pokemon was the idea of being friends with big monsters, and Corvi scratches that itch perfectly. Also, I had no idea that flying on pokemon-back was so fun. This is going to open a lot of doors for us. On the not-so-bright side is the food cost. Corvi is taking in over twenty-five thousand calories per day, and that's on days where he's mostly idle. On days where he's battling or training, he's eating thirty to thirty-five thousand calories without overfilling. This trainer business is getting expensive…"

Nigel cracks a smile at the levity. "Lee, you have no idea."

"On the topic of my aching wallet, I also placed an order of TMs for my team to the tune of over a hundred grand. My last TM deal with Silph Co was lucrative enough that they want to do another run, and want something new to copy. I'll be heading back to Mauville in a week or two for that, and I was thinking I might also visit a few breeders to see about getting my sixth team member. If all the stars line up, I can get a bulky fighter who also has some utility use, like Heal Pulse or something. I think that's the biggest gap in my team currently."

"That's all for this one. Lee, out."

The next log is dated for yesterday, several hours after Lee acquired his Sylveon. Nigel clicks it, curious to find out why on earth Lee would adopt a Sylveon.

"Log twenty-seven, day one-hundred-seventy-six."

The log opens rather quietly as Lee is practically whispering, so Nigel has to turn up the volume for the rest.

"Sixth member acquired. Sorry for whispering, but I'm currently in a hotel room in Verdanturf and my pokemon are asleep around me after a meet-n-greet. I didn't get the pokemon I expected, but it could have turned out worse, I suppose. Like I said in my last recording, I took the time after visiting Mauville to go down my short list of pokemon breeders. After I missed a potential deal on a pair of Eevee brothers in Slateport, I got a referral for a place in Verdanturf, where I met one Evelyn McGarden. Her ranch had quite a selection of pokemon, but after all was said and done, I left with her Sylveon. Apparently, Evelyn had been looking for someone to take Sylveon for a while, and begged me to take her away from the ranch."

"It's a bit of a sad story, and I'm only mentioning it because I think it might be relevant to future notes on Sylveon. Apparently, she was a breeder at the ranch for over thirty years, and fell in love with a ranch hand who treated her especially well."

"When she evolved for him, that ranch hand made the decision to get out of Dodge."

Nigel does a full-body flinch. "Oh…"

"Evelyn… wasn't really sure how to handle things from there. She's a fantastic pokemon breeder and caregiver, but having to deal with a broken-hearted Fairy was a tall order. I admit, I didn't want to take Sylveon at first. I said that I didn't want to risk my team with a potential weak link, and then she revealed that Sylveon knows Wish, and has Pixilate as her ability."

A long sigh comes from the computer speakers.

"Damn it all. Her story had me hooked and it hurt saying no, but I wasn't at all prepared for Sylveon to be everything I was wanting with the exception of her baggage. I ended up agreeing. Already, I can tell this is going to be a challenging one. I've made a few notes that I'll take photos of and send along with this log. I would scan and digitize the notes, but I don't want the noise of the scanner to wake everyone up. I'll give a brief summary of my findings so far. I'm sure that I'll have more to report."

"Firstly, Sylveon either has no faith in her ability to read humans, or is literally incapable. I'm not sure which, yet, but I'm leaning towards the former. While we settled in and began to relax in the hotel room, she seemed awkward and unsure of where she should be. I told her that she can relax on the bed with myself, Nine, and Shinx, but the point didn't seem to get across to her. I tried again, this time being more literal with my words, and that seemed to help, but only so much. Initially, I likened her apparent non-understanding to autism, as she displayed several key symptoms in the communications area, but when I reached a hand out and let her touch it with one of her ribbons to activate her touch-based empathy, everything I said came across just fine. This problem doesn't exist with pokemon, as she was able to converse with the rest of the team without issue. If this is the worst of her problems, I'll count myself lucky."

"What am I saying? It's never that easy…"

"In regards to her physical state, Sylveon is going to need a fair amount of TLC to turn herself around. Currently, she's underweight and malnourished from self-deprivation, as according to Evelyn, Sylveon refused to eat full meals for over a year. I'm already in the process of devising a proper menu for her, and it's going to be a tricky one. Nutrition for a Fairy-type seems to place just as much emphasis on emotional stimulus and state of mind as it does physical need, so to that end, I'm going to devise a meal plan that is especially tasty, as nutritious as I can make it without sacrificing flavor, and on a rotating schedule to prevent palate fatigue. For now, the grain and meat omnivore mix that I use for Ninetales seems to be fine, as Sylveon got most of a bowl down with some encouragement.

"Trying to keep the peculiarities of Fairy-types in mind, I didn't want to jump straight into a physical, and decided to groom her first. Sylveon allowed me to give her a thorough grooming, but held my wrist with a ribbon the entire time. She seemed uncomfortable at first, but the discomfort eased after the first several minutes. Afterward, I think she was a touch embarrassed that someone ten years her junior was nurturing her."

"Oh, I suppose I forgot to mention. Sylveon is thirty-six years old, making her the oldest member of our whole traveling group. It feels a bit strange that one of my pokemon is older than I am."

Nigel's memory goes back to his father's Ludicolo, who was actually his grandfather's starter. When Granddad settled at home to be a family man, he asked his Ludicolo to keep an eye on his son, and Ludicolo interpreted that as "Go on his journey with him."

Dad always lamented that having "Uncle Ludi" with him on the road made things weird.

"Anyway, after a good grooming, she let me poke, prod, and measure her. She turned and asked Ninetales if I'm always like this, and Nine laughed in reply."

"Ninetales… She's been surprisingly onboard with Sylveon joining. I really expected a lot of conflict to arise, but Nine's been keeping a tight leash on her jealousy recently. That's not to say that she wasn't a little jealous tonight, but she kept to herself. I asked, and Nine had this to say. Quote: "Our situations are not the same, but that does not mean I cannot sympathize. If you, Lee, ran away from me out of fear, I do not think I would've held up quite as well," unquote. It was… Hrm. I don't have a good way to describe it. I don't want to say I'm surprised with a levelheaded response, because that implies that Nine is more hot-tempered than she actually is. I'm not going to jinx it by talking about it more, I'm just going to enjoy the peace while it lasts. Tomorrow, I'll be flying back to the Draconid territory, and I imagine that my hosts aren't going to be pleased that I brought a pokemon known for hunting dragons back with me."

"There hasn't been much in the way of significant training breakthroughs with the rest of my team sans Grovyle and Octillery. Grovyle once more blew me away with his mastery of Leaf Blade a day ago. After thinking about some half-remembered book that Ninetales was reading, I realized that Grovyle could really refine his technique with some formal… well, technique. I asked him to bend his Leaf Blade forward so that he could grip the actual blade and manipulate it by rolling his wrist, and he immediately grasped just how much of an improvement doing such a thing provides to his control. I would like to scrounge up some time-tested sword fighter manuscripts and see if anything could be adapted for Grovyle's use."

"Octillery, meanwhile, got the honor of being the first member of the team to try out one of his TMs. I taught him Psychic, and we put our heads together and came up with a solution to his mobility problem. His tentacles don't allow him to move too quickly on land, but what if he wasn't using his tentacles? Instead, we decided to go with a cushion of telekinesis that he can sit on and manipulate, letting him skate around the battlefield. He used this trick to great effect in a battle with Zinnia's Swablu-turned-Altaria, taking the win. He doesn't have the earth-shattering psychic power that Nine does, but Octillery's telekinesis started off with some rather fine control, and I can only imagine that both his control and power are going to get better. Telekinesis is practically his new favorite toy. I didn't want to alter how he fights naturally at first, but Octillery doesn't seem to share that sentiment."

"I do think I awakened some kind of demon in him, though. He's really been eager for his next TM. Did I mention that this pokemon training stuff is expensive?"

"That's it for this one. Lee, out."

As the final recording ends, Nigel rubs his face with a sigh. "You really can't resist attracting trouble, can you, Lee?" he mutters. He leaves the research notes attached to the email alone for now, instead navigating over to Battlenet to see if anyone has discovered who Lee's sixth team member is yet. "The Internet never sleeps, so who knows…?"

---

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In: Boards ► Hoenn
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In: Boards ► Hoenn ►Indiv Trainers ►Ash Ketchum
►FlyingMagiKarpet
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@O_Parker (Verified Trainer) For real. Ketchum's Pikachu glassed the whole arena so Flannery's Torkoal couldn't step anywhere without shredding his feet. They turned a weakness into an even bigger weakness. Not even Torkoal's new Flame Burst move could help. Pikachu was too fast and the fight was over after that.

---

In: Boards ► Hoenn ►Contest Circuit General ►Top Picks
►Borsht11
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@Orbulon That shit was so pretentious it just gave me a film school degree.

---

In: Boards ► Hoenn ► Rumors and Hearsay ► Eco Terrorists?
►K_Kole (Verified Trainer)
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
The magma and aqua gangs were reclassified this morning by the PLDoJ. No idea what happened, but it's suspicious that there was a total lockdown in Lavaridge just weeks before this suddenly drops.

---

In: Boards ► Hoenn ► Pokemon Hunting ► Aron/Lairon/Aggron
►J_Abdi (Pokemon Ranger)
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
It looks like whatever was preying on the Aron in the Granite Cave has moved out and has been gone for a while. It should be safe again, or at least as safe as can be expected.

---

In: Boards ► Hoenn ► Indiv Trainers ► Lee Henson
►Noirpg
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@Yu_Nou_Gud Fake and gay. Go take a bath with a Magnemite you pinhead.

Ah, there it is. Nigel can already see that this is going to be a fun one. Opening Lee's thread, the professor grimaces at the number of pages and realizes that he's got a lot of backlog to get through. Resolving to do that later, he looks at the posts that arrived just this morning, because there are a lot of them.

"I guess the Meowth is out of the bag. Or the Sylveon is…" Nigel clicks his tongue and begins reading.

Topic: Official Lee Henson Megathread
Threadmark #4: Lee's 6th Pokemon
In: Boards ► Hoenn ► Indiv Trainers ► Lee Henson
►JankyFranky_EX
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
I can put the sixth pokemon debate to rest. I live in verdanturf and I saw the same humongous Corviknight the other guys saw with Lee in slateport and Mauville. He flew to the outskirts of town towards a pretty high end breeding ranch called Greener pastures. I followed as best I could but by the time I was getting there he was taking off. I managed to pull my phone out just in time to see Lee returning a Sylveon to a ball before leaving. Evelyn McGarden the lady who runs the place has a Sylveon. Or I guess she had one not anymore picture attached

Edit: first ever thread mark nice.

[914200xx0302.png]

(Showing page 239 of 245)

►KazuoKandy
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@JankyFranky That picture is really grainy. Are you sure that's him?

►Jaaace
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@KazuoKandy I've got a pretty clear picture of them in Slateport that you can compare Janky's to. Looks like a pretty close match to me. [CLinSP.png]

►UNDERMAN!
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Fuck you this loser is a ringer and you can't deny it now. The entire hoenn league is a sham because they pull stunts like this.

►P_Trundale (Verified Trainer)
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Holy shit it is them. Where 2 find rare poke magnet?

►Jaaace
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@P_Trundale Bro I don't know if I would be envious. @L_Henson is going to have a lot of weirdos in his DMs soon.

►Flying_TA_5455
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Holy miltank, I've just come back and this Lee is a heck of a trainer. Looking at all of that Corviknights footage I can tell that while it seems of decent breeding the specific hight and wingspan tells me it's mostly TLC that got it going. I gotta see if he's willing to enter a breeding contract.

►mothslover1012
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Arc, a Sylveon? Think he can help a sister out and share his strategy to find so many rare 'mons? He doesn't seem like the type to use lure and incense and all the expensive crap. Are we sure he's not just got connections? I've spent literal years searching for Larvesta to no luck and how long has he been on the circuit now?

►BlueRibbonsOnly
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Greener Pastures? That place is up there as far as breeders go. You have a referral or a known rep as a good trainer, or don't bother even calling. I tried to get on the waiting list for a Growlithe there, and they wouldn't even talk to me until I won a half dozen first place contests without a reference. Love my Solaire more then life itself, but I could have bought a condo for what he went for.

►D-Actual
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
How could Henson just get a Sylveon of all mon's? There's no way in hell there isn't some under the table shit going on here. You don't just pick up the rarest Eevee evolution in your first months as a trainer. Seriously first a Ninetails now this!?

►Lopunny_Pancakes
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
A Sylveon? Are we certain that Henson isn't planning on entering the contest circuit? I mean every single pic I have seen on here has shown that his team are absolutely gorgeous specimens of their species. And look at his team members! Even ignoring Ninetales (I practically cried when I saw she got hurt somehow?!?! But even still she pulls off the Wounded Beauty look like none I've ever seen!), his (newly evolved?) Corviknight is just the picture of a gallant dark warrior, stoic with gleaming armor and mighty presence! And now a Sylveon, perhaps one of THE most legendary of the Eevee line when it comes to performances! I am almost convinced here that as soon as he finishes up the gym circuit, however that might go, it will all have turned out to just be a warmup for him taking the Contest circuit by storm!

(Showing page 240 of 248)

►AlmostSane
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
A Sylveon is a wonderful addition to Henson's team as it compensates for various weaknesses, but the degenerates will of course ignore this fact. I'm sick of all the weird behaviour online whenever someone catches any pokémon that's... 'cute'. It's unfair to both the trainer and pokémon to keep making these inappropriate comments, and can genuinely be damaging in some cases. Grow up.

►Specc-time
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Adding to this, me and Metang spent a dozen minutes or so on this topic. I thought the rumours were just false, but the website for Greener Pastures Breeding and Boarding Services has had a recent page update relating to their Pokemon tally. There's no official notice yet, but It's exceedingly likely that this is the Sylveon that Lee has just acquired. On that note, how often do people frequent that breeder? I don't live nearby so I don't have a good tally on local affairs (nor can I go and check). And both of us don't want to be attributing some random trainers acquisition to these ongoing rumours of Mr Henson.

►Trainer4Fun
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
@UNDERMAN! Got any evidence to support that claim? I swear, you losers come out whenever anything good happens to anyone. Ringer this, league plant that, waah waah waah. Just because you failed your dreams of being a bigshot league champion doesn't mean you need to go all conspiracy theorist over an eevee.

►Mikoto_H (Verified Trainer)
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
I hope mister Henson will have the capacity to bring a Fairy to their best. If the rumors of his telepathy with miss Ninetales are true, then he might have an advantage if she can translate Sylveon's thoughts. However, the mind of a Fairy is fickle. After all, there is a reason why fairy specialists are so rare and that's because taking care of a Fairy is much more than just their physical health.

►CorrodedSteel
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Oh Corviknight, my beloved. Henson's knocked my Corvi out of the top 10 big bois. Also, thank Arceus that he has something I hard counter. He is still going to melt me and mine, but now I know I can beat one 'Mon if I face him. But a Sylveon adoption? Holy crap, I wish him well. But it's also Lee Henson, and if someone could pull that off, it's that dude.

►Leafeon_L0ver
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Wait, Henson managed to grab a Sylveon? From momma McGarden? I know it's a ribboneon and not a Leafeon, but she's famous for any eeveelution fans out there! Any pokemon that's come from her farm has serious potential.

►MurkrowInWaiting
Replied On September 14th 20XX:
Has anyone seen those recent pictures of Henson's Ninetales? The fur shaving patterns are pretty indicative that she suffered some sort of penetrating chest injury, maybe something that collapsed a lung. Someone noted that she's not been very active when seen. Some sort of career-altering permanent cardiopulmonary injury, maybe? She's shown so much sheer power, it's hard to imagine what kind of Pokemon could hand her that level of injury that wasn't an Elite's and Henson has no battle of that sort on his public record.

…
ERROR LOADING PAGE. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER.
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Closing the website, Nigel shakes his head. "Forget finding drama, Lee throws himself into it headfirst." The professor huffs out a single laugh, one tinged with a bit of despair for the coming headaches. "The Academic Board better give my lab another grant for this."

---

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---

"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…"

The tape measure in Lee's hand maxes out, refusing to budge any further at thirty feet.

Meanwhile, the ribbon wrapped around the fingers of his other hand still feels as if it has much more slack to give.

"Thirty feet, at least." Lee smiles and lets his eyes follow the ribbon back to its owner, who is sitting on the other side of Zinnia's backyard and holding the other end of the tape measure in her teeth.

Across the way, Sylveon wears a bemused expression, just as she has with all of Lee's other tests. The expression is shared by Zinnia and Brendan, who are sitting on the weathered wrought iron patio furniture by the back door of the house.

'Her ribbons just keep extending, seemingly generating new material from nothing! No lights and no sounds to indicate excessive TE usage, so this must be an instinctual skill that most, if not all, Sylveon possess. Is it a property of Fairy TE, perhaps? Could Nine or Octillery learn this trick?'

Lee is already imagining Nine extending her namesake tails across a whole battlefield, manhandling a foe without ever needing to stand. 'If we could combine that with Iron Tail…'

Crash!

Screeeech!

Lee and Sylveon aren't the only ones busy in the backyard. Near one corner, Ninetales and Grovyle clash against Corviknight in a steady rhythm, tail and blade vs. wing.

Grovyle is throwing himself into the swordsman manuscripts provided to him. It took some time and research to find what would fit best with his long, katana-like Leaf Blade, but, with Ninetales' help, they picked out a fitting style: one where, as luck would have it, the writer used a sword of unusual length with a single hand, similar to how Grovyle uses his blade. Some bits had to be translated, and they've yet to read the whole thing, but the opening lessons on wrist exercises and the inherent pratfalls of such an unusual style were already bearing fruit. Grovyle's stance is sure and steady.

Nine, meanwhile, used her Iron Tail TM earlier this morning before they arrived back at the Draconid village. The knowledge imparted by the TM turned Ninetales' cumbersome and rather useless Iron Tail into something much more practical. With Lee helping her modulate her Steel TE output, she's been able to utilize the attack in two different ways so far.

The first by wrapping all of her tails tightly together and using Iron Tail as a great club. This was borderline instinctive, but Lee definitely heard the little voice in the back of Ninetales' head scoffing at the idea of using such a 'lowbrow' technique.

And secondly, hardening the tip of a single tail with Steel TE and using it as a spear.

The latter has proved much more difficult than the former thanks to the fine control required, which is why Ninetales is practicing it now.

In the middle of the two, Corvi stands tall with a handful of scratches and dents in his armor. Taking a deep breath, the great corvid spreads his wings slightly. Seemingly from nowhere, motes of light-blue light manifest and gravitate towards him, seeping through his feathers and into the skin beneath. In just a handful of seconds, the scratches on his armor fill themselves in and the dents push themselves out.

Corvi exhales sharply, his wings growing slack for a split second before he pulls them back into his sides.

Ninetales wasn't the only one who decided she was ready for a new TM. Corvi learned Roost earlier this morning, and, in typical tough guy fashion, decided that letting his teammates whale on him is the best way to practice a self-healing technique.

On either side of Corviknight, Ninetales and Grovyle tense.

Ninetales holds her steely, silver-tipped tail like a scorpion might, the spear-like weapon quivering in anticipation. Her chest rises and falls more harshly than Grovyle's, the recuperating lungs beneath still aggravating her.

On the other side, Grovyle holds his humming blade perfectly still, mirroring the stance depicted in his manuscripts perfectly.

Then, at an unseen signal, both explode into movement, lashing out like vipers the instant Corviknight is in range.

Bang!

Screeech!

Nine's strike puts a conical dent in the obsidian armor protecting Corvi's wing, and Grovyle's Leaf Blade throws sparks as it drags down the opposite wing. Once both Nine and Grovyle bleed off the momentum of their leaps, they jump back and reset, waiting for Corvi to heal the damage.

Baby Shinx isn't totally left out either. The kitten sits in the shade by the side of the house, panting and taking a break from her own workout, one Lee is proud to say that he came up with himself.

Sitting before Shinx is a small, industrial fuse box fitted with replaceable fuses. From the box comes a pair of electrode clamps, which are secured to each of Shinx's ears. The first three fuses in the box are popped, destroyed by Shinx's electrical output, but the last two are rated for an impressive amount of current, remaining stubbornly intact despite Shinx's best efforts.

Shinx rises to her paws again, and with a growl, she clamps her eyes shut and lights up her whole body with a crackling coat of electricity, dumping everything she has into the second-to-last fuse. Cracking open an eye, she looks at the unbroken fuse and redoubles her efforts, arching her back with a yowl of fury.

Pop!

The fuse burns out and pops.

Shinx cuts off her electricity and leaps for joy, her face lit up in victory. In her happiness, she totally forgets about the electrode clamps to her ears. One slips off, but the other one yanks her ear painfully, drawing a yelp from her.

Sylveon is at Shinx's side in a flash with the aid of an expert Quick Attack, forcing Lee to drop his tape measure before it recoils and whips him in the knuckles.

At the same time, Mawile bursts from her ball on Brendan's belt, leaping to aid Shinx, only to stop when she realizes she's been beaten to the punch. Mawile's face swiftly transforms into an ugly glare.

"Mawile!" Brendan groans. "Not again! I told you, just play it cool for now and we'll figure everything out later!" he says, taking Mawile's ball from his holster and recalling her in one move.

Sylveon doesn't pay the dematerializing Mawile any mind, too busy using her ribbons to take the clamp off Shinx's ear.

'… At least it's not Ninetales that Sylveon is beefing with,' Lee sighs, bending over and picking up his tape measure. 'Small blessings… I don't know how Mawile is going to handle the sudden competition for her niche, though. Sylveon has been doing this for thirty years, and Mawile isn't any older than ten.'

Lee jogs up to the back porch of Zinnia's home, scooping his notebook up off of the patio table. He turns to Sylveon's section and pats down his pockets, searching for his pen. "Dammit, don't tell me I lost another one."

Zinnia rolls her eyes and clears her throat. "Your feet, Dolittle," she says, pointing at the ground.

Lee looks down, and sure enough, it appears as if he dropped his pen in his haste. "Oops."

As Lee retrieves his pen, Zinnia shakes her head and looks over toward Sylveon, who stares back pensively. "You know, it took some time to sink in, but you really did bring a Fairy back into a den of dragons. You got some brass ones to pull a stunt like that."

"Stunt?" Lee asks, leafing through his notebook's latest page and beginning to write his findings down. "I know I'm probably violating some kind of unspoken protocol for outsiders, but I didn't take Sylveon for that explicit purpose. Her prior trainer simply wasn't equipped to care for her."

"I'm sure some will understand the kindness, but definitely do not go around advertising that you have a Sylveon," Zinnia warns, leaning forward slightly. "It might scare off punks, but it's practically wearing a wailing siren to anybody who's anybody around here."

Lee shakes his head. "Wonderful," he grumbles, jotting down his last note and closing his notebook. "Any news on those talks that the elders were having?"

"None yet." Zinnia shrugs apologetically. "Like I said, it's probably going to take a few days. I have faith in Granny's ability to convince the other two, but it's going to take time. If we're lucky, it should only be another day or two."

"Works for me, I suppose." Lee pulls out one of the chairs around the patio table and sits himself down. "Once we're in the stronghold, am I going to be able to leave? I've been skipping out on my therapist too much, and I've got an expert who is going to help with a side study of mine I need to meet."

Expert is an understatement. Once Nigel confirmed that he was able to acquire her services, the professor informed Lee who exactly would be on their way.

Anabel, one of the Frontier Brains.

The Battle Frontier is an odd place mired in the murky waters of semi-independence, and Lee had to send Ninetales into the deep end of that political maze simply because of how it made his head spin.

On paper, the Battle Frontier is a massive, luxurious resort for the rich and talented that doubles as a free economic zone for Hoenn, but in reality?

The Battle Frontier is a rogue state.

They mint their own currency, they have their own laws and charters, they control their own seas and airspace, they collect their own taxes, and they have all the firepower of a full region despite being a fraction of the size.

The last point is the most damning one. Scott, the owner and CEO of the Battle Frontier, has a large number of Elite level trainers and a Champion level trainer on payroll. Which is why no one can really do anything about Scott's shenanigans.

Each of the Frontier Brains are the elite of Elites, no questions asked, but Pyramid King Brandon, widely acknowledged as Champion material, overshadows them all. Owning a Regirock, Registeel, and a Regice, the man holds the record for the most legendary pokemon captured by a single trainer, and rumors are circulating that he captured a fourth legendary pokemon sometime recently.

Of the other Frontier Brains, Anabel is the closest one to matching Brandon's prowess.

'And she's coming here next week,' Lee thinks. 'Damn.'

"You have to have someone escort you to and from the stronghold," Zinnia says apologetically. "It's only accessible by air, and without a dragon with you, someone might mistake you and your bird for an intruder."

Lee simply shrugs, having expected that. "Fair enough. Is there anything you guys need from Fallarbor? I'll be flying over to meet with Mable after lunch."

Zinnia shakes her head, but Brendan chimes in. "Yeah, can you get me a fresh bundle of Oran berries and a Sitrus if you can find one?" he asks. "I used up my last Sitrus trying to get my team's food to taste right, and I'm nearly out of Oran."

"Maybe cut back on training that water cutter move and Marshtomp wouldn't need so many Oran for his sore throat," Zinnia dryly interjects, looking at a number of deep gouges in her backyard.

Brendan has the good grace to appear mareepish.

Reopening his notebook, Lee jots Brendan's request down, then turns to his pokemon. "Great work everyone! Let's call it for now and get some lunch in you!"

Ninetales and Corvi perk up, gladly disengaging at the prospect of food, and while Grovyle hides it better, he still powers down his Leaf Blade a little bit faster than usual. Shinx practically teleports into Lee's arms at the call, leaving a flabbergasted Sylveon behind.

'How does Iron Tail feel, love?' Lee sends to Ninetales, adjusting the purring kitten in his hold. He can feel the ache in the tip of a tail that he doesn't own. 'Getting the hang of it?'

Ninetales lets out a tired huff. 'I suppose I am. I believe there is quite a ways to go before I can realize any of your daydreams, however.'

Oh. Nine must've caught some of Lee's stray thoughts. He definitely imagined Nine wrapping herself in her own tails and using Iron Tail, turning her luscious fur into thorny armor.

'What can I say? Iron Tail is a versatile technique,' Lee replies, giving Shinx one last stroke across her head before setting her down. In short order, he makes his way to his backpack, which is leaning against the side of the house, and pulls from it six saran-wrapped food bowls, one of them twice the size of the others. 'Having nine extra limbs to fight with is going to be invaluable down the line.'

'If you say so,' Nine says back, too focused on her upcoming lunch to give Lee's words more thought.

---

Lunch is unfortunately a little bit tense, as all of Zinnia's team gaze distrustfully towards Sylveon, who doesn't seem to notice as Lee spends the entire time encouraging her to eat. Brendan's pokemon, being the team players that they are, stand between the visibly disgruntled Mawile and Sylveon, letting both fairies eat in peace.

Once everyone's food has had time to settle, Lee recalls his pokemon sans Corvi, saddles the great raven up, then flies off for Fallarbor. It takes Corviknight a mere ten minutes to fly all the way to Fallarbor at a leisurely cruising speed, and Lee is once more mystified by how easy traveling is on the back of a pokemon.

Corviknight touches down just outside of the Fallarbor Pokemon Center and kneels, letting Lee dismount.

"Thanks, Corvi." Lee reaches up and strokes the raven across his metallic beak. "I hope I'm not bugging you too much, having you fly me everywhere."

A disapproving croak rumbles from Corvi's throat paired with a sidelong stare, telling Lee to stop that line of thinking immediately.

"All right, all right." Lee smiles and takes out Corvi's ball. "I get it."

Corviknight nods once, then is sucked back into his ball for a rest.

Lee exchanges Corvi's ball for Nine's, then taps the button, popping open the sphere and releasing his ace. Once she blinks the spots from her eyes, she gives Lee a reassuring smile and a soothing mental hug, chasing away his prickling nervousness.

Stepping inside of the Center, Lee and Ninetales ignore the people turning to look at them and instead head down one of the side hallways leading out of the lobby. They turn a corner, find meeting room number three, and pause as Lee raps his knuckles on the doorframe.

"Come in!" a familiar voice calls from within.

Lee takes a deep breath, then opens the squeaky door.

Inside, Lee and Ninetales find a smiling Mable, sitting in her chair with a pad of paper on her crossed legs. "Lee, Ninetales, it's wonderful to see you two again!" she exclaims, bright smile widening. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I know we've got a lot to catch up on."

"It's good to see you too, Mable." Lee smiles right back, meaning every word. As he sits on the couch across from his therapist, he glances around the room, and finds it to be the exact same as all of the other meeting rooms they've used in past Centers. 'Seriously, do the Pokemon Centers standardize this room in particular?'

Ninetales hops up after him, draping herself across his lap and focusing her eyes on Mable. However, Lee can feel her mind beginning to wander.

'Speaking to Xatu, probably,' Lee realizes.

"So!" Mable claps her hands together once, making the charm bracelet on her wrist jingle. "How have you been doing, Lee? It's been quite a while since our last talk, and I understand that you've been up to quite a lot recently."

Lee leans back on the couch, trying to gather his thoughts. "I'm… I'm doing really well, all things considered. I understand that Nigel or someone else informed you about everything that happened in Lavaridge?"

"I did get one such email, yes." Mable nods. "But I'd like to hear things from your perspective if that's okay."

Breathing out a harsh sigh, Lee slowly combs his fingers through the fur of Ninetales' back, prompting her to lean into him. "Yeah, sure. Team Magma and Aqua, the gangs that recently got reclassified into terrorists, I know what they're up to, and what their ultimate goals are. Stupidly, I decided – "

"Unwisely," Mable suddenly and firmly interrupts. "You are not a stupid man, Lee, even if you made a bad decision. Call it unwise, if you must, for wisdom is something that comes with experience."

"…Unwisely, I decided to get caught up in trying to stop them, and despite having so many resources, I put my friends and team in unnecessary danger," Lee continues. He stares down at the scuffed toe of his boot for a moment, then returns his eyes to Mable's. "We figured out that Magma was doing something up on the volcano and directly confronted them. We… I didn't expect their leader, Maxie –"

Ninetales openly growls at the name.

"– To show up, or to be willing to kill us." Lee pauses, finding his mouth dry as he remembers everything. "He overpowered all of us, he used his Claydol's psychic powers to… To pilot his Camerupt like a meat suit, keeping Camerupt going long past the point of falling apart. That Arceus-damn Claydol was even pinching Camerupt's wounds shut and keeping his shattered bones in place! I-I didn't expect that someone would ever be willing to do something so… So…" Lee can't find a word extreme enough and stumbles over his speech. If not for Ninetales in his lap, he would have risen to his feet in fury.

Mable's face transforms into a deep frown, but she listens dutifully.

Taking a deep breath, Lee calms himself and gathers his thoughts. "He nearly killed us…" Lee murmurs, wrapping Ninetales in a loose hug, letting him feel her heartbeat. "He nearly killed Ninetales. If we didn't figure out his little trick at the last second, we all would have died."

Mable nods slowly. "I'm so sorry that you were forced to endure such a thing, Lee," she says quietly. "This is a fact of life that pains me more than any other, but sometimes people are simply cruel and twisted. If I can have a wish, just one, then it would be for such people to become well again."

"Heh…" Lee shakes his head. "It would surprise the hell out of me if he was ever sound in the first place. I don't know what can twist somebody that much."

"Are you having any flashbacks, or nightmares?" Mable asks gently, quietly writing something on the pad in her lap. "It sounds like you already understand how to avoid such an unfortunate situation in the future."

Lee shakes his head. "No, no flashbacks or anything. I'm doing my best not to dwell and to just keep going forward. In a fucked up, roundabout kind of way, maybe Maxie did me a favor."

Mable, who was opening her mouth to reply, instead stops, a hint of bewilderment on her face. "Can you elaborate for me, Lee? I'm afraid I don't quite understand."

"Well…" Lee licks his lips. Dammit, what is it about talking to Mable that always makes his mouth dry? "I've just been aimlessly bumbling along as a trainer, and scared to death of doing anything that would attract attention to us – my team, that is. I didn't like pokemon battling when I first became a trainer, and if I'm being honest, I still have mixed feelings on the subject. If I could have someone else fight all my battles for me, I would, but the fiasco in Lavaridge taught me something."

The dusky-skinned therapist remains quiet, letting Lee talk.

Lee shakes his head with a rueful smile. "I have to be responsible," he says, poking himself in the chest with a finger. "I'm responsible for my own safety, I'm responsible for the safety of my pokemon, and sitting around wishing I wasn't doesn't do anything." He punctuates every point with a tap of his finger. "I've got the means and the resources to make sure that my pokemon and I aren't victims ever again, and I just refused to use them! Well, not anymore. While I was sitting there in the Pokemon Center waiting room in the wake of all the aftermath, I decided that I was done, that I'm not going to mope and complain. No!" Lee exclaims, making Ninetales jump slightly.

The zoologist smiles, and damn it feels good. "We're just going to be better. I am going to be better. I still want that peaceful, idyllic life with my pokemon, but now I know it's not just going to drop into my lap. We're going to be strong, work towards the life we want, and it'll be all the sweeter when we get there. I won't let anything get in the way."

As the last word leaves Lee's mouth, he stops and replays what he just said in his head, his face turning red as he realizes just how unbearably corny the speech Mable elicited was. 'Arceus, if you're merciful, you'll smite me where I sit before I die of embarrassment.'

'That was hardly embarrassing!' Ninetales interjects, looking at Lee with disbelief. 'Lee, I felt you speak straight from your heart! It's not something that you can – '

Ninetales is interrupted by slow, steady applause.

On the other side of the room, Mable is positively beaming. Her hands come together in one last clap before she folds them in her lap. "I was worried, you know," she begins, smile still in place, "worried that you would have regressed or had problems after we missed so many sessions together, and I am overjoyed to be proven wrong. I knew that there was a confident, capable man beneath your exterior. This is such a momentous leap forward, goodness me! I should've known from the beginning, because it was like watching a different man walk in here."

"A different man?" Lee questions, pushing away his embarrassment. "How so?"

"How so?" Mable seems incredulous. "The Lee Henson I met so long ago was a shy, unsure man who was letting his demons weigh him down. He looked to the floor, spoke quietly, twiddled his fingers and then some. You walked in today with your head held high and without so much as a moment of hesitation. I heard you walk up to the door and knock on it immediately. Last time, you waited for almost a minute before coming in."

'Shit. Did I really?' Lee blinks and recalls the last distant therapy session. 'I did…'

"It hurts me down here," Mable says, putting a hand over her heart, "that you had to go through yet another horrible ordeal, but you bounced back with such strength that it's blown me away! I'm convinced that there's nothing in the world that can keep Mister Lee Henson down!"

Lee looks away, embarrassed once more. "I don't know if I would go that far… But thank you for the vote of confidence."

Mable reins in her giddy happiness, returning to placid professionalism. "Anytime, Lee. Anytime. So, you feel as if you've come to terms with everything that's happened in Lavaridge, correct?"

A nod is Lee's answer. "Yes. I can't really do anything about the past, so I'll just count my blessings and be more prepared next time."

The therapist gestures forward with her pen. "Well then, how about you take the lead for a while? What would you like to talk about?"

'Here's hoping she agrees,' Lee thinks, considering his words carefully. "This might be a little outside of your scope, Mable, so feel free to decline, but do you think you can help me with…" He hesitates to call the telepathic connection between himself and Ninetales a problem. "... I don't want to call it a problem, but it's in regard to the telepathic bond between Ninetales and myself, and if possible I'd like to have a three-way meeting between you, me, and a natural telepath I would be working with."

Ninetales perks up once more, apparently pulling out of her conversation with Xatu to listen. Her red eyes shift between Lee and Mable.

"I'll be happy to lend my expertise if I can." Mable nods, her pen scratching at her notepad. "What's this not-problem you seem to be having? Is it in regards to Miss Ninetales' trainer fixation?"

'So she has been speaking with Xatu about it this entire time,' Lee realizes. He's been avoiding Ninetales' inner thoughts since they stepped into the room out of a sense of privacy.

"That, yeah…" Lee confirms. "We spoke with a Pokemon Master who specialized in the Ninetales line, and she advised that we cease using telepathy with each other, or Ninetales is just going to get worse."

Mable raises an eyebrow. "My darling Xatu is a telepath, and I can certainly see how the talent would prolong trainer fixation, but to make it worse?"

Oh.

It hits Lee that he has never explained just how deep the telepathy between him and Ninetales goes. As one, he and his fox lock eyes before turning in-sync to Mable.

"About that…" Lee wonders just how to explain this. "Ninetales' telepathy has evolved beyond simply sending and receiving words. It's tied us together deep, very deep. So deep that we can no longer disconnect or tell where one side ends and another begins. By the loosest definition of the word, Ninetales and I are a gestalt."

The woman sitting across from Lee has learned of nuclear bombs, listened to a man lament his vivid death, heard stories of loss and grief, and none of that phased her. As soon as she hears the word gestalt, though, her eyes widen.

"Each side can feel the other's emotions, hear their thoughts, feel their bodies, share their senses," Lee continues on. "As we sit here, without me focusing, I have a vague, fuzzy awareness of Ninetales outside of my own senses, just as she does for me. If I do this," he says, reaching over and pinching the tip of one of Ninetales's tails, "I can feel it. It's like phantom limb syndrome, or mirror-touch synesthesia."

It suddenly strikes Lee how it no longer takes focus for he and Ninetales to share their senses, and how doing so causes no discomfort anymore. Just a few months ago, sharing Vulpix's vision made his head hurt and his stomach turn. Now? It's as easy as breathing.

Lee recovers from his own revelation and resumes speaking. "When Lokoko, the Ninetales expert I was referring to, warned us about the possibility of becoming a gestalt, I got the feeling she was referring to something much more sinister than what we have currently. I don't want anything to happen to Ninetales and I, but neither can we just stop. I don't think we're physically able, which is why I'm asking for your help, Mable."

For the first time ever, Mable appears stunned. In record time, however, she recovers and schools her face back into a professional smile. "My, oh my! It's not every day I'm not prepared for something!" she exclaims, bouncing back from her shock. "I would be delighted to help. This does push the boundaries of my qualifications a bit, but a brand-new learning experience isn't something old Mable is about to shy away from! Let me know when and where, and I'll be there to help as best as I can."

Both Lee and Ninetales smile as one. "Thanks, Mable," Lee says, inclining his head. "It means a lot to us."

The woman waves away the thanks. "Oh, think nothing of it. I told you, Mable Lane does not stop until her patients are as well as can be. Is there anything troubling you about the situation?"

"Only the possibility that Ninetales and I might have to…" Lee hesitates to say the word. "Disconnect."

Even entertaining the notion feels wrong on a visceral level. For a split second, Lee's entire body grows cold, and he definitely feels Ninetales shiver slightly.

"And we'll take a look at that bridge as soon as we get there," Mable says. "Let's rewind things a little. Have you been feeling down recently about Earth and your old life?"

A slow shake of his head is Lee's answer. "No. I still think about it sometimes, but already it seems like it was a lifetime ago. I still miss my family, my zoo, and everyone in between, but it's more of a background thing now. I have trouble believing it's only been six months." He frowns. "Sometimes I worry that I'm forgetting everything too fast, though. It's left me feeling somewhat guilty."

"Hmm…" Mable hums in thought. "Time sure does fly, doesn't it? You shouldn't totally forget your time and experiences on Earth. Your memories are an important part of who you are, but neither should you let the past pull you down." A sudden thought seems to strike Mable, and she smiles. "Lee, about that wonderful idea you had during our first meeting…"

---

The sun is beginning to set when Corviknight swoops in for a landing just outside the front door of the Littleroot Pokemon Laboratory. Tucking his stiff wings in, Corvi kneels and allows Lee to hop off of his back.

"Still think I'm not a bother?" Lee jokes, rubbing a hand across the downy feathers of Corvi's chest.

The massive bird gives his trainer the stink eye and defiantly shakes his head. Lifting his wings slightly, Corvi casts Roost on himself, drawing in sky-blue lights that seep past his armor and ease the aches of the cross-region flight.

Lee huffs playfully. "I knew Roost was a good pick," he says, doffing his scarf and flight goggles, which are stuffed in his jacket pockets. Lee then rubs a hand across his face with a grimace. 'Euh. Even with the scarf I still have wind burn. I guess an all-day flight does that.'

"Holy-! He's even bigger in person!"

Turning around, Lee is treated to the sight of Nigel Birch gaping at Corviknight, who puffs up proudly.

"Too bad Corvi isn't a chicken pokemon, or I'd have a real dumb joke to make" Lee grins and steps towards Nigel. "It's been a hot minute since I've seen you in person, Nigel. How are you doing?"

"You adopt a Sylveon and give the PR guys a ton of work to do, and you have the gall to ask me how I'm doing?" Nigel rolls his eyes, but his small smile tells Lee the man isn't serious. "At least we're getting a funding increase from the Academic Board for it. Having three pokemon with a research value index over a zero-point-eight between two lab trainers is really getting their attention."

Lee furrows his brows. Why does the Academic Board insist on their weird value systems? "Three? I know Nine and Sylveon are two of them, but who's the third?"

"Brendan's giant Electrike."

"Ah." That makes sense. "Any idea what you're going to use the funding increase on?"

"We are definitely expanding the ranch grounds," Nigel says, pointing to where the ranch behind the laboratory meets the tree line. "You and Brendan are attracting new trainers to the scene, and our boarding capacity is starting to get low. If we don't expand, I'm going to have to adjust the boarding prices for trainers without sponsors, and I'll let you guess how well that will go over."

Lee cringes. "Oh. Yeah, that sounds like drama the lab doesn't need."

Nigel nods with a sigh, resting his hands in the pockets of his lab coat. "Hopefully we can do everything in time. The Rangers need to survey the land we intend to expand into and confirm there's no protected pokemon there, the town auditor needs to review the land deed and resize the parcel, the contractors need to come out here and actually build the extended facilities… I'm hoping it'll be over sooner rather than later." Nigel then raises a hand and points in another direction, back towards the corner of the ranch grounds. "The stone I mentioned is in the northeast corner of the ranch. You don't need to worry about any of the pokemon touching it. I'll have Medicham, uh… Let them know what it is," he finishes awkwardly.

His cheer dying down, Lee smiles and gives Nigel a grateful nod. "Thanks for letting me do this here, Nigel. It means a lot to me."

The professor simply pats Lee on the arm. "When you're done, meet me at my house, okay? You can stay the night with us. My wife has been dying to meet you anyway."

As Nigel makes his way to the jeep parked beside the laboratory, Lee takes a deep breath and reaches down, tapping the button of every still-occupied pokeball on his belt.

Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!

Ninetales, Grovyle, Shinx, Octillery, and Sylveon join Corviknight outside of their capsules, each one emerging in their own flash of light.

Ninetales, who already knows what's happening, steps forward and presses herself into Lee's side, lending him her warmth and support, drawing stares from the others.

"C'mon guys and gals," Lee murmurs, "we've got just one more thing to do today."

Taking point, Lee leads his pokemon forward, leaping the fence and making for the corner of the lab ranch that Nigel pointed at. As they walk, the ranch pokemon still out and about during the evening hours quietly move out of their path. There is no fear or apprehension from the pokemon who see Lee and his team.

Today, there's only melancholy.

The northeast edge of the fence leads into a wooded area, where bird and insect pokemon watch the group march past from above, sometimes flitting away when Corviknight's head gets too close to their branch.

As they walk, Lee hears Sylveon murmur a question to Grovyle, too quiet for a human ear to hear, but personally audible to Ninetales.

Grovyle answers Sylveon's question with a low, mournful warble, making the Fairy go quiet.

Finally, they arrive, and Lee brings the group to a halt.

Before them is a featureless boulder, utterly plain and unassuming.

"Grovyle?" Lee asks over his shoulder. "Can you get us a nice, flat face to work with on this thing?"

The Grass-type steps forward, extending and palming his Leaf Blade. His yellow eyes inspect the stone closely, then with a flash of movement –

Shink!

– his Leaf Blade cleaves through the face of the boulder at a diagonal angle, slicing off a thin chunk that shatters when it hits the ground, and leaving behind a perfectly flat face.

Lee rubs a hand across Grovyle's head as the lizard retracts his blade, making Grovyle look away bashfully. "Nine?"

'Yes, Beloved. I already know the words.'

The vixen steps forward, bringing a tail to bear as she hardens the tip with Iron Tail. Bringing the tail forward, she drives it into the face of the stone and begins to carve. Letter by letter, word by word, a mournful message takes shape. When the final word is done, Ninetales steps back, allowing everyone to see what she wrote.

In memory of all who are no more.
Loved and never forgotten.
Born again, I live for you.
Here in this charmed place.​

Lee's very being hurts, and the world seems to fade from his vision.

Almost immediately, Ninetales returns to Lee's right, pressing herself to him and burying her head in his side.

Grovyle leans into his trainer's left, visibly fighting with himself, before wrapping an arm around one of Lee's.

Shinx jumps into Lee's arms, cuddling into his chest without so much as a sound.

Corviknight wraps a great black wing around them all.

The two outliers, Octillery and Sylveon, stand in front of the group and stare at the words.

Octillery's expression shifts constantly, as if he's not sure what he's supposed to be feeling. From calculating, to indifferent, to frustrated, before returning to calculating.

Then, as if Arceus descended to reveal a great secret to him, Octillery turns and stares at Lee, comprehension dawning in the cephalopod's eyes, before that too is gone. Finally, he settles upon an expression of practiced sympathy, just barely masking the intense curiosity within his eyes. He shuffles close, wrapping a comforting tentacle around one of Lee's legs.

Sylveon, meanwhile, reads the words over and over again, as if doing so will reveal some hidden knowledge. After the tenth rereading, nothing changes, and one of her ribbons snakes its way into the sleeve of Lee's jacket, wrapping securely around his wrist.

The Fairy suddenly stiffens as if electrocuted. Great shakes wrack her body, and she lets go. Staring at the ground as if the dirt at her paws wronged her, she shuffles backwards until she is standing between Lee's legs, and leans into his knee, ever so slightly.

The warmth of his pokemon returns Lee's senses, just a little, letting him read the inscription once more.

In memory of all who are no more.

His family, his friends, his animals, his entire world. It's gone, and will never come back. It's all been reduced to nuclear ash. Sometimes, he still expects to wake up, choking upon dust and bereft of purpose.

Loved and never forgotten.

Oh, how it agonizes him to admit it, that he'll never get to make new memories with the ones he loved, but… Is it all bad? Those memories aren't gone. They'll be with him forever.

Born again, I live for you.

…No. No, it's not all bad. Someway, somehow, he cheated death and now lives while everyone else has perished. If he does nothing with this chance, it's practically spitting upon everyone who didn't get the chance.

Here in this charmed place.

Lee blinks, suddenly realizing that his pokemon are all huddled against him, warding off the chill of the evening with their bodies. He looks down, left, right, and even up. In every direction, he sees naught but faces looking at him with love and support.

Love and support from his new family.

A smile crosses Lee's face, and with the hand not holding Shinx, he dabs at his eyes. 'Charmed place, indeed. Nine must be making me flowery. I guess its - no. No guessing. I know it's time to let it all go.'

All at once, the ache in Lee's chest is gone, and the man is left feeling lighter than air. "It's good to be home," he breathes.

Together, they all stay until the horizon swallows the sun's last ray.

---

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.

BrokenOlive, Spice_King, speedyzman13, Cat, OpN, Ray, puppy0cam, Planetace, Emeraldleafeon, KingDeDeDe11, Berusella, Sinnohan, xydra22, Luc, Sulphurcat, Phoenix Bugg, demonmonkey89, Maestro, Marthdovah, Hudson3447, Bast97, Hazel Kings, Nithalys, Regal Eagle, Adean, Titch, WiseKitsune, Dingus, GordianVapCat, Shrimperium, ncskeeter56, Fabhar, Green0Photon, MrPerson0, Weedle, Edeltia, Danger Desperado, Ranger, Bunny Waffles, Randal the Vandal, Tezral, Gavinfoxx, Cynicals, JustALurker, The Tankiest Train, Dicloniuslord, Alb410, Purple Floof, Rémi C., SenrabMJam, Superbuchi, GreenPhoenix, Javidom, IceCreamOnion, Ottstop, rizen, Vinohr, DarkReader-14, KaurisAzurai , AMeek, Arcaryx, Autocharth, OmegaEntertainment, mithras131, Tzeneth, Alex F., Kastor, SleepyKamo, ShaRose, Appl, MidnightJayguar, Diana.G, Kammight, Moonlit Chaser, Diamondera, Bruv, RGBDRAGON, xxcoder, UmbraBree,Siver110, Moxie, Ash The Kitsune, LarsHuluk, Grey, Dusks_Lantern, CMDR Dantae, LoverofPi, bleachorange, Liqura, Zany Old Coot, Jagujetas72 , Paper Crane, SparkzVultrix, Emilowish, EpicLosses, Derpydude9001, towerator, IAmYourKingAndMaster, PixelGMS, Auroz

 

[Fuggmann]

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.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, see discord code https://discord.gg/hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

As always, thank you for reading.

---

After the solemn silence at the memorial, Lee takes everyone back to the Birch household for the night. After dinner, Corviknight and Octillery retreated into their balls to rest, leaving Ninetales, Grovyle, Shinx, and Sylveon to follow Lee and Nigel to the den, where the two men now talk.

The atmosphere within the Birch home is one that Sylveon is familiar with. Warmth, laughter, and merriment were hallmarks of the ranch where she spent most of her life, even if enjoyment of such things has eluded her for what seems like forever.

"No…" Lee leans forward with a grin.

"Oh yes." Nigel mirrors Lee's grin. "One of the few vending machines around that still takes coins, and he tries to put a washer on a string in it! You know what happened after that? A Porygon popped out, mad as a Beedrill and with a Tri-attack already charged! It's a good thing he was wearing dark pants, because I'm sure he wet himself!"

Both men laugh, though Nigel stifles his mirth to take a drink from the glass held in his hand.

Sylveon can hear it. There is a difference in her new trainer's voice. She twitches an ear from her place leaning against Lee's chair. It suddenly sounds as if there is true levity within his words, that he is happy, where he was weighed down before. Her ribbons twitch, and she longs to wrap them around Lee's hand to see if her guess is correct. Instead, she looks at Ninetales, who is lying across Lee's boots.

Despite having been with the team for a few days, it is clear Ninetales is the right-hand of Lee. The fox is a firestorm on four legs and…

…And the other piece of Lee, just as Lee is the other piece of her.

The fairy felt it the first time she and Lee made contact, the dull thrum of emotions not his own. Sylveon's thoughts immediately went to mental illness. Did this man suffer from BPD, or some form of schizophrenia? As far as she was concerned, it would be par for the course for a man.

No. Then she realized the emotions actually weren't his. They belonged to Ninetales.

Then she felt the constant undercurrent of love flowing between them, and she was gripped with a horrific jealousy. How dare they? How dare they flaunt her greatest desire in her face like that?!

For many years, she lived at the ranch with no illusions about what she was doing. She would pick a viable suitor, allow him to mate with her, then birth kits. She cared not if her one-night stand bothered to stay around. She was solely interested in mates who would give her the best kits.

Oh, her darling kits… Each one had grown up too fast. It was as though every litter would look at the world beyond the fence with wanderlust faster than the previous. Sylveon cherished every single one of her children, and set her standards for trainers looking to adopt as high as could be reasonable.

Then he came, and showed her that other forms of love exist.

Her thoughts had become murderous.

Sylveon cannot even think his name. Should she try, her stomach will fall to her paws, her heart will turn her rib cage inside out, and she'll be so sick she cannot even see straight.

She loves #&%$ more than anything.

She hates #&%$ more than anything.

How dare he show her a world she knew not, only to rip it away?! He should suffer! The woman who took him should suffer! They should all be crushed and broken in her grip!

How in the world could she be so foolish? How could she think that his petty platitudes, tender touch, that smile she would die to see just one more time were real?

Ever since that day, the only sensation she's felt throughout her body is cold. It's as if her blood was replaced with ice water, and it drives her mad. No amount of blankets or sunlight or nights spent before the fireplace makes it go away. So often she's been tempted to leap into the ranch fireplace if only to feel some new sensation.

She loves #&%$ more than anything.

She hates #&%$ more than anything.

Yet, if he came back, Sylveon would love him again in a heartbeat. Her chest is so tight she can barely breathe. Why did he leave her? Why did he do this to her?

The fairy shakes the homicidal impulses away. No. She shouldn't be focusing on him right now. Other things are afoot. Taking a deep breath, Sylveon turns her blue eyes up to Lee.

His smile seems unburdened.

His eyes seem… to smile?

His…

Sylveon gives up. Try as she might, the human face is an enigma. Instead, she looks down to the ribbon that she wrapped around his hand several hours prior.

Her ribbon is still quaking.

The things she felt in that scant moment are burned into her for better or worse. The instant they made contact, she felt everything.

Despair.

Loneliness.

Grief.

DespairLonelinessGriefDespairLonelinessGriefDespairLonelinessGrie –!

It was like the moment she learned that he abandoned her. The intensity was unspeakable, and she was rooted in place as the emotions of her new trainer ripped into her like razor claws, piercing her down to the bone.

So much was gone.

Everything was gone.

It was as if the world had come to an end.

At that moment, Sylveon knew that she had found someone that understands what she felt that day as she was forced to endure the emotional surge. It was as if her nerves were dunked in acid.

Then something unbelievable happened. It all began to recede, and something else took its place.

Happiness.

Belonging.

Acceptance.

Love.

The last one nearly took Sylveon's breath away. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the rest of her new team huddle close, holding the wounded man who took her away from the ranch. Without even meaning to, she joined them. Despite the chill of the evening, just being against his leg filled her with warmth.

The fairy gulps, once more looking up at Lee, taking in his smile and listening to his voice as he strokes Shinx, who dozes in his lap.

That pain, that horrific pain, the same kind that still torments Sylveon… Does Lee carry it no longer?

Can one actually recover from such an ordeal? But… The loss of something he loved is what caused everything, isn't it? How did he do it? It doesn't seem possible.

Letting out a quiet breath, Sylveon lays her head upon her paws.

In her chest, something flickers, pushing away the perpetual cold that has plagued her, if only a little.

'Is that hope? What could I possibly have to hope for?' Sylveon wonders, swallowing bile that suddenly rises into her throat. 'How dare you do this to me, Lee Henson?'

---

Shinx isn't quite sure when things began to make sense. It was recently, but not too recently, and Papa's gentle fingers combing through the fur of her back make it difficult to focus.

It doesn't matter. What matters now is things are beginning to reveal themselves to her, beginning to connect together in a way she understands. All of the flashes and snippets of days past are beginning to line up in order, each one clear and vivid. Before they were like dreams, with no one seeming to relate to one another, but now she knows the difference between the dreams and her own memory, even if those dreams are too captured in her head. Armed with things like words and numbers, all her past experiences come into sharp focus.

There were the earliest ones, where she was her smallest and weakest. She was in a warm place, utterly secure, and everything before that was a stupor. She did not know where she was, as that was a place without sight or words, but she knew Mama was nearby, looking out for her. That knowledge was all Shinx needed. Time moved forward.

Mama would take Shinx far and wide. Some days, she would go ten ten ten ten steps or more, and as time went on, she would take less. The decrease was gradual.

Then Mama began to breathe wrong.

Mama's breath and heartbeat lulled Shinx in and out of a dreamless sleep as the place she resided began to grow small, so the disruption was immediately apparent. Unease filled her. She squirmed, pushing against the walls around her. The noises Mama made in reply were soothing, but it did little to ease her.

Mama would continue to breathe wrong, and it would get worse without getting better. Then Mama began to stumble a lot. The place where Shinx was would then be bumped and tossed around often, and Mama only got worse from there.

Then one day, after Mama and Shinx settled somewhere, after only ten tens and nine tens worth of steps. They came to a rest, and the steady heartbeat that had lulled her to sleep so many times fluttered…

And stopped.

For exactly seven and ten tens of Mama's regular heartbeats, Shinx was alone, and she knew it. Shinx's home then began to spasm, and her instincts screamed. Whatever is happening, it's not yet time! This is not right! Not right!

The entire world shifted.

Light!

Cold!

Noise!

The air was ice and drove needles into her lungs. The light was blinding, and it was all she could do to keep her eyes shut. The breeze howled in her ears, and agony shot through her skull. She tried to open her mouth and cry, but all that came out was a whisper.

Shinx has no idea how long she lay there, but the light of the sun eventually stopped battering her eyelids. Then she heard great thuds upon the ground, followed by a gasp.

'Oh my stars! What on Arceus' green earth happened here?!' said a voice. It was Leo who had found her.

Warm hands picked her up, and she was taken away.

'I don't know, Leo…' the voice of a woman said. Shinx remembers her. She said her name was Evelyn. 'If this Shinx lives through the next week, it'll be a miracle. Whatever you do, please don't get attached. Something tells me she will be joining her mother soon.'

No. No, Shinx doesn't want the thing that happened to Mama to happen to her! She won't go!

Over the next few days, Shinx would force herself to stand upon unsteady legs and finally see the world around her, all without Mama. The first thing she ever saw was Leo staring down at her in amazement.

Her chest hurt, and although she didn't know the word at the time, she was heartbroken.

'I went back to give that Luxio a proper burial, Eve,' Leo solemnly said into his glass rectangle one day. 'She was awful young and sickly, and I think her pregnancy did her in. She must've used the last bit of life she had left to make it to the edge of my property. She wanted somebody to find her cub.'

The words were confusing, but the tone was not… It only made Shinx's chest hurt more.

She wanted Mama. Sometimes, she would stand by the door of the ranch house and cry ugly tears, hoping Mama would appear, but she never did. All that ever happened was Leo picking her up and shushing her. Then she tried using Leo's glass rectangle. It can let you talk to people who are far away, right? Maybe Mama can be summoned that way? On the rectangle, there were symbols that one would need to touch to make the rectangle do its thing. She tried every combination she'd ever seen Leo press, each one two and ten presses long, but she only ever heard confused humans on the other side.

'Sorry Eve!' Leo whisked the rectangle away from Shinx when he found out one afternoon. 'I have no idea how she guessed your number. I guess I'll put a lock on my phone.'

From thereon, Leo's rectangle needed four more presses at the start, but they were always the same, and Shinx learned them just as she learned the other presses. Leo then started guarding his rectangle with more jealousy.

Leo was good to her, but he had so many other babies that Shinx fell by the wayside. He fed her, cared for her, and looked out for her, but so many other pokemon needed his attention, too.

Two and three-ten times they would go from the ranch house to the market, and after watching some of her surrogate littermates disappear in the arms of a human, she understood what was happening.

Those pokemon were getting new parents! Oh, she liked Leo, but she wanted more!

Shinx never missed a chance to be front and center. She memorized exactly where to stand on the house porch to be the first in Leo's 'truck', and where to be in the market pen to be best seen.

She was small and weak, though, and thus overlooked. The hurt in her chest grew day by day.

Then Papa came, and her life changed forever.

The people of the market parted around him as he stepped forward to speak to Leo, with a Vulpix upon his shoulder that Shinx would later know as her new Mama.

When she met Papa's eyes, Shinx knew what it was like to be wanted.

When she was held in Papa's arms, Shinx knew what it was like to be loved.

When she was adopted by Papa, Shinx knew what it was like to belong.

He fed her, cared for her, made time for her, dedicated himself to her, and Shinx cannot ever love him enough. The hurt within her chest finally went away. She looked him in the eye and burned his face into her memory.

Then came Mama. Her new Mama.

Where Papa is soft, Mama is stern. She rules the team with no question, like a queen in a coat of gold that Shinx dares not disobey. Yet, Mama is not without her tender side. Her eyes are sharp and her words sharper, but cuddling in the safety and security of her tails is a privilege Shinx shares only with Papa.

Would her old Mama be angry? Upset?

'She must've used the last bit of life she had left to make it to the edge of my property. She wanted somebody to find her cub.'

No. No, Shinx doesn't think so… She's gone. She did all that a Mama can.

Shinx blinks her bleary, tear-filled eyes, going back to just a few hours ago.

Papa said the stone that Mama carved was a 'memorial'. She hasn't any idea what that word means, but it sounds like 'memory'. Is it something similar? Shinx couldn't read many of the big words on the rock, but two stuck out to her.

No more.

Is a memorial a thing to remember something that is gone?

She skips backwards once more, to a fateful, one-sided conversation.

'You weren't my first baby, you know? You're the third. You would have been the fourth if… things had worked out for the best.'

'Zefu and Suburi were like you, these little cubs I helped raise. I loved them like nothing else, but they aren't… around anymore, making you my last.'

Papa's eyes are filled with melancholy… No, that's too tame of an emotion. Shinx has no word for what she sees, but she dislikes it with all her being.

'You look just like them, and for a while, I wondered if I made the right choice by taking you, baby girl. Was I trying to fill the hole they have left behind? I don't know, but I do know I was worrying myself sick wondering if I would do a good job raising you, wondering if you'd get big and strong.'

Papa's big blues look down at her, and he smiles.

'I love you –'

"–Baby girl?"

The little electric-type awakens from her half-slumber with a start. Looking up, she sees Papa smiling down at her.

"Tired, are we?" Papa teases. "It is starting to get kinda late, so if you don't mind, Nigel – " Papa looks over to the scruffy man in the other chair, "– I think I'm going to get ready to turn in. My pokemon seem to agree."

On the floor, Mama lets out a sleepy huff.

"Sure thing, Lee," the scruffy man says with a smile. "Let me show you to the guest room."

Papa rises, taking Shinx into his arms as he does so, and she doesn't fight the sleep that wishes to overtake her.

Papa is the best, strongest Papa there is.

Shinx will be the best, strongest baby she can be.

Papa will never need another memorial for his babies, or anyone else. She will make sure of it.

---

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.

Dicloniuslord, Planetace, BrokenOlive, Nickerdoodle, Cat, Spice_King, UmbraBree, puppy0cam, Nithalys, SparkzVultrix, Phoenix Bugg, Green0Photon, SenrabMJam, Maestro, Tzeneth, GNPhoenix, WiseKitsune, ShaRose, demonmonkey89, Emeraldleafeon, FillerName, speedyzman13, Luc, Tezral, Appl, mithras131, Ranger, Sulphurcat, rizen, Derlock, OmegaEntertainment, Rémi C., TheTankiestTrain, Edeltia, PixelGMS, AMeek, GordianVapCat, Strongraider101, Ray, Superbuchi, Peter D., Cynicals, Marthdovah, Thelon, SleepyKamo, Arcaryx, Dusks_Lantern, Sinnohan, RGBDRAGON, GreenPhoenix, xydra22, Shrimperium, Fraxen, Javidom, DarkReader-14, LoverofPi, Moonlit Chaser, JustALurker, Ottstop, Berusella, Kammight, Gavinfoxx, CMDR Dantae, MrPerson0, KingDeDeDe11, Moxie, Ash the Kitsune, Bennyandthejets, KaurisAzurai, Gabriel M., Je, Danger Desperado, The Lone Fox, LarsHuluk, RaptorusMaximus, Titch, Straven, Bunny Waffles, Emilowish, Shaydrall, IAmYourKingAndMaster, Vinohr, Bruv, Kastor, Autocharth, King Eevee, Grey, Papito12495, Derpydude9001, Paper Crane, Rikky_RollDatDough, Liqura, Siphon Rayzar, Majora, OpN

 

[Fuggmann]

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.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, use discord code https://discord.gg/hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

As always, thank you for reading.

---

The following morning, after a pleasant evening spent in the Birch home, Lee gathers up his team, mounts up on Corvi, and begins the multi-hour flight back to the Draconid village.

Lee takes a breath through the scarf protecting his face from the biting wind, looking down at the landscape below. To the east, Verdanturf passes by as Corvi lazily yaws to the left, following a waterway into the western mountain range.

'It all seems greener, somehow,' he thinks to himself and smiles. 'Hoenn. What a beautiful place to call home.'

Home.

Just thinking the word before yesterday made his chest tight and put thoughts of happier times in his head. Home used to be the place where his animals lived and where his zoo stood, and the reminder that it was all gone never lost its harshness.

Until today, that is. It's all been put to rest now.

'It's been six months since I died, six months since the whole world came to an end…' Lee watches a formation of Swablu pass below. 'Half a year. It feels like a lifetime ago. I guess, if you really think about it, it was a lifetime ago.'

'Do you regret how things have turned out?'

So lost in his thoughts is he that it takes Lee a moment to realize Ninetales reached out to him. He blinks and thinks over his answer. 'Regret? No. I could never regret where I am today. I can't regret meeting you, or the rest of the team, or Brendan and Zinnia. I think I'll always miss Earth deep down, but sitting and lamenting doesn't bring anything back. Besides, how can I remain unhappy when I have you?'

Ninetales is silent, but he can practically feel her smile. Lee definitely feels the warm tide of pride that wells up within her and spills over into him, banishing the high-altitude cold and coating his skin in the sensation of silky fur. 'You've grown,' she says quietly, each word practically glowing.

'Aasir once said that if you're not growing, you're dying. I think I've had enough of the latter for one lifetime,' Lee jokes.

The fox shudders within her capsule. 'Please, Beloved. Perhaps not joke in such a manner? It's grim.'

Lee pats the ball on his belt, and in doing so, is just in time to feel his phone vibrate in his pocket. 'Jeez, of course I get messaged as I'm thousands of feet in the air.'

Taking his phone from his pocket with a tight grip so as to not lose it to the whipping winds, Lee squints past the sunny glare on the screen to see who could be reaching out to him.

Zinnia: final elder debate happening rn. need you here so fly fast.

Lee's eyes widen. 'I'll be damned. It's about time.' Apprehension gnaws at the zoologist, but he ignores it. Putting his phone away, he reaches up and taps the transmit button on his radio headset. "Corvi? Can you hear me?"

The great raven turns his head slightly, peering back at Lee with a crimson eye.

"Zinnia is wanting us to return ASAP. Let's put the pedal to the floor!" As an afterthought, he adds, "Not so fast that I fly off, please."

Corvi smirks and pulls his wings back, forming a delta shape with his body. He straightens out, and then–!

Lee isn't given time to gasp before Corvi rockets forward, easily tripling his speed and sending Lee's stomach to his toes. The man has to lean his head down and hold his arm in front of his face as a windbreak just to breathe. Hazarding a look forward, Lee sees the beginnings of a sonic cone tickling the tip of Corvi's beak.

'Maybe I should've been more specific and said 'not one notch below supersonic'…'

---

The man and raven reach the Draconid village in record time, and circle around Zinnia's house for a landing. Coming in low and slow, they're just in time to see Brendan's Breloom perk up from his backyard sunbathing and leisurely head inside the house, probably to inform everyone else of their arrival.

Corviknight spreads his wings and finally touches down, allowing Lee to free his legs from the saddle straps and stumble to the ground. The man hisses and shakes away the pins and needles that run all the way from his toes to his thighs. After the pain subsides, he takes his phone from his pocket and checks the clock. "I'll be damned if that wasn't terrifying, but no one can ever call you slow, Corvi."

The raven smiles smugly, or at least he tries. The way he tries to hide his panting diminishes his smirk, however. The halfhearted smirk transforms into gratitude when Lee reaches into his bag and withdraws an Oran berry, one that Corviknight takes in his beak and swallows whole.

"Enjoy the rest, pal," Lee tells him. He smiles, turning to Zinnia's house. "I think I'm going to need you again soon."

Corviknight answers with an agreeing croak, readjusting his wings and sitting with a relaxed sigh.

Not bothering to put away his flying gear, Lee lowers his scarf and radio headset before letting himself into Zinnia's home. As soon as the screen door slams shut, Zinnia's voice can be heard further within. "Is that you, Dolittle? Come in here!" she calls.

Lee's boots and heavy footfalls make the old floorboards of the house creak as he follows the voice. Rounding the corner to the small kitchen, he finds both Brendan and Zinnia, along with the trio of guests.

The first is the most recognizable, that being Elder Juniper. The elderly woman is sat at the kitchen table sipping at a steaming mug along with the two unknowns and Zinnia, leaving Brendan to lean against the wall.

To Juniper's right is a tall Draconid man with a severe face. His tanned head is bald, and a salt-and-pepper beard covers his square jaw. Much of his body, barring his muscular arms, is covered by tribal hide clothes decorated with marks of red. His narrow, suspicious eyes are locked upon Lee.

Sitting across from the tall man and on Juniper's left is another man, who seems to be the polar opposite of the stern-faced Draconid. His short, side-parted hair is graying at the edges, but the only other signs of age on his smiling face are laugh lines. Like his counterpart, he too wears traditional hide.

"This is the third one, then?" the square-jawed Draconid asks with a rumbly, smoky voice fit for a Dragon. He crosses his thick arms. "Ma hr druknam. I'm not impressed."

"Come now, Taxus." The other man clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "You are aware of what they say. What are the words in Galarian? To judge with eyes alone is folly?"

Juniper sets her mug down. "I believe it's 'do not judge a book by its cover', Elder Danae."

The now-named Danae snaps his fingers with a smile. "Yes, precisely. Worthwhile wisdom regardless of tongue."

The man whom Lee assumes is Elder Taxus rolls his eyes. "They also say that seeing is believing. I see, but I do not believe."

"Elders, please," Zinnia cuts in with poorly-hidden frustration, "you've been arguing for hours. I swear I'm not spitting on tradition for nothing. Lee and Brendan are the real deal, and I need them."

Taxus snorts, not dignifying Zinnia with a reply.

"Indeed, Thelban, indeed." Juniper nods, turning from Zinnia and leveling Lee with a smile. "Naraikvejor Henson, we were not expecting you for some time. Your haste is appreciated."

Lee smiles back and inclines his head, wondering what the strange title means. "Think nothing of it. We did our best not to dawdle considering how important today is."

Juniper nods, raking her eyes across Lee, Brendan, and Zinnia. "For many hours of many days, Elders Danae and Taxus and I have debated. I believe the conclusion is upon us, but something from you is required."

"From me?" Lee blinks, wondering what in the world he could possibly have to offer.

"Yes," Taxus asserts, his already narrow eyes thinning into squints. "Disturbing things we have heard, that the unworthy have achieved Zenvokur: achieved Mega Evolution. You carry with you a telepath, yes?" he asks, staring at Lee.

Lee nods back grimly, already seeing where this is going. "You want to see it for yourself?"

"Should you allow it," Elder Danae chimes in. He takes a pokeball from beneath his hide poncho and holds it out in his palm. "Testimony so personal is not a request usual, but… What is the word? Deadlocked, we are. 'Tis one thing to hear danger, but another to know."

Frustration flashes across Zinnia's face as Danae finishes speaking, and Lee doesn't miss it. 'Is she upset that they aren't taking her word for it?' he wonders. 'Or is it something else?' Lee puts the thought aside for now. Despite Danae's unusual wording, Lee gets the gist of what the elder is saying. 'He wants to see memories of the fight with Maxie to validate everything that Zinnia has said. Love?'

'Of course.'

Lee nods his consent, and Danae smiles before hitting the button on his pokeball. In a flash, the small kitchen is a bit more cramped.

'I seem to be running into a lot of rare pokemon recently,' Lee thinks, his eyebrows rising at the sight before him.

Floating at Danae's side is a Sigilyph, a Psychic-type pokemon. The unusual pokemon resembles the top of a totem pole. From its sides sprout a pair of multicolored wings that do not flap despite how the pokemon hovers, and just below those wings is a stubby, acorn-like body bearing two round, blue eyes. From either side of the body sprouts a three-pronged protrusion without an obvious use, and hanging below it is another protrusion the same color as the wings, almost like tail feathers. On the top of the body sits an antenna-like shape, which bears a third, unblinking eye.

Taking that as her cue, Ninetales emerges from her ball in her own flash and is forced to lean into Lee's side, lest she be pushed into the wall.

Danae murmurs something in Spoken Draconid to his Sigilyph, and the pokemon makes a bell-like chime in reply, its eyes glowing.

Ninetales' own eyes glow, and Lee can practically see the memory transferring from her, to Sigilyph, then to Danae. She also takes snippets of Lee's own memory, filling in the blanks after she was struck down.

Maxie's coldhearted declaration of murder.

Camerupt's agonized transformation, and the horrible monster that follows.

The very volcano quaking under Camerupt's rage.

The desperate fight for survival.

Claydol losing control, and Camerupt turning on Maxie with the last of his strength.

It all plays out in an instant, and in that instant, Danae's face transforms into unbridled anguish. The man leaps to his feet and clutches his heart with a curse, sending his chair into the wall and making everybody jump.

"Danae!" Taxus stands, planting his hands on the table. "What did you see?!"

Danae's face is ashen, and he does not answer right away. Hand still clutching his heart, he uses his other shaking hand to pull his chair back to the table, where he sits heavily. His Sigilyph hovers close, and despite how alien the pokemon is, its worry is plain.

"No…" The stricken Elder finally speaks, quiet and breathless. "No. H-how could one pervert the beauty of the zelak? The bond? To stomp so carelessly upon…" He shudders, as if wracked with cold, and can speak no further.

Taxus watches with disbelief as Juniper's face remains forcefully neutral.

After a minute to compose himself, Danae swallows thickly and speaks once more. "It… It is as Thelban Zinnia says. He forced Ascension upon his pokemon." He shivers as he says 'forced'. "Corruption without equal, it is. These visions shall haunt me for weeks to come."

Brendan tries to lighten the atmosphere with a weak chuckle. "Yeah. It was… uh…" Then he thinks better of speaking and goes quiet once more, staring at the floor. He steals a look at Lee, who gives the boy a reassuring smile.

Danae shakes his head and swallows the lump in his throat, color slowly returning to his face. "A travesty, this is. I withdraw all reservations with Thelban Zinnia's requests. To face such an abomination and live is a far greater test than anything we can offer."

'Requests, plural? And what is this talk of a test?' Ninetales takes notice of the wording and relays it to Lee. 'It was my understanding that going to the Meteor Falls stronghold was the only request she had.'

'Maybe there's some special resources in the stronghold that she had to ask for as well?' Lee answers with the mental equivalent of a shrug. Even so, he cannot deny his own curiosity.

His face morphing into disbelief at Danae's words, Taxus sits once more. Steepling his hands, he looks between Juniper's expecting eyes and Danae's slumped form. Gritting his teeth, he finally speaks. "Entrance into Metron'fall krate I can allow, but I will require further meditation for Thelban Zinnia's other demands."

Juniper nods, Zinnia frowns, and Danae's face morphs into a snarl.

"Did you not hear me, Taxus?!" Danae suddenly starts, a Dragon-like growl emanating from his throat. "I have seen it! Thelban and Naraikvejor all speak truth!"

Taxus' eyes harden, and any sympathy held for Danae dies. "Fool! In what world does adding more poison to a poisoned well solve any issues? To allow outsiders within the sacred Metron'fall krate is already generous, and you are well aware of what happened last time they were afforded such honor!"

"Enough!" Juniper silences the argument before it can spiral out of control. She looks between both of her fellow elders, who have their jaws set and lips pulled into thin lines. "We can debate further if we must, but for now, let us see our guests to their new home for the coming weeks."

Neither Taxus nor Danae say anything, but both rise to their feet and make their way toward the back door. Danae lags behind for just a moment in order to return his Sigilyph to its ball.

Juniper rises to her feet with a sigh. She meets Zinnia's eyes briefly, then shuffles past towards the door.

Once her grandmother is out of sight, Zinnia sighs and slumps in her chair. "Ugh! All of this political nonsense is killing me. It feels like they're trying to fight me every step of the way."

"That rough?" Lee asks with an awkward smile.

Zinnia rises to her feet and gives him a flat look. "You don't know the half of it. They showed up here at 7 am just to bicker at my kitchen table and drink all my tea," she says, walking around the table and taking the empty mug Elder Juniper was sipping from. After giving it a brief rinse in the sink, she stuffs it away in a cupboard and turns towards Lee and Brendan. "And he didn't even have the decency to stick around as moral support!" she exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at Brendan.

The boy gives Zinnia an offended look. "I didn't want to get in the way! It's not like I was going to be any help with some kind of tribal political debate, anyway!"

"Feh." Zinnia plants her hands on her hips and looks down at Brendan from over her nose. "You just wanted to go play kissy face with your girlfriend, didn't you?"

Brendan's face lights up a bright pink as he scowls. "Kissy face? What are you, five? I was training with my team while she watched! And girlfriend? No way! I've met Astis, like, twice!"

'I feel like I'm missing some context here,' Ninetales complains, and Lee can't help but mirror the sentiment.

At Lee's confused face, Zinnia smirks. "While you have been a busy Beedrill buzzing all over Hoenn, little Mister Hero here –" she once again points to the blushing Brendan "– has been schmoozing with the tribal girls. He's got one in particular, Miss Astis Talon, hooked. By the way, kid." She looks at Brendan again. "You're in luck. Astis and her sister Isis are the Draconid Oracle's assistants, so you'll get to see them a few times a week in the falls."

Brendan groans and covers his face with his hands. "She was the one who came to me while we were training over at the outskirts of town! What was I supposed to do? Just be a jerk and tell her to get lost?"

Hiding his amused smile behind his fist, Lee throws the poor boy a bone. "Leave him be, Zinnia. You can pester him later. We've got stuff to do right now."

Zinnia sobers abruptly, reminding Lee about the discussion and eminent revelations on the horizon. "Yeah, we do. Let's get going."

Once Brendan and Zinnia grab their respective traveling bags, they follow Lee and Ninetales outside, where the trio of elders all stand along with their own flying mounts.

With Taxus is a Dragapult who leisurely floats midair, while Danae stands beside a Garchomp with an X-shaped scar on his chest. Behind them, Juniper is settling down upon the shoulders of her droopy-eyed Dragonite.

"Mount up, young ones!" Juniper calls. "We haven't all day!"

Zinnia gives both Lee and Brendan a nudge towards Corviknight, who is standing and giving the trio of dragons nearby a wary glare. "You two take the bird. I'll ride with Granny. Granny will lead the formation, so stay on her 6 o'clock and fly close. We don't want any of the crater nesters to take a potshot at you."

"Real reassuring…" Lee mutters as Zinnia makes tracks towards her grandmother. He looks to his side and gives Brendan a nudge. "You haven't had a proper flight yet, have you?"

Brendan shakes his head. "No. I didn't get enough time to schedule a flying test in Lavaridge before we left," he says, a slight nervous warble to his words. "I guess the volcano escape doesn't count as 'proper'?"

"It's fun when you're not running for your life, trust me," Lee says with a smile, leading them toward Corviknight.

After Ninetales retreats back into her ball, Corviknight crouches and allows Lee, followed by Brendan, to clamber on his back. Two people on a one-rider saddle is a tight fit, forcing Brendan to hug Lee's back to stay secure, but once Lee gives a thumbs up to Juniper and Zinnia, Dragonite spreads his short wings and takes off, Dragapult and Garchomp following shortly after.

Corviknight spreads his wings and follows suit, drawing a startled yelp from Brendan.

---

The flight takes the group to the southwest, towards a large plateau that nearly touches the clouds. While they fly, Corviknight kindly tries his best to keep the ride smooth for Brendan, who groans with motion sickness.

The closer they get to the plateau, the more inquisitive pokemon swoop by their formation, only to back off at the sight of the three elder dragons escorting the mammoth-sized Corviknight. A bat-like dragon called Noivern passes by, then a wild Altaria, and then two Vibrava who dart by like dragon-flies.

Finally cresting the edge of the plateau, Lee hazards a look down, and has to catch his jaw so he doesn't drop it. 'So that's what Zinnia meant by 'crater nesters'.'

The face of the plateau is pockmarked by craters and divots between patches of greenery, and in those craters, many Dragon-type pokemon, lying in nests of carved stone and shaved wood. The vast majority of the Dragons are nesting pairs of fully grown Salamence, who stare up at them with narrow eyes.

"Holy crap…" Brendan gulps and looks down at all of the dragons glaring up at them. "Look at all of them! This place is dragon pokemon heaven!"

"Might be heaven at first glance, but something tells me it can quickly turn into hell on earth," Lee mutters back. He begins to count the numbers below, and the number rises to nearly fifty before a cloud obscures his vision. 'One Salamence is enough to trash a high-level team solo, and there have to be dozens of them below…'

During his test for his flying license, Lee encountered questions about no-go zones. There were the obvious ones, like military bases, congested airports, places with travel restrictions enacted by Rangers, and this plateau in particular. The test didn't say exactly why this plateau was off limits, but after seeing enough dragons to burn a city to the ground living here, Lee understands why.

Juniper's Dragonite angles down and leads the formation through a cloud towards a great crater in the middle of the plateau, one that seems to dig deep into the bowels of the earth, prompting everyone to follow her. As they descend, none of the Salamence bother to rise and harass them. The closer and closer they get, the more they realize just how enormous the central crater is. It's less of a crater and more of a hole leading to a great cavern beneath the ground.

As soon as they pass the lip of the crater, Lee's breath hitches.

Something in the air has changed.

An ephemeral force, like static yet distinctly not electrical in nature, rolls across his skin and makes goosebumps breakout across his body. His whole body feels lighter for some reason, and alertness crashes into him as if he were dipped in ice water. Below him, Corviknight pauses mid-flap before completing the motion with too much vigor, jostling both of his passengers.

Behind him, Brendan shivers. "Ugh… Did you feel that? Not Corviknight knocking us around, I mean the… The thing in the air?" he finishes unsurely, unable to find the right word.

"Yeah," Lee confirms, furrowing his brows and trying to keep the uncomfortable buzz in his stomach in check. "Just try to stay relaxed. We'll ask Zinnia when we get the chance," he says, swiveling his head and taking in the surroundings.

Indeed, the crater goes far deeper than expected and was merely the entrance to an underground cavern of mind-boggling size. The walls around them stretch for what looks like a half-mile in any direction, shining with luminescent crystals of all different sizes. Even the spots where no crystals grow glitter from the rich minerals embedded within. In some of those bare spots are caves and doorways, some natural, and others with obvious claw marks around their thresholds, leading to who-knows-where deeper within the cavern. From this angle, they're treated to the sight of a Draconid tribesman and his Gabite partner carving out the beginnings of a new doorway.

Upon the ground at the very bottom of the cavern grows hardy greenery. Shrubs, small trees, lichens, and other plants suited to a life of little sunlight stubbornly add color to the cavern. A small handful of grass-types pause their activities to stare up at the formation flying in, and among their number are several Maractus, a Carnivine, and a pair of Shroomish. More than a few lounging dragons, such as a group of Bagon and a Shelgon, also rest under the short trees.

None of that, however, holds a candle to the lake.

In the center of the cavern, directly below the crater entrance, is a lake of crystal-clear water. Where pokemon are scattered about among the cavern, the lake is devoid of life, leaving the waters undisturbed and mirror-smooth. Down at the bottom of the lakebed is a huge, building-sized boulder with a craggy, metallic silver exterior and a number of craters upon its face. From several of those craters, a breathtaking rainbow light shines. The fantastic rays make the lake glow and shine out of the water to bounce off of the crystalline walls, bringing an almost magical glow to the entire space.

'No wonder it's called the Meteorfall Crater.' Lee can't help but stare. 'It almost feels like I've stepped into another world. Oh, the irony there.' He grips the handholds of Corvi's saddle tightly, half afraid of floating away. Suddenly, Lee realizes he hasn't heard from Ninetales yet despite all the strangeness abound, so he reaches out to her. 'Love? You feeling any of this?'

It takes the fox a moment to collect her thoughts within her ball, and below the surface, Lee can feel the same strange, uncomfortable feelings within her that exist within him. 'I'm fine, Beloved,' she asserts. 'I… I don't quite know what I should be thinking, or feeling. This cave touches a place within me I feel as if I should recognize, yet I don't. I'm excited, yet I don't know why.' If she were outside her ball, Lee is sure her eyes would be narrowed. 'Sidelining the privacy aspect of the cavern for a moment, is this phenomenon perhaps why Zinnia wished to come here?'

Lee reflexively wraps his mind around hers, girding his thoughts and pushing away his own discomfort. 'Maybe. We'll see.'

Ninetales pushes back, eliminating any space between them and taking the edge off of the alien sensations for both of them.

Corviknight touches down with unusual roughness, jostling Lee from his thoughts and forcing him to shake his head to clear it. He's quick to dismount Corviknight and jump to the ground, bending his knees to absorb the impact. Brendan follows shortly after, swiveling his head the entire time.

Ahead of them, Zinnia and the trio of Draconid elders take their time climbing down off of their dragons, and once they've done so, Juniper beckons everyone to come together around her.

Lee takes a deep breath and walks over. 'Arceus, give me strength.'

As he utters those words, it almost feels as if the tingle upon his skin eases before returning.

Once Lee and Brendan, with Corvi protectively bringing up the rear, form up with Zinnia, the elders, and their dragons, Juniper raises a hand to her mouth and clears her throat. "Naraikvejor Birch, Naraikvejor Henson, allow this elder to be the first to welcome you to this sacred place. Countless years it has been since an outsider has seen the Metron'fall Krate, the Meteorfall Crater. Tell me, are you well? You both appear ill."

"I feel weird and jittery," Brendan speaks up first, rubbing his arm. "Like I'm about to be struck by lightning. Is that normal?"

"It is to be expected," Taxus gruffly states. He briefly meets eyes with his Dragapult before returning his attention to Brendan. "Concern yourself not. It shall fade."

The answer satisfies Lee none, and for a split second, he considers blurting his discontent out, but he bites his lip and stops himself at the last second.

Juniper nods along with Taxus' words. "It is as Elder Taxus states. Energies most ancient permeate the very air here, but your discomfort shall pass. Thelban's reasons for bringing you here are many, and the energies are amongst them. We shall discuss at length later."

"Understood, Elder Juniper," Lee says, inclining his head. "Thank you for this opportunity…" Again, he has to withhold the urge to ask more questions, as they nearly sneak past his unusually loose lips. 'Fucking hell. What is this cave doing to me?'

The Elder nods once more. Turning to her Dragonite, she murmurs something in Spoken Draconid, and the great beast lumbers off to a nearby bed of moss upon a flat rock before flopping down for a nap. "Elders Danae and Taxus will inform the Metron'fall caretakers of your arrival, while we will see to your lodgings. Come."

Taxus, Danae, and their pokemon separate off from the group, and after Lee recalls Corviknight for a rest, the elder leads Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan towards a large, mossy hill that overlooks the lake, following a path worn to the ground.

Zinnia slows her pace, slipping between Lee and Brendan. Quietly, she asks, "How are you guys doing? Be real with me. I know this place is making you feel out of sorts."

"I don't like it." Brendan is the first to speak. "It's… I don't know how to describe it. It's like I'm not totally in control of myself." He rubs his arms together, and Lee can see the goosebumps covering them. "It's eerie."

"I'm in much the same boat," Lee murmurs. "I've had to hold my tongue a couple of times already. I've almost blurted out a bunch of questions, and I'm sure I would've been rude about it."

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." She suddenly throws her arms around Lee and Brendan's shoulders, pulling them both into a short hug. "You guys should be fine; just stay focused, okay?"

The instant that Zinnia touches Lee, a part of him enjoys the contact. A split second later, Lee feels Ninetales trying her absolute hardest to stomp on a flash of jealous rage, and he winces.

"Pokemon with the right drive and mindset grow like crazy down here," Zinnia whispers, releasing Brendan and Lee. "No one is quite sure if it's the dragon-like mental state, the ambient energy, or some combo thereof, but the fact stands that it works. That's one of the reasons I wanted us to spend a few weeks down here. I'll explain everything once we're alone."

Brendan grins in reply. "Well, if there's good training to be had, then it can't be all bad!"

As they come closer to the hill, Lee does a double take as he sees a wooden door in the side of the hill. Scanning the hill more intently, he finds slits in the moss covering the hill that glint as if there is glass beneath. 'Don't tell me they built hobbit houses down here? That's honestly pretty cool.'

Stepping up to the door, Juniper takes a brass skeleton key from her pocket, unlocks the door with a heavy-sounding clunk! and passes the key to Zinnia.

"I will be nearby, dear Granddaughter." Juniper's visage finally softens as Zinnia pockets the large key. "Inform me when a conclusion has been reached."

"I will, Grandma." Zinnia smiles. "Thank you for everything. I know I'm asking a lot."

The elderly woman pats Zinnia on the shoulder, then shuffles past her, and past Lee and Brendan, making her way back towards her Dragonite.

Zinnia sucks in a deep breath and lets it all back out in an explosive exhale. "C'mon, guys," she beckons, pushing the door open. "That whole 'no more secrets' conversation has arrived, and we have to talk before we do anything else."

Without a word, Lee and Brendan follow, and Lee feels his heart begin to speed up. 'This is it. The moment I've been dreading.'

As they step past the threshold, the feeling of static on his skin thankfully leaves Lee, and with it, his scattered thoughts and nagging desires refocus into a continuous train of thought. The strange feeling is not completely gone, but it's far less pronounced. 'The house deadens the Dragon TE outside. Thank goodness. I don't think I would've been able to sleep otherwise. How are you, Nine?'

'Much better,' the fox sends back, her relief palpable. 'The dampening must be purposeful, as stretching my mind beyond the walls is a chore.'

Stepping deeper into the hillside house, Lee briefly glances around himself, finding the interior dim and smoky. The only sources of light in the room are several candles in a low-set chandelier of wood and bone. Before he's given much of a chance to inspect the rest of the house, Zinnia ushers them towards what looks like a living area, and upon sitting on one of the handmade, wooden chairs, she takes all four of her pokeballs from her belt and tosses them into the air.

Sna-Sn-Sn-Snap!

Each ball opens midair and deposits her pokemon on the ground. A grim-faced Shelgon, the ever-surly Tyrunt, serene Altaria, and finally Goomy, who is quivering. Shelgon moves first, and the rest of the team falls in line behind him, taking positions around Zinnia.

"I'm going to be blunt, guys." Zinnia rests her hands on her knees and gives her pair of human friends a pained face. "I don't really know where to start with this, and… and it's going to impact our friendship. I have to tell you straight up, though, that once you hear what I have to say, it's going to change your lives for the worse. If you don't want any part in it, then you need to speak up now so Granny can escort you back out."

'So that's why Elder Juniper is sticking around outside.' Lee frowns. 'What kind of secret could Zinnia have that would change our lives?' He tries to remember anything about the tiny bit of the Omega Ruby postgame that he played, but what he does remember is blurry and indistinct.

Brendan seems incredulous with Zinnia's words. "What? Back out? You said you needed help from us, so you're getting it!" He pauses and gives Lee a nervous smile. "Not that I speak for the both of us, I'm just saying that – "

"It's fine, Brendan." Lee raises a hand and waves the boy off. "I'm not about to bail either."

Zinnia's face contorts, as if she's not sure whether or not she wants to be frustrated or relieved. "Are you guys sure? A hundred percent? I know for a fact you're not going to like what I have to say."

Lee lets a wry smile rise to his face. "You already went to all the trouble of strong-arming your elders into letting us into your sacred crater, and you said before that you need help with whatever this thing bothering you is. I think both Brendan and I made up our minds before we even got here."

The Dragon tamer smiles wanly. "Thanks, guys. You really are the best. You might want to sit down and let your pokemon out, because this is going to be a long one.

As Lee and Brendan settle themselves on a small sofa across from Zinnia, they both take their pokeballs and release their teams.

'Not Shinx…' Lee passes over her ball with a slight grimace. 'She's still a little too young.'

Corvi is forced to sit and bow his head slightly, and Ninetales telekinetically pulls the low table in the living area aside so she is able to sit in front of Lee, but after only a minute of shuffling around, Lee's team is settled. Octillery sits in front of Corviknight, while a blank-faced Sylveon and narrow-eyed Grovyle flank Ninetales.

Brendan's younger, rowdier bunch takes a little longer, but eventually, Mawile stops glaring at Sylveon and sits, either not noticing or not minding how Marshtomp shuffles closer. Breloom looks bored as can be, while Electrike lays his head on Brendan's knee.

"Are we ready? No last-minute back-outs?" Zinnia asks. When nobody replies, she leans back in her seat and sets a hand on Shelgon. "I guess… I should start way, way back," Zinnia begins, looking up at the candles illuminating the room. "As I told you guys, the position of Lorekeeper was created to ensure that the legacy of the Draconid tribe always survives the test of time. It's the job of the Lorekeeper to both defend the tribe and to survive it should tragedy strike and wipe everyone else out. No one is quite sure when the position was established, but according to ancient Draconid texts, the first Lorekeeper was the first Draconid to…" She hesitates. "The first Lorekeeper was the one who synchronized with the legendary dragon that all Draconids still revere: Rayquaza."

"Rayquaza?" Brendan frowns, his brows coming together in thought. "I think one of my dad's old books has something on Rayquaza. It didn't really mention much other than a couple of sightings and that it's probably Dragon-type."

Zinnia laughs. "Probably a Dragon-type? That's funny. Depending on who you ask, Rayquaza is the Dragon-type. The Draconids have many names for him, like Dragon of Dragons, Keeper of Balance, Guardian Above, but Almighty Who Claims The Sky is the most common. Much like how a Dragon atop a mountain claims everything beneath him as equally as he does the mountaintop, Rayquaza claims everything below the sky. To a dragon, that's a simply preposterous amount of territory to defend, yet Rayquaza has done so for eons and has never been defeated. All who live beneath him exist because of his mercy, and he allows none to make a mess of what belongs to him. That's why Rayquaza is considered the Dragon."

Lee eyeballs his bag in the corner of the room, wishing he had his notebook. He's going to have to interrogate Zinnia later. "Fascinating stuff, Draconid lore. When you say the first Lorekeeper synchronized with Rayquaza, do you mean…?"

"I do." Zinnia nods with a small smile. "Eons ago before recorded history, the legendary pokemon Groudon and Kyogre awakened and sought each other out to kill the other, putting an end to their rivalry once and for all. Their power was unbelievable. The oceans rose and fell, entire continents shifted and moved across the world, it was chaos, and the people and pokemon of the world were caught in the crossfire. It's unknown how many lives were lost."

Gulping, Brendan goes pale, and a stone-faced Marshtomp puts a hand on his arm.

Lee tries to imagine what life must've been like with the land and seas themselves going berserk, and it conjures an image not too far away from the event that led to his own demise. 'Maxie, you son of a bitch, you have no idea what you're playing with.'

"The first Lorekeeper, desperate to save the world, sought out Rayquaza," Zinnia continues her story, heedless of Lee's thoughts. "No one is really sure if the Lorekeeper battled Rayquaza or did something else, but regardless, Rayquaza took notice of the state of the world. Rayquaza then synchronized with the first Lorekeeper and Mega Evolved, rising to a level of power never before seen in the world. Neither Groudon nor Kyogre stood a chance, and Rayquaza forced the fight to end, sending them both back to slumber."

"Wow…" Brendan eats up the story with starry eyes, leaning forward and stroking Electrike's head, making the large pup's tail wag. "A human actually battled together with a legendary pokemon? Like, a capital L legendary?"

"Yep!" Zinnia grins. "And that brings me to the next part of why I need you guys: Magma and Aqua."

That takes the smile right off of Brendan's face. "Lee, you said that Magma was planning to revive Groudon, right?" he asks, turning to the zookeeper. "And that means that Aqua…"

"Is going to try and revive Kyogre, yes," Lee grimly confirms.

"Obviously, that's going to put the entire world in danger, and since it's right here in Hoenn, that officially makes it Lorekeeper business," Zinnia sighs. As she takes a moment to gather her thoughts, Goomy slithers up Shelgon's shell and hops into her lap with a quiet plap, looking up at her with wide, black eyes.

Her smile returning slightly, Zinnia pets the little Dragon and resumes. "Originally… I wasn't going to interfere with Magma or Aqua. Heck, I was going to help them, and try to ensure that both Groudon and Kyogre were summoned close to each other. My plan was to let them revive their legendaries, drawing in Rayquaza to deal with them both in one fell swoop and to end the other crisis that's on its way."

The admission that Zinnia was going to let catastrophe strike is forgotten for a moment at the mention of yet another disaster. Lee pins Zinnia in place with a hard stare. "Other crisis? What other crisis?"

Zinnia rubs her forehead with her hand. "'Beware. Beware the hateful intruder. Beware the end of our home. It comes uncomprehending of our plight, and with a shell of earth born to another sun, it will see our home gone and her inhabitants reduced to ash. Only the Almighty Who Claims The Sky and a Champion with the power of Ascension might avert disaster. Save us, Almighty. Save us, Champion.'"

Both Lee and Brendan meet eyes, and each sees the other is just as confused. Lee then strokes Ninetales between her ears. 'Any idea what that is?'

'Obviously some sort of Draconid lore, but what, I can't fathom.' Ninetales frowns.

"That's a prophecy that's been spoken over and over by Draconid seers throughout the ages," Zinnia begins quietly, placing her hand atop Goomy to quell his trembling. "For a long time, no one was really sure what to make of it. It's vague like every cliché prophecy you've ever seen. It sometimes skipped a few generations without being mentioned, but this time was different. It hit our tribe's oracle so hard that she suffered a stroke, and this time, a date was included." She looks up and stares them in the eyes. "'The longest day shall also be the last.'"

"Longest day?" Lee mutters, suppressing the shiver that wants to run down his spine. "The summer solstice? That's about eight months away."

"What exactly is that supposed to happen?" Brendan asks, leaning forward anxiously.

"A meteor." Zinnia points a finger to the ceiling. "The tribe scholars pored over the prophecy, and concluded that it must be a meteor, one being controlled by something and large enough to destroy all of Hoenn at least. The prophecy also clearly states that Rayquaza and his champion of this era are the ones destined to deal with all of this. If they don't…" The unspoken words hang like a guillotine.

Lee can't help it: it feels as if a void has opened up below him. Magma and Aqua were already known elements, and despite the danger they pose, they're a danger presented by humans. Humans that can be stopped. This, though? Less than a single day after he has made peace with all that has passed and declared Hoenn his home? He lets his eyes roam his pokemon.

Ninetales, he doesn't even need to look at. He can feel her dread and see the half-formed plans in her head, plans to whisk him and the others away, trying to find refuge on the other side of the planet.

Corvi's eyes are narrow and his steely feathers are ruffled in agitation. He meets Lee's eyes for a second, and it's plain to see that he is of a similar mind to Ninetales. Lee only needs to say the word, and Corvi will carry him to the end of the earth.

Octillery and Sylveon are both flummoxed, as if they can't believe just what they have heard. One of Sylveon's ribbons snakes its way around Lee's arm to wrap around his wrist, and when Lee's own belief smashes into her like a hammer blow, she shudders, practically going limp. Meanwhile, Octillery stares at Zinnia with open astonishment.

Last and not least, Grovyle… He bites down upon his twig and tries his best to contain himself, but his eyes. They shine with defiance, boldly rejecting the idea that something like a meteor is an insurmountable danger. No. He will not allow such a future to be born! He hisses a low, almost jeering hiss to his teammates, who all turn and stare at him.

"So you all give up so easily?" Lee doesn't need Ninetales' help to understand just what he said.

'Grovyle…' Lee thinks with a smile, 'you really are something else.'

Ninetales herself firms up, turning to Grovyle with a narrow-eyed glare, but she does not retort or let herself fall back into her panic. Beside her, Sylveon, with her ribbon still wrapped around Lee's wrist, perks up enough to lift her head.

"Kwaa ha," Corviknight grumbles at Grovyle, smoothing his feathers. "Gwak." – "You can stop pretending to be cool anytime," he seems to say.

"…" Octillery says nothing, obviously turning inward to think to himself with how he stares at the floor, tentacles crossed.

"Haven't you told anybody about this? Like the Pokemon League?" Lee asks, petting the heart on Ninetales' ear. The silky fur beneath his thumb soothes his nerves as it always does.

Zinnia snorts, giving Lee an incredulous face. "That was literally the first thing I tried. I told the League, the civil government, the Mossdeep Space Center, every rich loony with the money to do something, and everyone else. The Mossdeep Space Center took it seriously at first and looked around for anything that might hit Hoenn around the expected date, but they came up empty-handed." She blows out a sigh. "My best guess? If there is something actually controlling the meteor, then it's purposely avoiding being caught."

'Well, that's wonderful,' Ninetales snarks with only Lee to hear it. 'A doomsday meteor intelligent enough to avoid telescopes, how fun.'

"And that's precisely why I need you guys," Zinnia continues on, looking between Lee and the wide-eyed Brendan. "If this comes down to the wire, then I need talented, goodhearted trainers with me in case Rayquaza doesn't find me worthy of being his partner."

"Stop! Timeout!" Brendan waves his arms, cutting Zinnia off before she can speak further. "You think we could be worthy of all of this? Are you crazy?"

Offense flashes across Zinnia's face. "No, I'm not crazy. You and Lee are two of the best trainers I've ever met, and you both have the pure heart needed for Mega Evolution. I…" She trails off, screwing her face up into a scowl. "I don't think I have what it takes," she grounds out, shame staining each word.

Her words are met with instant disagreement from her pokemon. Shelgon growls and smacks his shell against her knee none too gently, while Altaria trills her disbelief with her musical voice. Tyrunt openly bares his teeth towards Zinnia, and Goomy practically melts into a depressed puddle.

Zinnia scoffs, but can't quite hide the smile that tugs at her face. "Thank you, guys, but I'm serious. I nearly decided to let Magma and Aqua kill Arceus-knows how many people and pokemon just to make my job easier. It doesn't matter how you cut it, that's not pure-hearted."

"But you decided not to, didn't you?" Brendan suddenly speaks up, his face set into a stern expression. "You made the choice to abandon that plan even if it makes things harder for yourself. You did the right thing and I think that makes you pure-hearted!"

"Yeah." Zinnia lets out a mirthless laugh, her face morphing into a grimace. "I ditched that plan because Lee reminded me of my dead best friend, and I thought I could be more like her and be a better Lorekeeper if I learned how he did his thing. Then I went and got pissed off back in Slateport because he wasn't a carbon copy of the person I lost! Does that seem like something good? Something that a legendary pokemon would respect?"

'Where in the world is this all coming from?' Lee looks to one of the covered windows in shock. 'Is the Dragon TE in the air doing this?'

"If Aster saw any of the shit I got up to, she'd be sick," Zinnia growls, pounding her fist on the arm of her chair. "Sick! To this day, I still don't know why she made me the Lorekeeper! I even kept all of this from my two best friends who would walk into the gates of hell like brain-dead idiots if I asked!"

Without warning, Brendan shoots to his feet, making Electrike yelp. "Shut up! Don't talk about yourself like that!" he yells at the top of his lungs, drawing startled looks all around. "You changed your mind and did the right thing! So what if you followed us because Lee reminded you of your friend?! It's okay to be hurt, to be upset! You didn't have to get Lee that Battletent ticket as an apology for yelling at him, yet you did! You didn't have to train with us, or trade stories, or show us through the Valley of Steel, or anything! Yet you did! All that matters is that you did the right thing in the end, so don't talk about yourself like you're a bad person or bad friend, because you're not!" Brendan screams. It's the most vitriol that Lee has ever seen from the boy.

Brendan pants to catch his breath and sits heavily amid shocked eyes. Once his breathing begins to settle, he seems to realize what he did and looks away.

Blinking away her stupefied expression, Zinnia reaches up and rubs her head with a sardonic smile. "Kinda proving my point, but… Thanks, Brendan," she says, her smile growing. She looks over to Lee. "You've been awfully quiet. Anything to add?"

"Nothing that Brendan hasn't already said," Lee mirrors her content smile with one of his own. "Intent and actions are two different things, and you know what they say about actions speaking louder than words," he says, gesturing to the house around them.

Zinnia snorts, then lets out a short laugh, her face utterly delighted. "You guys are the real deal. For even coming this far, I don't think I'll ever be able to thank you enough." She schools her expression, even if her lips still twitch upward somewhat. "So to conclude what I was saying, I don't want to put all my eggs in one basket so if, if," she sends a pointed look towards Brendan, who blushes and looks away again, "I'm not worthy enough, then one of you guys definitely will be. When the time comes, one of us will have to be a big damn hero and help Rayquaza ascend, stopping Hoenn from becoming a smear on the map. Down here in the crater, our pokemon can train up and get the boost we need to not only put a stop to Magma and Aqua, but to fulfill the Draconid prophecy. Sound like a plan?"

"Easy!" Brendan agrees with a smile. Beside him, Marshtomp lets out a croak and jumps to his feet, pumping a fist in the air.

"If you don't want to put all your eggs in one basket…" Lee begins, feeling his wallet in his jacket pocket. In that wallet is where all the important business cards he's collected are, along with their even more important phone numbers. "Then I think the Pokemon League will take the meteor threat much more seriously if I'm the one to tell them."

Zinnia gives Lee a sidelong glance. "What makes you say that?"

Lee licks his lips. 'Here we go. Finally going to let it drop.' He thinks over what he wishes to say as Ninetales leans into his legs, offering him her reassuring warmth. "It all ties into my share of secrets, the ones I've been wanting to tell you all for a long time," he begins, tilting his head back and looking at the candles above.

One of them flickers, nearly going out.

"You know, it's rather ironic," he mutters. "Yesterday, during my day trip to Littleroot, I stopped by the Pokemon Lab to make a memorial," Lee says, returning his eyes to the group before him. "I wanted to put my past life and all the people that aren't around anymore to rest. On the flight back to the Draconid village, I looked down and thought about how great a home Hoenn is. Then Zinnia drops news of the meteor on us." Lee shakes his head. "I'm not about to lose my new home or die for a second time."

Where it takes everyone else a moment to process his words, Sylveon, courtesy of the ribbon she has wrapped around his wrist, snaps her head up to look at him, aghast. Octillery is the next one to recover, and he focuses intently upon Lee's face.

"Die for a second time?" Zinnia narrows her eyes. "What do you mean by that? Are you being poetic or something?"

"No, I'm not." Lee focuses on Zinnia, making her tense up. "Zinnia, I know that you more than anyone else have been wondering how I know all the things I know. About your tribe when we first met, about Mega Evolution, about legendary and mythical pokemon. I've got an explanation for it, but first I need everyone, human and pokemon here, to promise never to repeat anything you're about to hear. You have to take it to your grave."

"That's… That's really severe, Lee," Brendan gulps. "Are you sure?"

Lee gives him a flat look. "I'm dead serious."

"Well, you already know that me and my team can keep a secret, so what's one more?" Zinnia jokes, getting nods from her pokemon.

"If you think it's that serious, then we won't say a thing, either!" Brendan jabs his chest with a thumb.

Lee tries to smile, but it's difficult with the subject he's about to speak of. "There's not a whole lot of explaining to do with what I have to say, but before you say it's unbelievable or anything, know that Ninetales, Grovyle, and Corviknight have all heard everything, and Ninetales can validate it all with telepathy if you need it." He takes a deep breath. "The simplest answer is the best I guess. I'm not from this world."

"Not from this…?" Zinnia double takes. "Hold on, we're going to need more of an explanation than that!"

"I was getting to it!" Lee frowns. "I… wasn't born in this world. My old home is a place without any pokemon."

Brendan nods slowly. "Yeah, you said that a few months ago. The United States place you used to live in, it's like Orre, right?"

"No, it's not 'no wild pokemon' like Orre." Lee shakes his head. "It's 'no pokemon at all.' They didn't exist."

Just like it did for Professor Birch all those months ago, his words instantly confuse everyone. Brendan and Zinnia share a puzzled look while several of the pokemon chatter in low voices. The thought of there being no pokemon at all is seemingly unthinkable.

"I lied about the States being an isolationist region," the zoologist soldiers on, trying his best to get the story over with. "It doesn't exist in this world, and I know I'm in a new world because my old one ended."

One could hear a pin drop despite the carpet covering the floor.

"E-Ended?" Brendan questions, looking intensely uncomfortable.

Lee nods, locking eyes with Ninetales for a moment and wondering how to explain. "I told you I didn't have a home to return to after I told you two I was seeing a therapist, and that wasn't a lie. Without pokemon battling as a proxy for conflicts, wars in my world could get bloody, bloodier than anything any region here has ever experienced." He takes in Brendan and Zinnia's faces. "A lot of nations had stockpiles of missiles, missiles designed to fly all the way across the world and burn entire cities to the ground. The missiles used nuclear material as their explosive, meaning a huge blast and toxic radioactivity afterward. If the explosion itself didn't kill you, then the radiation poisoning would, along with everything around the epicenter for years to come," Lee says, trying to gently pry Sylveon's ribbon off his hand.

At his feet, the fairy is shaking, and steadfastly refusing to let go. The harder he yanks, the harder she grips. He eventually reaches for her pokeball, only to find that another one of her ribbons has wrapped around the capsule and mummified it, making it useless.

Sighing, Lee resumes. "The technology for detecting these missiles is far faster and more capable than any kind of counter-missile, and from that came a concept called mutually assured destruction, shortened to M.A.D. If one nation detected an incoming missile, they would loose their entire stockpile on the world and turn it into a zero-sum game. For a long time, that fear stayed everyone's hand."

"… You're telling us because that's what happened," Zinnia realizes, her voice little higher than a whisper. Her jaw drops. "Arceus, Lee…"

"One day while I was at work in my zoo, for a reason that is a mystery to me, someone fired the first shot. Everyone's phones all blew up with alerts, and the TV in the break room where I stood suddenly cut out and displayed a nationwide emergency message. We only got a few minutes of warning that one of the bombs was going to hit the city nearby, and considering it was the middle of the day, all of the zoo guests panicked and tried to escape at once. The chaos clogged in the parking lot, more or less sealing everyone's fate." Lee reaches up and rubs his scars with a frown.

The trio of lines tingle with a phantom heat.

"One of the bombs landed close, very close, close enough that the light from the blinds was enough to flash burn my face." Lee lowers his hand. "Everything after that is a blur, but…" He pauses and pulls at Sylveon's ribbon once more. "Sylvy, please, you need to let go. You aren't going to like what I have to say."

The fairy looks up at him with a defiant glare despite how her eyes prickle with tears, and Lee matches it with a stare that is considerably more gentle.

"I'm serious, Sylveon," Lee says as soothingly as he can. "Please let go."

She bares her teeth, but slowly complies, the ribbon around Lee's wrist unraveling.

"Thank you." He smiles, then returns to what he was saying. "Everything after the blast was a blur, but I remember, in no uncertain terms, that I burned to death."

Sylveon suddenly retches, and then vomits on the floor. She just barely catches herself from falling into her own sick, and can't stop the ugly sobs that suddenly rip through her body and echo off the walls.

Lee's eyes shoot down towards her, and to his frustration, he sees a third ribbon snaking up his pant leg and resting against his shin.

"Damn it," Lee hisses through his teeth before he leans down and plants a hand across the fairy's withers, rubbing circles in her back. She also doesn't resist as he wipes her mouth clean with his jacket sleeve. In her psychometric distress, Sylveon's grip loosens on her ball, allowing Lee to snatch it once he's rubbed the worst of her hiccuping sobs away.

"Sylvy, You're taking a rest." Lee does his best to keep his voice gentle, but his words are unmistakably an order. He points the pokeball in his hand at the trembling Sylveon. "We'll have a one-on-one about all of this later. Return."

Before she can protest, Sylveon is sucked back into her ball.

"Jeez," Lee grunts, shrinking the pokeball into its travel form and stuffing it in his pocket. Looking at the mess on the floor, he makes to rise so he can get a towel or something, but before he can, the stain glows purple and lifts out of the carpet of its own accord. Then it floats over to a trashcan in the corner of the room before dropping down inside.

"Thanks, Love." Lee smiles towards Ninetales, then returns his attention to Zinnia, Brendan, and their pokemon.

The entire room is nothing but horrified faces. Even the most unflappable members of the entire party like Breloom and Shelgon stare at Lee with dropped jaws.

"Then…" Lee pushes forward before the awkward atmosphere trips him up too much. "Then I inexplicably woke up on the edge of Littleroot with Ninetales, then Vulpix's pokeball in my pocket. I can only chalk it up to divine intervention. For what reason? I have no idea."

"S-So when I met you for the first time, that was right after…" Brendan trails off and looks away, unable to finish.

"Right after everything happened? Yeah." Lee looks away from the menagerie of petrified faces. "As for how I know all the things I know? While pokemon weren't real in my old home, they were popular in children's fiction. Comics, TV shows, video games, that kind of thing, and I never quite outgrew pokemon," he says with a wistful smile. He then quickly sobers. "If I ever seemed distant at the start of our journey, I want to say sorry for that. It took time to stop seeing you guys as fictional characters and look at you as real people, and that was shitty of me no matter how you try to frame it."

Zinnia tries to say something, but no sound leaves her mouth.

He shakes his head. "I know a lot of things that normal people don't because I watched it from a fourth-person perspective, or played through it in a game. I don't know every little thing, so that's why my knowledge seems so scattered," Lee concludes, leaning back into the sofa. While a bit tired and somewhat frustrated after Sylveon's shenanigans, he finds that he is not as exhausted as he expected. "That's why I said I should repeat your warning to the League for you. I can get it up to Steven Stone directly, and he'll take it seriously. I've given him enough breadcrumbs to know that I and the info I give is good."

Zinnia rests her head in her hand. "Holy shit…" she murmurs. "And here I thought what I had to say was going to be the biggest bomb today. News, I mean! Not bomb! Shit!" she hastily corrects herself, her face mortified. "Ech. Arceus, Lee. That was… That was something."

"But you're okay now, right?" Brendan asks out of the blue, turning to look at Lee with melancholy that doesn't belong on such a young face. "You're not… Upset with how you can't…"

"Go home?" Lee finishes for him, smiling thinly. "I told you, Brendan, I have nothing to go home to. Besides, Hoenn is my home now. I can't, or rather won't leave you all behind. I've put all the ghosts clinging to me to rest, along with Lee the average zookeeper. I'm Lee the pokemon trainer, now." He lets his smile grow into a grin. "I wouldn't mind having another zoo in the future, though."

Without warning, Ninetales partially rears up and drapes herself across Lee's lap, startling him, but he quickly smiles and wraps her in a hug.

The fox smiles in return, nuzzling her head beneath his chin. Wordless adoration flows from her, and Lee matches it, turning the gap between their minds into a churning whirlpool of affection.

"Lee?"

The man cracks open an eye and tilts his head to see past the fox ears in his face. "What's up, Brendan?"

"You said you played pokemon games and saw the TV shows, right?" Brendan asks with a grin. "Was I ever in any of them?"

Lee lets out an exasperated sigh. "Let's not go down that Bunnelby hole."

---

Just outside the door of the hillside hut, a gnarled hand poised to knock slowly lowers, and the owner thinks over the things they've heard through the wooden barrier.

A tale of horror, death, rebirth, and newfound belonging. Thoughts and feelings scatter every which way within the eavesdropper. Some dots connect, while others make no sense.

The near-interloper turns and walks away, speaking not a single word to anyone else for the rest of the day.

---

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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[Fuggmann]

Note: This is a brief callback to my days writing 2nd person greentexts on 4chan inspired by some chatter in the discord server. We'll say this takes place in an unspecified location within Borne of Caution.

---

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.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, see https://discord.gg/hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

As always, thank you for reading.

---

Something suddenly bumps your leg and pulls your attention away from the somewhat boring movie playing on the TV. Leaning forward from your seat on the couch, you look down to see what touched you.

Staring back up at you are the expectant red eyes of Donnie Darko, your Umbreon. At his side is his mate, Carmen Sandiego, your Espeon. Donnie got his name from his bad sleepwalking habit while Carmen was named for her ability to vanish into thin air if she doesn't care to be found.

You are Anon, a small-time pokemon breeder.

By small-time, you mean small-time. Donnie and Carmen are your only breeding pair. Still, though, you make a good living. Donnie and Carmen aren't particularly exceptional gene-wise, and both are full mates, so neither Donnie nor Carmen will agree to breeding with anyone else, but you only really need two or three Eevee from each litter deciding they want to be adopted to be set for a year. Eevee are expensive little buggers, so you can charge a premium.

This year, however, is an off year, so Carmen can rest and recover from her last pregnancy. The only problem with that? Dark-types like Donnie are much more in-tune with their desires and primal nature than most other types.

It's a polite way to say that Donnie is a horn-dog. He'd hump a Charizard if he thought Carmen wouldn't break his neck over it.

Donnie headbutts your leg again, narrowing his eyes.

You already know what he wants. He wants you to quit paying attention to the TV and play with him.

Taking the TV remote in your hand, you turn the TV off, toss the remote down, and stand.

Your Umbreon's tail slowly begins to wag.

"You may have got me last time," you begin, widening your stance and spreading your arms out with your fingers splayed, ready to grapple, "but not this time. I know your tricks."

Donnie snarls in reply and lowers himself to pounce. Despite his bared teeth, his tail wags faster, buffeting Carmen's long cheek tufts with air.

"You wish," you grin back. "Your win streak is over."

Carmen rolls her eyes and gracefully steps past you, hopping up onto the couch. She then lays down to suck up the residual body heat from where you were sitting.

The relationship between a breeder and their pokemon is an unusual one. Carmen and Donnie might be the ones making babies, but their relationship with you is arguably as important as the one they have with each other. You play the role of third parent to their kits, provide for their needs both physical and emotional, arrange opportunities for their children, and generally ensure that they are happy. In return, they love and trust you.

Carmen is only willing to tolerate birth control medication in limited doses, as one of the side effects is acute migraines, which hit psychics like her twice as hard, and Donnie has a tendency to tear condoms with his enthusiasm. So if Donnie can't vent himself through Carmen, then he's got to find other outlets to burn his energy. Battling and general exercise both work great, but night is falling on the town and the local park will be deserted soon.

If you get to dictate when Donnie can and cannot breed, then you are obligated to deal with the consequences, such as playing with him without a fuss.

With another snarl, Donnie pounces, and you brace yourself. At the last second, you duck, bearhug him around the middle, and bend backward in a suplex.

Donnie lets out a yelp as his skull smashes into the carpeted floor, but you worry none. Umbreon is by far the most physically overbuilt eeveelution. Donnie once fell down a full flight of stairs and wasn't even hurt, just startled. Hell, you think he found it fun, because he sometimes just flops down the steps in the morning.

The Umbreon in your grip thrashes, and you let go before he can overpower you. Scrambling back to your feet, you're just in time for Donnie to tackle one of your legs. He wraps his forelegs around your shin and bites your calf through your jeans just hard enough to hurt, but not enough to break skin.

"Ow! Fucker!" You curse and try to pry him off, your hands pulling at his forelegs.

The little bastard smirks through his bite and thrashes, unbalancing you. Before you can recover, he abandons the leg he's attacking and shoulder checks the other one, sending you to the floor and knocking the wind out of you. On your back, you blink away stars and look up at the spinning ceiling fan.

…Oh shit, you're on your back.

Donnie is on you in an instant, and on pure reflex, your arms come up to guard your throat. Just as expected, teeth wrap around your left wrist and yank as hard as they can without taking your whole hand off.

Growling up a storm, Donnie strains and pulls, moving the first obstacle away from his victory. If he can get his teeth around your neck, it's his win.

"Donnie, you're supposed to start small and work your way up, not go all out from the beginning," you grunt, trying to think of a way out of this. "Where is your sense of sportsmanship?"

His red eyes flash, and he actually laughs through your wrist.

"Fine then…" You reply through gritted teeth. "Be an asshole. I don't care," you say, looking at how he's positioned.

The Umbreon is standing over you and steadily pulling one of your arms away, while his eyes remain locked on your other arm. If said arm so much as twitches, then he's going to dive past it and immediately go for the kill.

If you're going to do something, you need to do it fast.

Donnie is so much stronger than you that it's insane. Umbreon is not only the toughest eeveelution, they're physically the strongest. Pound for pound, he has you beat several times over. The only reason this isn't a foregone conclusion is simply that your hands are better at grappling, your longer limbs offering you more leverage, and the fact that he's not terribly fast. You're also heavier than Donnie, so…

Wait. Maybe you can use that.

On the couch, Carmen seems to be (quite literally) reading your mind and raises an eyebrow, as if to say 'is that wise?'

'Probably not,' you think to yourself. 'But I'm not letting this little shit take round one.'

Your right arm shoots away from your throat and grabs the black foreleg by your right ear. At the same time, your right leg kicks out to the side, knocking Donnie's hind leg away.

The instant he lets go to bite your throat, your now-free left hand takes his other foreleg, and with all your might, you roll your entire body.

Donnie yelps once more, dragged along for the ride since he only has one hind leg to stabilize himself. In a flash, the tables are turned, and your whole body is pressing down on Donnie.

He thrashes and kicks, one of his hind paws impacting your stomach like a hammer blow, and despite your explosive exhale, you keep yourself pressed down on Donnie, gripping his forelegs with everything you have. Trying your best to not be kicked in the groin, you tangle your legs with Donnie's and halt his kicking.

He thrashes his whole body, nearly throwing you off, and only sheer determination keeps you in place. Letting one of his forelegs go, you grip him right around his short muzzle and push his face into the floor.

You did it! You got him!

"Pinned! Pinned! I gotcha!" You exclaim victoriously. "Your win streak is over, you little fuck! Listen to the crowd go wild for the underdog!" You say, looking over to Carmen.

A thin smile crosses her muzzle, and she lets out a single, vulpine croon.

Donnie stares up at you in shock as you let him go.

Standing up, you walk over to the couch and sit next to Carmen, breathing deeply to try and get oxygen back into your abused lungs. First you got the wind knocked out of you, then you took a kick to the stomach, and Donnie doesn't even have the courtesy to look sorry!

Carmen drapes herself across your lap and nuzzles your stomach, looking up at you and dramatically fluttering her eyes.

With a wheezy laugh, you stroke the Espeon across the back and look at Donnie, who is getting back to his paws. "First I take your throne, and then I take your woman. How's that for ya?"

Donnie's eyes narrow into red slits. He walks over to you, his posture low and threatening, then he bites your pant leg and pulls. "Round two! Now!" his growl seems to say.

Nudging Carmen off, you stand and oblige. "Eager for another ass whooping?"

You didn't win another round the entire night, and that's okay.

---

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

Spice_King, Emeraldleafeon, UmbraBree, Green0Photon, ncskeeter56, Vinohr, Kammight, Murtaugh, Arcaryx, Moxie, Ash the Kitsune, The Tankiest Train, Phoenix Bugg, Purple Floof, Derpydude9001, GNPhoenix, Noble Defect, Dusks_Lantern, Hazel Kings, Fabhar, Ameek, BrokenOlive, speedyzman13, WiseKitsune, JustALurker, HT1318, Rémi C., Javidom, Monsoon, Berusella, Strongraider101, Dicloniuslord, ShaRose, demonmonkey89, BeauZoe, Bruv, Planetace, Moonlit Chaser, Emilowish, Nithalys, CMDR Dantae

 

[Fuggmann]

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, find 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.

If you want to keep up-to-date on releases, see discord code https://discord.gg/hive-of-degeneracy and opt in to the fic-updates role for a ping.

As always, thank you for reading.

---

Later that evening, after Zinnia has shown Lee and Brendan around their new home for the next few weeks, and after everyone has agreed they would all simply relax and settle in for the day, Brendan finds himself lying in his bed with most of his pokemon in their balls.

There are four individual bedrooms in the hillside hut, and each one is homey, though small. Regardless, it gives each of the trainers and their teams a place for some privacy, and a place for them to reflect on their thoughts quietly, which is exactly what Brendan is doing.

Lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, Brendan stares up at the ceiling, mind whirling with the revelations of the past hour. With him is Marshtomp, who is sitting on the mattress just a foot away, his back leaning against the wall. Like Brendan, the Water-type is silent and lost in thought.

Another world.

No pokemon.

Death.

Rebirth.

It's a tale that anyone would label as insane drivel, but it came from Lee's mouth without a stutter or a misstep, at once so easy to believe, and yet utterly inconceivable.

For a moment, Brendan tries to imagine himself in Lee's place, and it's simply impossible. The boy's skin breaks out into goosebumps, and he rubs his arms to ward away an invisible chill.

To lose everything…

Brendan tries to imagine himself in his older friend's shoes once more, bereft of his friends, his family, his pokemon, and everything else he had ever known. He even visualizes the world around him that is a vague parody of all that he knows.

The cold that blooms within his stomach is slow and cloying, creeping outward until it seizes his limbs in a paralytic grip. The boy's strength seems to fail him, and the light from the window grows dull. His eyes sting with unshed tears.

Brendan knows many strong men. His father, Norman Maple, Steven Stone (even if their meeting in Lavaridge was brief), and others.

…But for enduring such misery for Arceus knows how long, Lee has handily taken the number one spot on Brendan's list.

"Maaa?"

Brendan is startled out of his introspection when Marshtomp takes notice of his trembling. The mudfish pokemon levels his trainer with a worried gaze and lays a broad hand over Brendan's arm, stilling his tremors.

"Heh…" Brendan smiles. "Don't worry about me, pal. Just doing some thinking, is all. You look like you're doing the same."

Marshtomp nods absently. "Ma, gurah gamp?" he croaks, looking at Brendan with an unplaceable expression.

The young trainer's gaze softens. "Yeah. I don't know what I would do without you, or Breloom, or Mawile and Electrike," he says, laying his head back and looking at the ceiling once more. The feeling of cold returns. "I don't think I would handle it so well."

Each one of Brendan's pokeballs shake, and in a near-synchronized flash, all of them pop open, releasing all of his pokemon about the bed.

Brendan blinks the flash from his eyes and makes to sit up. "Hey, what are you guys-!"

He can't quite finish as each one of his pokemon piles on top of him in a disorganized hug: Mawile on his chest, Electrike across his legs, and Breloom with a clawed hand laid across his shoulder.

Gradually, Brendan's surprise morphs into a grin, and he tugs Marshtomp into the hug with a free hand.

"Guys?" begins the Birch heir, "if anything ever happens and we can't be together anymore, let's promise we'll be happy for all the stuff we did together, and not be sad over the stuff we never got to do, okay?"

Each pokemon cuddles closer, and Mawile can't help but burst into over-exaggerated tears.

---

He's a Faller.

Lee Henson is a Faller.

It neatly and plausibly explains everything. The uncommon knowledge, the gaps in his skills, the subtle accent, everything.

Zinnia stops pacing in her bedroom of the hut for a moment and looks down, confirming that she hasn't worn a pattern into the wooden floor yet.

Off to the side and standing guard in front of the door, Shelgon follows her with his yellow eyes, dutifully watching.

Fallers are such an excruciatingly rare and dire phenomenon that few people are even privy to the knowledge of their existence. Oh, the concept of travelers from another world is not a new one and is even a popular plot in fiction, but actual, genuine Fallers are another thing entirely. Throughout the entire history of the Draconid tribe, no one has actually interacted with one. No one could even confirm they were real.

Until now.

I remember, in no uncertain terms, that I burned to death.

When Lee said those words, Ninetales flinched, Grovyle bit down on his twig, and Corviknight looked away.

The most telling, though, was Sylveon. Her sudden bout of violent illness put to rest any thoughts of doubt. A good Draconid knows her enemies well, and Zinnia is well aware of the touch-based empathy possessed by the pink dragonslayer. The Lorekeeper isn't sure what's worse— Lee expertly hiding his true feelings on his demise, or truly being that casual about it. Either way, it must have been like a mental flash-bang to Sylveon.

If horror has a taste, then it must be akin to bile, Zinnia decides. She swallows the sick that wants to rise in her throat and begins to pace once more, trying to turn her thoughts to other matters.

Pokemon existed as fiction within Lee's world, and from the sound of it, it was fiction that he was fond of. Has everything been a one-to-one experience? How much has changed from what he knows? Brendan asked if he was a character in the stories, and now Zinnia can't help but wonder if she was a character in any of those video games or TV shows.

'I had to have been, right?' she muses, rubbing the edge of her cloak between a forefinger and thumb. 'Lee was startled when we first met, like he knew who I was. He knew about the Draconids, at least.'

'Oh, Dolittle is definitely getting grilled later.'

"I know I'm in a new world because my old one ended."

Zinnia pauses once more, then walks to her bed and gently sits down, staring down at her lap.

From his place by the door, Shelgon walks to Zinnia and settles himself on the floor next to her, lightly leaning against her knees.

"It's almost like he's a Lorekeeper himself…" Zinnia murmurs, reaching out and rubbing a hand across Shelgon's cool, metallic shell. "The very, very last of his kind. If something were to happen to Dolittle, then that's it. The final ember of a whole world is just… gone…"

Shelgon says nothing, merely leaning into her knees a touch more.

She could scarcely fathom it; to lose it all and be dropped into a world of childhood fairytales, only for your redo to be threatened by the likes of Magma and Aqua. Being entirely honest with herself, the Lorekeeper doesn't think she would be quite as composed. No, she would be heading for the hills, desperate to stay out of the way and trying to salvage what bits of her new life she could.

Yet instead of running away, Lee has decided to stand with her and put everything on the line for the Draconid mission.

Zinnia's hand wanders to the edge of Shelgon's shell, her fingers lightly running over the edge. It's invisible to the naked eye, but she can feel it with her fingers.

The shell, ever so slightly, has begun to peel.

"Hoenn is my home now. I can't, or rather, won't leave you all behind. I've put all the ghosts clinging to me to rest, along with Lee the average zookeeper. I'm Lee the pokemon trainer now."

"We're going to get strong, Shelgon," Zinnia murmurs, her eyes hardening and glaring holes in the wall. "We're going to be unstoppable, because people like Lee, Brendan, and the rest of the tribe need us to be. We'll drag that meteor back into space ourselves if we have to."

Shelgon trembles, then points his head skyward and roars.

---

Eyes of red, piercing as can be.

Mantle of gold, majestic as can be.

A fanged mouth speaking, damning as can be.

In a void of neither light nor dark.

The great maw of teeth opens once more, inhuman lips forming words meant for he alone.

It says unto him –

Lee awakens with a start as he hears noises through the wall, but groggily dismisses them and lays back down into his breathing, silken pillow. "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised that Brendan and Zinnia are talking to their teams," he says with a yawn. 'Weird dream. I must be more tired than I thought,' Lee thinks with a subdued stretch.

For the last hour, Lee and Ninetales have been relaxing as they allow everyone time to digest the recent revelation. During that time, they have made themselves comfortable in their new bedroom for the foreseeable future.

The bedcovers in the Draconid hut certainly leave something to be desired, as Lee found his thin pillow to be thoroughly uncomfortable. Instead, he laid his head into Ninetales' side once she settled, finding the fox to be a much more luxurious pillow. She even fanned her tails across his chest, leaving him extra cozy. In two minutes flat, he was out like a light.

"… I can't help but wonder if I should have left out the whole dying part," Lee wonders aloud, replaying the conversation an hour prior in his head. "Now that I think about it, that came out a little more melodramatic than I wanted."

'You shouldn't worry so much,' Ninetales chides, her muzzle tickling Lee's ear as she idly grooms his hair. 'You wished to tell them the whole truth, and you did so. The way you told your story was very matter-of-fact, in my opinion.'

"If you say so," Lee murmurs. Regardless, he cannot deny how unburdened he feels by telling Brendan and Zinnia of his real origins. "I just hope that Brendan is taking all of this well. He's a strong kid, but he's still just a kid. Meteors, terrorists, aliens…" Lee goes to shake his head, but stops at the last second on account of the teeth and tongue combing through his hair. "Love, I can taste the hair funk on your tongue and it's really making me self-conscious about taking a short shower this morning."

In response, Ninetales wordlessly tips her muzzle back, clamps it closed, and flash-heats her mouth a thousand degrees Celsius for less than a second, vaporizing the loose hair and debris on her tongue. A puff of smoke escapes her lips as she reopens her mouth, and she resumes grooming Lee wholly unbothered.

"Nevermind." Lee resumes looking at the bare wooden ceiling above, his eyes tracing a knothole that vaguely looks like a Dustox. The knothole is right where an electric light would be, if the hut was equipped with any sort of electrical wiring.

Fighting the urge to close his eyes and nap once more, Lee jots down a mental list of everything he needs to do. 'I've got that meeting with Anabel in a few days, and I'll send word to Steven about the Draconid doomsday meteor then, as well.' Lee's brows furrow, annoyance with the crater's lack of cell signal prickling him. 'Between all of that, we'll be training good and hard. Grovyle's sword techniques and the drain blade move need to be mastered, Octillery's psychic cushion needs more practice, Shinx just needs experience in general, and I have to pass out everyone else's TMs. More immediately, though…'

His hand falls to his hip, hovering over Sylveon's pokeball.

'I need to check on Sylveon.'

Already reading his thoughts, Ninetales uncurls from around Lee and allows him to sit up. Grabbing Sylveon's ball, Lee takes a deep breath and pops the capsule open.

In a flash of light, Sylveon materializes on the bed, her ears already drooped and her eyes locked on the mattress.

"Sylvy?" Lee begins gently, slowly reaching a hand out and stopping halfway. He does his best to steady his own emotions. "Are you feeling any better?"

The ribbon wraps around Lee's wrist with the speed and ferocity of a viper bite, and after initially stiffening, whatever was ailing Sylveon seems to abate and the tension in her shoulders eases.

Lee allows her to simply hold him and collect her thoughts, remaining quiet.

Eventually, the fairy raises her head and stares directly into his eyes, and Lee struggles to maintain eye contact.

In those blue orbs is a profound sadness, mixed with disbelief. Sylveon opens her mouth to say something, but stops and looks away once more.

'Nine? Can you let me listen in through your ears? I don't want there to be any mistakes for this,' Lee thinks, briefly looking away from Sylveon to Ninetales.

The fox wordlessly offers her senses, and after a brief flash of vertigo, Lee begins hearing the room from two different perspectives. From one of them, he can hear the beating of his own heart, along with Nine's and Sylveon's.

"Sylvy, whatever it is you have to say, you can tell me." Lee gently rubs the ribbon around his wrist with his other hand. "I want to help you in any way I can."

"How?" Sylveon begins with a deep, shuddering breath. Her voice, heard from two different sets of ears, is simultaneously a chore to understand yet perfectly clear. "How?"

"How what?" Lee asks, scooting a bit closer. Inwardly, he tries to muster up as much encouragement as he can in his chest, hoping Sylveon feels it.

Sylveon doesn't reciprocate, but doesn't move away, either. She blinks tears from her eyes and looks up at him. "How does one get better? How does one live after their purpose is gone?"

The zoologist pauses. "That's… That's quite the question," he says, looking at the wall and trying to think of an answer. 'Is she equating the ranch hand abandoning her to my restart on life?'

'Seems lopsided to me,' Ninetales frowns, 'but as Lokoko said, Fairies are odd creatures.'

Lee nods slowly. 'Back in Lavaridge, right after you evolved, you said something I quite liked— how you exist to love and be loved? I think the same might apply to Sylveon as a species. That was their whole shtick in the pokemon fiction, and it seems to be holding true here .'

Ninetales is silent, but Lee keenly feels her prickling discomfort as she tries, and fails, to imagine herself in Sylveon's place. It doesn't seem to matter how many times she tries, she can never quite visualize it.

Outwardly, Lee resumes speaking. "Well, people and pokemon don't have to have just one purpose," he says, smiling towards Sylveon. "I was a zookeeper, and now I'm a trainer. Sometimes life is unfair and you just have to start over, but that doesn't mean you can't be happy."

Something about that just doesn't seem to compute to Sylveon, who shakes her head vigorously. "No! That's not right! I cannot!"sShe growls, her claws extending and tearing into the bedcovers.

"Shhhh, it's okay, no need to be upset," Lee whispers, rubbing the ribbon again. He shuts his eyes and for a split second, thinks about mentally leaning backwards into Ninetales to keep his nerves nice and soothed for Sylveon, only to pause.

…How much of Ninetales can Sylveon feel through him? Can Sylveon feel the invisible bond between them? Once more, Lee is reminded just how unusual the relationship between Ninetales and himself is. There exists no real world equivalent for what they have, in that strange place that is neither romantic nor platonic.

It's all too easy to see how someone looking in from the outside could come to a wrong and envious conclusion.

With a sigh, Lee sends a wordless apology to Ninetales. 'Nevermind, Nine. I might need to do this one solo.'

Her fan of tails twitch in irritation, but Ninetales nonetheless relents. 'Very well, Beloved. Remember I am here if you need me.'

Lee sends back the mental equivalent of a nod, and with great reluctance pinches the telepathic line between him and Ninetales as closed as he can. Her senses vanish from his mind. Then her thoughts. Then her emotions. When they can close it no further, Lee is left with naught but a sense of profound loneliness. The only thing that he can feel is that the connection is there.

With a deep sigh, the man powers through his discomfort and centers himself, returning his attention to Sylveon. "Let me finish, okay? I've got more to say."

Sylveon, through great and obvious effort, takes a deep breath and attempts to calm herself. She sits, and her tense body begins to uncoil.

Lee sidles closer. "I know things look bad now, and it takes different people different amounts of time to get better after tragedy strikes, but believe me when I say it does get better. You know what helps with that?"

Sylveon shakes her head. The look she gives him is one of pleading, begging him to please make things better!

Scooching just a little closer, Lee is now within arm's reach of the fairy. "Things will be so much easier for you if you take it all one day at a time. It's even better when it's alongside people who understand, who sympathize."

Lee twiddled his fingers, gathering his thoughts once more.

"All of us on this little team of ours have been through different things, but I think we all understand what it's like to lose something precious," Lee murmurs, voice subdued. "I like to think that we've all learned that no matter how bad it gets, no matter how much you lose, you can always find new things to love."

Sylveon's breath hitches in her throat.

"Maybe what's gone can't be replaced, but that doesn't mean you have to be miserable," Lee says, freezing Sylveon in place with his stare. "Other forms of love are just as real as the traditional, romantic sort. Evelyn loved you enough to harden her heart and let you go, to free you from the ranch and the weight of those memories, and although you've only been part of this team for a week and some change, I love you the same as I do my other pokemon. It kills me to see you so sad." Lee opens his arms, beckoning Sylveon to him. "Will you let me prove it?"

For a long, tense moment, it seems as if Sylveon will reject him. Five seconds stretches to ten, and ten to twenty, but she shakily rises to her paws and steps forward. Each step is hard-fought, and hesitation colors her expression the entire way, but Sylveon steps close, her three remaining ribbons slowly coiling around him.

Lee's arms wrap around the Fairy and pull her into a tight hug. Using all the practice he's obtained with Ninetales, Lee shuts his eyes and musters up all of the love and concern that he can.

'I want you to be well.'

'I want you to be happy.'

'I want you to be fulfilled.'

There's a sharp intake of breath, and then Sylveon begins to shake before collapsing into Lee's lap. There are neither great sobs nor weeping, but the man feels his shirt grow wet with tears.

Resting his chin on her head, Lee rubs gentle circles on Sylveon's back, saying nothing and letting her vent everything she has. A sudden pang of sympathy not his own makes him look over to Ninetales, and Lee realizes he let his strangling grip on the telepathic bond grow weak.

'Nine, Love, don't take this the wrong way but…' Lee trails off, wondering how to word it.

'You were expecting jealousy?' Ninetales dryly finishes for him. The vixen licks her lips, her eyes locked on her crying, elder teammate. 'There is a part deep down that is jealous, but I've been trying to do as you do more, and thinking of myself in the place of others. Were I to lose the one most precious to me, were I to lose you…' She can't finish her sentence, a shiver running down her spine and up each of her tails. 'No. I do not believe I would be well, either. I shall not begrudge Sylveon for partaking in your sympathy,' she finishes, looking away. 'It is as you thought earlier; none have what we have, and upon reflection, it is immature of me to be discontent while possessing such a treasure.'

Warmth blooms within Lee's chest, and he gives her a proud smile. 'You really are the best, Nine.'

The vixen clicks her tongue and shakes her head as if to wave away the praise, but she cannot hide the swell of love in her chest, or the insides of her ears blushing red.

Gradually, Sylveon's tears begin to stem, and like a water balloon with a hole poked in it, she deflates into an exhausted pink and white pile in Lee's lap. No matter how limp she becomes, however, the grip of her ribbons remains tight.

Lee pats his newest pokemon on the back. "Better?" he asks.

Sylveon nods lethargically, sniffling and rubbing her eyes with her paw. She then lets out a long-suffering sigh and allows a distinctly rueful croon to bubble out of her throat, staring up at him all the while.

'Nine, can I get a translation? I'm still not that good at reading her.'

'She's embarrassed to be doted upon by someone young enough to be her child.'

Lee grins and squeezes Sylveon. "Ah, don't let that bother you," he begins with a smile, "age doesn't mean much. Sometimes all you need is to be held and told it's going to be all right. Doesn't matter who's doing the holding."

The fairy scoffs, but makes no move to pull away.

"Oh, and before I forget…"

Sylveon looks up, once more meeting Lee's eyes.

"If you're ever feeling down, or doubtful, or just want a hug for its own sake, say something, okay?" Lee tells her. "Promise me. I want you to be happy."

Sylveon grimaces at the word "promise". She looks around at the room, then to Ninetales, and back to Lee. She sets her shoulders, and before her sudden gathering of nerve can leave her, she nods her head, muttering two syllables under her breath.

Lee flinches at the feeling of static that coats Sylveon's ribbons for a split second, and wonders what in the world just happened. 'Fairy nonsense, for certain. Are fairies funny about promises or something?'

'Such a thing would not surprise me in the least,' Ninetales thinks with a shake of her head.

'Wonderful. That's something to keep in mind for later, then,' Lee sends back. After thinking to himself, he smiles and comes up with a great way to end this talk on a positive note. "Sylvy? How about we give you a good grooming? I know I gave you a once over the first night you joined the team, but I'm talking something good."

Sylveon tilts her head, obviously considering the offer, and Lee doesn't miss the prickle of envy from Ninetales. Thinking quickly, Lee pivots the conversation around. "In fact, how about I treat all the girls of the team to something special? You, Nine, and Shinx, and then we can move outside for Corvi, Grovyle, and Octillery. Heck, we'll make it a regular thing as long as we're here, seeing as everyone is going to be working hard in the coming weeks. You deserve it."

The metaphorical cloud hanging over Ninetales dissipates instantly, replaced by open delight, and Shinx's ball bursts open in a flash, depositing an excited, sparking kitten only inches away.

Sylveon just tilts her head once more.

---

When Lee said "something special", he meant it.

He started Nine, Sylvy, and Shinx off with full massages. He already knows what cats enjoy so Shinx was easy to turn into a purring puddle, and Ninetales was even easier considering he knows her body better than his own. In fact, he had to prod the vixen's mind with his own so she didn't fall asleep. Sylveon proved to be an interesting challenge, as eeveelutions take traits from both canines and felines. Eventually, though, Lee mapped her out well enough to get her to relax.

The Draconid hut, thankfully, has running water, and Nine, Sylvy, and Shinx each got a full, hot bath and thorough scrubbing. Sylveon had to share Nine's usual shampoo and conditioner, but even if both concoctions were made for dense, fire-retardant fur, they were plenty gentle enough to use on sensitive Fairy skin.

As their fur dried, Lee took the time to trim and file all the claws between them, then lead them back to the bedroom to finish everything off with a thorough brushing.

Shinx's coarse coat zapped and crackled as it was brushed with a rather average pin brush, and an impressive amount of shed held together by static was tossed in the waste bin. Sylveon's short, delicate, and velvety fur called for a soft bristle brush that Evelyn insisted Lee take - a gift which he was now quite glad he'd accepted.

Now, he's finishing the three-hour-long task off with Ninetales. Her dense, silky fur requires a long-toothed slicker brush to get all the way down to her undercoat, and each pass needs to be slow and careful, but leaves her fur sparkling like gold. Being the largest of the girls, Ninetales is laid on the bed with her hind legs splayed out behind her, while Sylveon and Shinx occupy a corner of the mattress. Lee, meanwhile, stands over Ninetales, slowly working his way through her coat.

"When's my turn?"

Lee peers over his shoulder, not lifting his hands from Ninetales' back and leaving the brushing he promised half done.

Standing in the bedroom doorway are Zinnia and Brendan, both of whom are watching the goings-on. Zinnia specifically zeroes in on Sylveon and Shinx.

The kitten is out cold, snoozing away and cuddled into Sylveon's side. Her usually scruffy coat practically shines in the sunlight from the window.

Sylveon actually looks happy. The smile on her face is small and fragile, and the colors of her coat are still a bit dull, but they're brighter than they were just a few hours ago. If it isn't a reflection of the tremendous amount of progress she's experienced today, then Lee isn't sure what is.

Lee rolls his eyes and nods his head toward the pokeballs on his belt. "When you're willing to hang out in a tiny ball and pick fights with literally anything on my behalf," he says, addressing Zinnia, "then I'll pamper you whenever you want."

"Is that all?" The Dragon tamer laughs and theatrically cracks her knuckles.

Ninetales huffs at the insinuation, but before she can think of something witty to say, Lee moves the brush to her middle-most tail and renews his work, making the fox too lethargic to bother.

"So, I take it you guys have questions?" Lee begins, slowing down to untangle a knot in his brush. He turns his eyes back to Ninetales.

"A few," Brendan admits, walking in. He takes the chair from the small desk in the corner and sits in it backwards, resting his chin on the back.

Zinnia, meanwhile, follows after Brendan and seats herself on the edge of the desk itself.

"Shoot," Lee says, finishing Nine's middle tail and moving on to another one.

"So these games and TV shows and everything," Zinnia begins, lifting a hand and twirling her wrist in an unsure gesture. "How… I guess how accurate were they? I know when we first met, you recognized me, so was I a character in any of these things?"

"Hey, yeah! You never answered!" Brendan chimes in, leaning forward excitedly. "Was I in any of them?"

Hesitating, Lee silently reaches out to Ninetales. 'Love, your opinion?'

'I foresee no harm in informing them,' Ninetales drowsily sends back, slowly blinking her red eyes. 'So long as you remind them that fictional events have no correlation to them as people.'

'The ever wise kitsune always seems to have a good answer.' Lee chuckles under his breath. "Yes, and no," he says, sparing a look to his pair of human friends. "I saw a version of you, Zinnia, in a game I didn't finish, so beyond your name and appearance, I didn't truly know who you were when we met. For all I know, the game depiction was completely wrong. I know none of the games or anything had any detailed history regarding the Draconid tribe like there is here, so any kind of game depiction was probably wrong, anyway."

Previously unnoticed tension in Zinnia evaporates, and she folds her hands in her lap. "Huh. I guess I feel better?" She shakes her head. "Ugh. Just thinking about this is weird."

"As for you, Brendan…" Lee regards the eager boy, wondering how to put things. "There wasn't really a canon depiction of you. There's a player character in a few of the games that vaguely looks like you, and I think some version of you was in a few of the comics, but there's never been a one true 'Brendan.' You're completely unique."

Brendan honestly seems disappointed. "So I wasn't anyone important?" he asks, slumping.

"Not what I said." Lee levels Brendan with a firm stare. "You're the one and only Brendan Birch. You are what you make yourself, no more, no less."

The boy leans back with a blink. Reaching under his white hat, he scratches the back of his head with confusion, before a realization seems to strike him. "Did you think I was going to have some kind of identity crisis because I was in an extradimensional videogame?"

Lee freezes in brushing his fox for a split-second, but Brendan catches it, and openly laughs, making Lee's face burn.

"C'mon, Lee!" Brendan guffaws, throwing his head back in his mirth. "Of all the things to be worried about, that's what you were afraid of saying?"

"Brendan, if everyone in the world was as mature as you, there would be a lot less problems," Lee grumbles. "No, you want to know what I'm really afraid of? You remember Ash Ketchum?"

Zinnia perks up. "Oak's Lab Trainer? What about him?"

"Would you believe me if I said there's a non-zero chance that he is some kind of Arceus-blessed savior?" Lee asks, deadpan.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Now you're starting to get why I worry."

---

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.

RGBDRAGON, Sulphercat, UmbraBree, puppy0cam, Spice_King, demonmonkey89, LoverofPi, Green0Photon, Luc, Alb410, Sinnohan, soup, Nickerdoodle, PixelGMS, AMeek, Emeraldleafeon, Latscry, OmegaEntertainment, whaud, Maestro, ShaRose, Peter D., DNGDutchie, Ottstop, Emilowish, Javidom, Fabhar, Adean23, The Tankiest Train, Strongraider101, DarkReader-14, RaptorusMaximus, Purple Floof, Tzeneth, CMDR Dantae, Siphon Rayzar, Phoenix Bugg, MrPerson0, Zany Old Coot, Dingus, Bunny Waffles, JustALurker, rizen, KaurisAzurai, ncskeeter56, Cynicals, BrokenOlive, Scott H, Moxie, Ash the Kitsune, SenrabMJam, GreenPhoenix, Edeltia, Autocharth, Kastor, Hazel Kings, speedyzman13, MidnightJayguar, xydra22, LarsHuluk, Superbuchi, Bruv, Ranger, Appl, Arcaryx, SparkzVultrix, Ursalius, Diamondera, Berusella, mikalman12, Moo, Paper Crane, Ray, Planetace, Dusks_Lantern, Shaydrall, TitaniumPhoenix, Moonlit Chaser, Nithalys, Marthdovah, WiseKitsune, Shrimperium, GordianVapCat, Kammight, Derlock, Dicloniuslord, Grey, Thelon, Vinohr, Rémi C., Gabriel M., GNPhoenix, Derpydude9001, Titch, Zoru, King Eevee, IAmYourKingAndMaster, artisticVulpes, Dankmuffen, Gavinfoxx, Nihilea, Paxamericana.

 

[Fuggmann]

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.

 

[Fuggmann]

You could have read this early!

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---

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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---

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."

---

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---

"Ugh…" Brendan groans, staring at the downed Trapinch across from himself and Marshtomp. "We're really not having any luck, are we bud?"

Marshtomp turns and regards his trainer with a sheepish face and a shrug.

After Lee left to fly off to his meeting, Brendan and Zinnia called it quits on training for the day and instead went out to try and find new team members. Zinnia settled on a Noibat, or even a Noivern if she could find one, and Brendan decided that an eventual Flygon is what he wants.

That in mind, Zinnia recruited the help of Astis and Isis to lead them through the labyrinthian tunnels of the Crater. In Zinnia's absence, the different flights of dragons had apparently changed nesting grounds, as when Zinnia took the lead, she and Brendan only found a dusty chamber filled with bones.

Isis took Zinnia, leading the Lorekeeper to a different part of the cave system where the Noivern were nesting, while Astis took Brendan into a long, narrow chamber with many nesting holes in the walls.

If Brendan is being honest with himself, he would have preferred having Isis. Astis… Her admiration for him is plainly apparent, but after being manipulated by Courtney, he's simply not sure how to feel about that.

Grumbling, Brendan looks over his shoulder to Astis, who stands a safe distance away with her hands folded in front of her. "Zinnia said that there would be Vibrava, yet all I'm seeing are Trapinch? I don't mean to sound like a jerk, either, but all these guys seem pretty underwhelming."

The redheaded tribal girl helplessly shakes her head with a sigh. She shrugs, as if to say "nothing can be done."

Wishing his guide wasn't mute, Brendan returns his attention to the great number of holes along the wall.

When they first arrived, several of the Trapinch emerged from the nests, snapping their jaws in irritation as the light of Astis's lantern flooded the chamber. The antlion pokemon fought amongst themselves for only a brief moment before the largest one stepped forward, ready to throw down.

Marshtomp floored him in a single strike. It wasn't a super-effective blow, either, but an unpowered punch to gauge the large Trapinch's gumption.

The Trapinch took the blow with only a flinch… and then fell over, groaning theatrically, a moment later.

The next largest Trapinch made a harsh, clicking sound reminiscent of laughter before taking his fallen comrade's place on the battlefield.

He, too, fell in one hit, and made a big clamor about his defeat.

After the sixth Trapinch failed to put up any appreciable fight, the rest slowly retreated back into their holes, dragging their wounded siblings back with them.

Astis smiled uncertainly after the disappointing performance and led him to another chamber… where the same thing happened.

The third time was not the charm, either.

Brendan watches another Trapinch emerge from the wall and drag its defeated sibling back into the nest, leaving Brendan, Marshtomp, and Astis alone once more.

"Damn…" Brendan doffs his hat and runs his fingers through his hair, replacing his hat afterward. 'I can't really afford to not have the best possible pokemon, not with all the crazy stuff the future is going to bring,' he thinks to himself. 'If they can't stand one hit from Marshtomp while he's holding back, then that would make for a really rough starting point…'

"I really wanted a Vibrava, but I might just have to make do…" Brendan murmurs, not noticing the alarm that passes Astis's face.

Feeling a tap on his arm, Brendan turns and finds Astis there, smiling apologetically. She gestures back to the tunnel that led them to this chamber and gives Brendan's sleeve a gentle tug.

"I'm game to try another, I guess," Brendan says. "C'mon, Marshtomp. I know we can find you a good teammate somewhere down here."

"Maaaash!"

Brendan and Marshtomp fall into step with each other, trailing slightly behind Astis, who picks up the lantern and takes the lead.

After a minute of walking in silence, Brendan speaks up once more. "The Trapinch aren't sick, are they? They look plenty tough at first glance, but it's kind of weird that none of them put up any kind of fight."

A bead of sweat runs down Astis's brow, and she quickly shakes her head in a negative.

A frown slowly tugs at Brendan's lips. Deep down, he feels as if the redheaded girl is hiding something from him, and after the fiasco with Courtney…

Brendan's frown becomes more pronounced.

… After Courtney, the idea of being lied to by a girl who supposedly admires him does not sit right with him.

---

'And take a look here right in the middle! If I didn't know any better, I would swear that I was sensing an entirely new person!' Anabel's telepathic voice is quick and chirpy.

'Indeed. I've never seen two minds form a central nexus as homogenized as this before, if this phenomenon can even be called a nexus,' another voice, this one older and smoother, comments. 'It's no wonder why our tests failed to yield any results.'

'That's precisely what Espeon and I were thinking! It's a little bit like a color gradient, and you can't tell who is who in the middle. If you probe near the middle, it's completely indecipherable,' Anabel says.

'Curiouser and curiouser the mystery becomes… I do have several theories, however.' The second voice makes the mental equivalent of an inquisitive hum.

'… Measured flow?... Equilibrium... Like flowing water...' speaks yet another. Each slurred, nearly indecipherable word rings throughout the skull like the gongs of a bell. '…Pulling and pushing… Anchors firmly…'

'Indeed, my friend.'

Lee ignores the voices in his head and glances at the clock on the meeting room wall, finding that it's already 3 PM. If this goes on for much longer, he's going to have to tell his Draconid guide that he will be staying the night in town.

'Ah, my apologies, Mister Henson. It is not every day that one can witness such an extraordinary phenomenon, so please forgive the lengthy inspection.'

Lee looked towards the owner of the 'voice'.

Across the table and sitting next to Anabel is none other than Lucian of the Sinnoh Elite Four, Anabel's former mentor. Behind Lucian is his Bronzong, a massive Psychic pokemon resembling a hovering, patina-soiled bell.

After discovering Lee and Ninetales' apparent meta-stable gestalt, Anabel excused herself for several minutes, stating that she needed to make a phone call. When she returned, it was with a curious Lucian in tow, and Lee had to close his eyes and count to ten, exasperated with being on yet another Elite's radar.

'I wonder, does Lucian already have prior authorization to enter Hoenn so suddenly, or is that a privilege of his station?' Ninetales rests her chin on the table. 'I distinctly felt a great surge of Psychic TE outside, so he must've teleported here.'

'Who's to say?' Lee replies with a mental shrug, inspecting Lucian and Bronzong once more.

The bell pokemon, Bronzong, looks much like a bell that can be found within a clock tower or cathedral. The massive hunk of steel hovers behind Lucian like some sort of guardian angel. Much of its body is oxidized to a pale blue, save for two red, protruding eyes upon its front.

In front of Bronzong is Anabel's purported mentor, Lucian. Lucian's thin frame is covered by a sharp red suit, and his face is framed by shoulder-length, lavender hair a shade darker than Anabel's. His eyes are covered by oval glasses with a color similar to his hair, and his mouth is curved into an easy-going smile.

'Easy-going? I suppose. I assure you, though, that I'm quite excited by this discovery.' Lucian's smile widens.

Oh, right. Lucian, Anabel, and their pokemon can hear his thoughts. He's plenty used to it with Ninetales, but having someone else hear his introspection is quite annoying.

As Lee thinks that, he can feel Anabel, Espeon, Bronzong, and Lucian's minds retract their telepathic probes, leaving Ninetales and Lee alone once more.

"A true meta-stable gestalt between a human and a pokemon…" Lucian shakes his head slowly, but his smile remains. "Amazing. Countless experts have theorized such a thing, but to see it firsthand is a spectacle I don't think I'll ever forget."

"Now, you say stable, but are you sure about that?" Lee asks, unable to hide the worry that colors his tone. "We've both lost sleep over this. You're certain that we're fine?"

Lucian nods absently, apparently still lost in his own thoughts. "When it comes to the science of the mind, there is always room for uncertainty, but I believe that you and Miss Ninetales have nothing to fear." He focuses on Lee. "What exactly prevents one side of you from subsuming the other is unknown to us, but I see no signs of a potential cascade. As far as I am able to see, you have dodged the worst perils that could be thrown at you."

Lee breathes a sigh of relief as Ninetales leans into his side.

"Now, this may come as an upside or downside, depending on how one looks at it, but I suspect that what has been done can no longer be undone. You and Miss Ninetales are quite solidly connected," Lucian continues. "We've pulled and prodded here and there, and the deep psychic channel between you holds fast. Even the four of us working in tandem could not stress the connection. With colorful wordplay and the stretching of definitions, one could even argue that you are a singular entity at heart."

Ninetales clicks her tongue and throws her head, sending a few errant locks of her head tuft behind her ear. 'As if we would be so easily separated,' she says with a deep frown. Her distaste, however, does not hide the touch of apprehension beneath the surface. The unasked what if they succeeded goes unanswered.

'It's nice to know that we resist it, even if it's coming from some damn-strong psychics.' Lee strokes the fox across the back of her neck, soothing her. 'See? I told you it was a worthwhile test.'

'I suppose…' Ninetales reluctantly concedes.

"Forgive me for being so forward, but would you allow me to sit in during these meetings with Anabel occasionally?" Lucian suddenly asks. The man twiddles and taps the fingers of his right hand on the table, as if he wants to twirl a pen. "If whatever caused the gestalt between you and Miss Ninetales can be properly understood, it could revolutionize our understanding of not only the conscious mind, but the differences between man and pokemon."

Lee gives Ninetales a sidelong glance, and she nods her head. "Sure. While I'm happy to help advance any kind of academia, I'm also wanting to use these meetings to help Nine and I get a better grip on our relationship. With that in mind, I do have a professional psychologist who is going to be joining these meetings going forward. That bother you?"

"Not at all," Anabel answers in Lucian's stead. The girl offers Lee and Ninetales a bright smile. "If you trust them, then we will as well."

Lucian, however, raises an eyebrow, looking between Ninetales and Lee carefully. "By all means, bring whoever you wish, but I have doubts about how much any sort of traditional psychology will apply in a case as unique as this." He pauses for a second. "When you mention relationship mediation…"

Lee holds up a hand and stops Lucian short. "No, not that kind. We had that conversation a while ago. Things don't need to be more complicated than they are right now."

Anabel's face turns pink while the other man blinks in surprise.

"Really?" Lucian questions. "The few memories you were gracious enough to provide painted a rather, how you say, domestic picture?"

Lee opens his mouth to refute, only to pause. Anabel asked to see some memories of moments they shared together to get a better idea of how Lee and Nine's shared mindset worked. Anabel, Lucian, and their pokemon could parse memories from each individual side well enough, but when the memory included both Lee and Ninetales' respective parts, it turned into a garbled, headache-inducing mess of sensory overload. As such, Lee and Nine could only show their respective parts without the context of their constant communication.

From the outside looking in, it probably looks like they've been married for decades.

Closing his mouth, Lee shrugs. "Maybe that's just how… What's the phrase? Maybe that's just how a concordant singularity is? We've got a lot going on right now, and throwing more stuff on the pile isn't really wise." Lee pauses. "Concordant singularity, though? That is such a mouthful. Since we discovered the real thing, are we allowed to change the name?"

Lucian chuckles. "Mister Henson, I believe that you can call it whatever you wish. No one will care, so long as they are credited as a contributor to the eventual article on you." The red-clad man then takes a shiny, silver pocket watch from his breast pocket and pops it open, taking a look at the time. "Ah, I seem to have run over my lunch hour quite spectacularly."

The pocket watch is put away, and Lucian stands. "Anabel has long since surpassed me in the field of telepathy, but I'll be sure to forward you my contact information should you need some form of expertise and Anabel is not available. Once more, it was a pleasure to meet you."

Lee nods. "Sounds good. Thank you for your input, Lucian. The peace of mind means a lot to both of us," Lee says, laying a hand on Ninetales' head.

The foreign Elite then turns to Anabel. "Ana, you may reach out to me for more than business, if you weren't aware," he teases. "I understand that I am old and none too hip, but I still enjoy your company."

Anabel flushes in embarrassment.

Laughing, Lucian pats Anabel on the shoulder. "Regardless, it was nice to see you again. Do take care," he says before turning to his Bronzong. "Ready to go, old friend?"

Both Lucian and Bronzong are enveloped in a sheet of shimmering, multicolored light, then, in a flash, both Teleport away.

"I guess we should be on our way, too," Anabel begins, the pink fading from her face. She gives Lee and Ninetales a wide smile. "It was great to meet you two! Now that I know what we're working with, I'll try to write up some kind of plan for next time. I'll send you an email or something else when I'm prepared, and then we can get another meeting going!"

"Sounds like a plan," Lee replies, mirroring her happy expression. "Thank you for taking the time to come talk to us."

"No problem! This beats desk work any day! See you next time!" Anabel says her farewell.

Beside Anabel, Espeon's eyes begin to glow, then in a flash similar to Lucian and Bronzong, Anabel and Espeon are gone, leaving Lee and Ninetales alone in the meeting room.

'I do hope I can learn Teleport one day.' Ninetales looks across the table at the spot that Espeon vacated. 'I can only imagine the wealth of uses it must have.'

Lee mentally adds another move to Nine's wanted list.

---

With some time left before their escort arrives to take them back to Meteorfall Crater, Lee decides a Pokemart trip is in order. Not only is his berry stock starting to get low, it's high time that he gets berry pouches for each of his pokemon so they can carry first aid into fights.

The Pokemart is only a few blocks away from the Pokemon Center, and as he and Ninetales step through the automatic doors, Lee strides over to the front display counter, where all of the really pricey items are kept under lock and key.

'Luxury balls…' Lee gazes into one of the cases, seeing the black and gold pokeballs on display. Normally, the capsules are a pricey ten thousand credits a pop, but here in Fallarbor, which has less trainer traffic than any city with a gym, they're marked down to eight-and-a-half thousand. Lee withdraws his phone and peers into his bank account.

Preferred PKMN Trainer Account ending in 4873

Checking: 17,656.50 credits
Savings: 43,433.00 credits
IRA: 6,200.00 (Yearly deposit limit reached. Learn more about your retirement account, yearly deposit limits, and annual returns by clicking here)

'Six luxury balls would work out to be fifty-one thousand plus tax… And that wouldn't be a smart buy right now,' Lee concludes regretfully, slipping his phone back into his pocket. 'Maybe another day.'

Beside him, Ninetales rolls her eyes. 'I believe I can speak for the entire team when I say an average pokeball serves its purpose adequately. Worry not about luxuries until we sit upon a Dragonite's hoard of wealth and numbers cease to matter. You needn't spoil any of us.'

'But I want to spoil you.'

The vixen nips one of his fingers. 'Pace yourself, my Beloved. Remember that a sum of fifty thousand credits was a life-changing amount of money only a few months ago.'

Lee can't help but smile and wrap the fox in a short, one-armed hug. 'I understand, Nine, and you're definitely right. Love you.'

Ninetales smiles gently and presses herself into his side. Her silky fur and unspoken adoration warm Lee both outside and in. 'While six luxury balls are frankly unnecessary, you could make do with one for Sylveon. She hides it well, so well that perhaps she does not even realize it herself, but I believe that she is unused to resting within a ball. Nights spent outside seem to leave her more well-rested.'

'I had suspicions, and it's good to know that I'm not seeing things,' Lee says and nods, gazing back towards the luxury balls behind the glass. 'Thirty years as a free-range pokemon probably doesn't lend itself well to suddenly joining a traveling team.' He takes Sylveon's ball from his belt and turns away from the counter. 'Let's get her opinion, yeah?'

The Pokemart isn't packed since the work day isn't over yet, but the few curious eyes in the store definitely take notice when Sylveon emerges from her pokeball in a flash of light.

'A Sylveon and a Ninetales in one place must be an unusual sight,' Lee muses before returning to the matter at hand. He kneels and presents a hand to Sylveon, who takes his wrist in one of her ribbons as she usually does.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Sylvy," Lee begins, rolling her pokeball in his hand, "but you're not finding your pokeball too comfortable, are you?"

Sylveon briefly looks down at her paws, considering his words. After a moment of hesitation, she shrugs and croons something almost too quiet to hear. The sound, at least to Lee's ear, sounds vaguely dismissive.

"If you want, I can get you a more comfortable ball." Lee gestures to the glass case beside them and the luxury balls within. "Remember our promise, Sylvy. If it would make you happier, then I want to know."

The fairy stiffens on her paws at the mention of the promise she made, her muzzle twisting. After a long moment, her expression eases, replaced with a searching look. Her eyes lock onto Lee's as her ribbon tightens ever so slightly.

Lee stares back without so much as a flinch.

Ten seconds into the staring match, Sylveon finally concedes, nodding her consent. "Syl…" she murmurs, stepping forward and gently pressing her forehead to Lee's knee.

In return, he strokes the fairy behind one of her ears. "I'm glad we're in agreement," he says with a smile.

Resolving to get a luxury ball after the rest of the shopping is done, Lee stands once more. "Alrighty, girls. Let's get cracking. We're on a timetable here."

Ninetales smiles and takes her usual spot on Lee's right.

Sylveon quietly takes the left, one of her ribbons stretching out behind her and passing a startled shopper to grab a shopping basket by the entrance.

Together, the man and pair of pokemon walk up and down the aisles, grabbing this and that. When they stop by the refrigerated section holding the mart's supply of berries, Sylveon takes her sweet time keenly inspecting each one of the fruits. Only after a sniff test and a gentle squeeze does Sylveon allow Lee to bag the berry, and more than a few subpar examples are rejected.

'Maybe I need to include Sylvy on our shopping trips from now on.' Lee watches the canine-shaped fairy give the stink eye to what looks like a fine Oran and put it back on the stand with the rest of its ilk. 'She's got an eye for this.'

'Decades of experience, I'm sure,' Ninetales comments, watching as well.

Lee looks at his ace, who tranquilly sits at his side as Sylveon does her thing.

Nine has done excellently on her promise to better control her emotions, especially where Sylveon is concerned, but there is always a small, instinctual flash of jealousy whenever Lee focuses his attention on someone else. The fox hasn't acted on such impulses since Lee stopped her from lashing out at May back in Lavaridge.

Yet, there wasn't even an errant flicker when Lee stroked Sylveon a few minutes prior. What changed?

'How are you feeling after that talk with Anabel and Lucian, love?' Lee sends. 'I can feel something turning in the back of your head. You've been thinking about it since we left the Pokemon Center.'

Ninetales doesn't reply right away, instead taking her time to gather her thoughts. From deep within her, Lee can feel a bubbling, giddy sort of happiness begin to well up. 'Good. I feel good. Fantastic, even,' she says, leaning into Lee's side with a warm sigh. She looks up at him, her eyes sparkling. 'Knowing that I'm not about to harm you by accident has set countless fears to rest. In fact, I haven't felt such levity since my evolution.'

As she speaks, Ninetales' happiness boils over, pouring into Lee and making his body tingle. All of his limbs feel so light that he has to look down to confirm that he isn't floating away.

'I already know what you wish to ask,' Ninetales continues. 'Just as I said during our first night in the Crater, I should not be jealous of others you deign to give your time to, not when they do not share what we have. Now?'

She smiles, but beneath her joy, there is a touch of... Melancholy? 'Our bond is one unbreakable and unique. No, I shan't be jealous any longer. If anything… I am tempted to pity,' she says, her glee leveling off. 'My life is rich thanks to you, and the fact that no one else may know such a feeling leaves me… sorrowful, I suppose.'

Ninetales sweeps her eyes across the other people and pokemon in the mart. 'What would others say, if they knew what they were missing out on?'

Not knowing what to say, and now filled with mixed emotions of his own, Lee just holds the fox tight.

As he tries to think of a way to break the suddenly somber atmosphere, an intrusive thought comes to Lee's mind. 'Well, at least the average person gets some peace of mind. They don't have a partner who knows what kind of weird things they've touched themselves to, and I can't say the same.'

Nine physically sputters and breaks out into wheezy laughter, making a sound somewhere between a giggle and a vulpine gekker.

---

After Sylveon finally picks the best berries on display, Lee accidentally causes a delay at the Pokemart checkout, as the clerk needs a manager to sign off on the luxury ball. Once that hiccup is out of the way, they begin the walk back to the Pokemon Center to wait for their pick-up.

"Okay, so…" Lee glances at the little instruction manual floating in front of his face, courtesy of Ninetales' telekinesis, as he, Ninetales, and Sylveon walk down the road. "Double press into long press, hold seven seconds, then short press after one vibration…"

In his hands, Lee holds Sylveon's old ball and the shiny new luxury ball. Silph Co seems to (correctly) assume that most people will be transferring pokemon from a more mundane ball to the luxury ball, and has included an instruction manual on how to do so.

"…Press the buttons together after confirming the first vibration…" Lee touches both of the capsules together by their front buttons, and both buttons flash red briefly. A moment later, the luxury ball flashes blue with a distinct 'ping!'

"That should do it!" Lee grins. He shrinks and pockets the now unassigned pokeball before pointing the luxury ball towards Sylveon. "Alrighty, Sylvy. We'll be up in the air here in a few. Do you want to try your ball now, or wait?"

Sylveon answers with a shake of her head, looking up at the warm sun above. Mount Chimney is idle today, leaving the sky beautiful and clear of soot.

"You're right, some more sun won't hurt," Lee says with a smile.

Lee shrinks the gold-accented ball and clips it to his belt. "All in all, a productive day," he says with a smile, watching Ninetales neatly fold the little paper manual and slip it into one of his backpack pockets.

Together, the trio comes to a stop in front of the Pokemon Center. Lee seats himself on a bench near the sidewalk as both Sylveon and Ninetales take positions in front of him. With the spare time, Lee takes out his phone and does his best to catch up with his emails and other electronic business.

BattleNet: You were mentioned in the thread: Official Lee Henson Megathread
BattleNet: You were mentioned in the group: Fox Friday (x45)
Junesoft: Notice of Deposit
ContestCorner: Fallarbor Contest
BattleNet: New friend request from Lucian Goyou
BattleNet: New friend request from Anabel Lila
Alec Aarons: SPECIAL STUFF! Silph Job Fair gig.
BattleNet: You have been invited to join the private group: The Cognoscenti: Masters of the Mind

His emails are the usual things. There's a fair amount of spam, a handful of updates from various threads he's watching on BattleNet, an invite to the next Fallarbor Pokemon Contest, Aarons being himself, and a notification from Junesoft about the first royalty payment they deposited into his account. He doesn't give the rest much time or consideration. Before closing his mailbox, Lee shoots Nigel an email telling him that the first meeting between himself and Anabel went well, and to expect some detailed data in the next set of log files.

Logging into BattleNet, Lee finds a plethora of new alerts, mostly from his own megathread. Both Lucian and Anabel have sent him friend requests that he accepts, and it looks like Anabel has invited him to some kind of elite Psychic-type specialist group.

'Here we go again…' Lee rolls his eyes and taps 'Accept.' The instant the chat room loads, Lee throws in the same boilerplate 'leave me alone' message that he used in the Fire Master group.

Today at 3:44 PM
L_Henson: Hello everyone, and thank you, Anabel, for the invite. I cannot say how active I will be due to being a traveling trainer, but I'll do my best to contribute where I can. I'm actually about to lose service now, so I hope to be back soon.

Before closing the group, Lee glances at the members list, finding Anabel, Lucian, Liza and Tate, Sabrina of Saffron city, Will of the Johto Elite Four, and several other recognizable names.

He closes the group and moves on, finding that somebody in Fox Friday was incessantly pinging him, and he didn't notice at all due to having the group muted.

Marking all of the pings as read without actually reading them, Lee instead opens his phone's camera and holds it up. "Nine? Sylvy?"

Both pokemon look at him inquisitively, just in time for Lee to snap a photo of them.

Opening his browser and returning to Fox Friday, Lee attaches the photo to a message…

Today at 3:45 PM
L_Henson: Is this a fox? Ninetales for comparison.
(Attachment #1)

…And hits send before promptly muting the group once more.

Ninetales chortles, while Sylveon can only tilt her head in confusion.

Nothing else really requires any attention, so Lee locks his phone and puts it away. Leaning his head back and closing his eyes, he enjoys the warm sun and the company of his pokemon.

Ninetales eventually sets her chin on Lee's knee, closing her eyes and relaxing, and even Sylveon leans into his legs, letting her usual tension drain away.

For a while, there is nothing but peace.

Then the bench shifts and Lee feels someone sit down next to him.

"Blasted volcano is finally calm for a change. Not many days like this in Fallarbor." The stranger laughs, his voice rough. "It's a bit dry, though. We could do with some rain."

Not raising his head, Lee hums. "Yeah, it is pretty dry, isn't it? I hope the local Grass-types are doing okay."

"Only tough buggers live north of the volcano, but I bet they'd appreciate the sentiment, at least," the stranger says. "You know, I'm pretty sensitive to the humidity, so I can't help but notice when it's dry out. My boys joke and use me as a living hygrometer because I comment on it a lot." The stranger shifts, and Lee feels eyes on him. "What made you think of pokemon so quickly for something so mundane, if you don't mind humoring me?"

Lee simply shrugs as best he can with his head leaned back. "What can I say? I'm a career trainer, and my number one concern is always pokemon. Whether or not they're my pokemon is kind of immaterial in the matter. Isn't that what any trainer would think?"

The stranger laughs once more, sounding pleased by the answer. "I think you'd be surprised by how often people think of themselves first for… pretty much anything, really. I think it says a lot about a man to think of others first, especially when it comes to pokemon. There aren't many people like you around."

Lee opens his eyes and turns to the stranger. "Geez, man. You're gonna make me blush. I jus-!" Lee's words stop dead in his mouth and his blood runs cold, jolting Ninetales awake.

Grinning back from the other side of the bench is none other than Archie, leader of Team Aqua.

---

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---

A million thoughts fly through Lee's mind all at once at the sight of Maxie's rival. The mental cacophony, spurred by panic, is practically deafening and paralyzes him.

Why did he approach us?

How the hell did he find us?

Is he here to recruit us? Kill us?

He's not honestly doing this in the middle of a populated town, is he?

'Lee!'

Ninetales' mental shout cuts through his rising panic, stopping the cascade of scenarios for a moment, just long enough for her to follow up.

'Remain calm, Beloved, and resume your answer! Don't give him reason to suspect that we are aware of who he is!' Ninetales urges, shoving a lid down on her own instinctual urge to growl. 'We cannot clash with him here, not so close to the Pokemon Center filled with bystanders.'

Lee clears his throat and steadies himself as much as he can. "Sorry about that, I had something caught in my throat," he says, putting a small, false smile on his face. "Anyway, I was just speaking from the heart there, if you buy into sappy stuff like that. It's an answer I think a lot of people would give."

Archie scratches his bearded chin as he thinks up a reply, giving Lee time to inspect the other man.

The eco-terrorist is a tall, darkly tanned man. Even sitting down, he's several inches taller than Lee, and his musculature fills out his clothes. His wetsuit-like costume from the Omega Ruby game is absent, replaced with something much more inconspicuous. Dark slacks, black shoes, a blue bandanna lacking the Aqua logo, and an unbuttoned shirt make for a get-up that doesn't stand out too much. Hanging from Archie's neck on a golden chain is a large, anchor-shaped amulet. The amulet is where he keeps his Mega Keystone in the games…

… But the amulet here is missing its stone. The slot where the stone should sit is empty.

'Archie doesn't have his Keystone yet!' Lee realizes, nearly bringing his hands together and praising Arceus. 'Small mercies…'

"You clearly have more faith in people than I do, then," Archie says, crossing his arms and leaning back into the bench. The wooden backrest groans slightly under his weight. "In my opinion, there's a lot of greed and shortsightedness among folks nowadays. Too many think of themselves, and only themselves. It ends up harming everybody in the end."

"I see…" Lee subtly signals Nine and Sylveon to keep their cool. "Well, it's only natural for people to think of themselves first and foremost. Looking after yourself is arguably the oldest and most important instinct that any creature can have. After all, if one doesn't keep their own best interests in mind, it makes succeeding in life substantially harder."

"I won't deny that, but the line between need and greed should be clear to everyone, and that doesn't seem to be the case anymore," Archie counters. "Lemme give you a scenario, one that happens more often than you'd think: a town begins to swell with people moving in, and the mayor needs to do something about overcrowding. Do they repurpose some of the land that they already have? Or do they tear down a section of forest and build over the top of it, sending all the pokemon there running for the hills?" The tan man's eyes darken. "I know the one you would pick because it would be the same choice as me. Nine times outta ten, though, they'd rather take more to the detriment of pokemon than make do with what they have."

Lee frowns, thinking of a reply as he scans his surroundings from his peripheral vision. 'Dammit all, Archie. What kind of games are you playing here? And why in the middle of a crowded street?'

'He's betting on a sense of fair play or concern for bystanders to keep him safe,' Ninetales asserts, watching the eco-terrorist with narrow, unblinking eyes. Beside Nine, Sylveon seems placid, but the coiled muscles in the Fairy's legs are obvious. 'Any sort of rash action could cost innocent lives.'

Lee doesn't let his nerves show on his face. 'Smart, in a bullheaded kind of way,' he reluctantly concedes. Outwardly, he answers Archie. "I think we both know that in the real world, a scenario like that wouldn't have just those two options, nor would everything be that simple."

Archie smirks, seemingly amused by the answer. "Ha! I can agree with the simplicity part, but little else," he laughs. "You're quite the character. What's your name?"

"Isn't it polite to introduce yourself before asking for someone else's name?" Lee shoots back.

The snarky reply doesn't wash any of the mirth off of Archie's face. "You're right. Boy, where are my manners? Archibald Aogiri is the name, but my friends call me Archie. And you are?"

"Bruce Lancaster." Lee quickly combines his brother's name with the street of his childhood home, forming an alias. "It's… a pleasure to meet you?"

"Really? Bruce Lancaster?" Archie asks, unimpressed. "If you don't want to tell me your name, you could just say so."

Lee grunts, fed up with the verbal spar. "Something tells me you already know my name, so why even bother with the song and dance?"

"Because, Mister Lee Henson, you already know who I am, so it's only fair if I play dumb too, right?" Archie asks with a smirk. "Don't look so tense! I'm not gonna hurt you or your pokemon. I'm just here for a chat, and to give you a well-deserved thanks."

Lee takes a deep breath to steady his nerves. "A well-deserved thanks?" he parrots, turning his head to look the other man directly in the eye. "What are you talking about? I don't think we actually have anything to chat about."

"Oh, but we do!" the larger man insists before lowering his voice. He leans closer to Lee, uncaring of Ninetales and Sylveon each bearing their teeth. "I was watching from a distance when Magma raided the volcano, and I watched as you and your friends busted them."

Unease flows through Lee's being, and the mental bleedover makes Ninetales' tails curl. 'We were being watched the whole time?'

"Maxie…" Archie's face falls into disappointment. "He and I were friends once. He was one of those always-polite, upper-crust types, but he didn't let that stop him from being a swell guy. Then he started changing…"

Archie pauses for a moment, his expression stormy. "It was weird stuff here and there, like shying away from conversation and suddenly despising the rain. Then he stopped showing up at gatherings and seemed not to remember a lot of people. In the end, he sold off everything he owned to fund some kind of 'project' he refused to talk about. I made the mistake of not forcing him to fess up, and I knew I had made a mistake when he came to me and wanted me to join Magma."

"I see…" is all Lee can say, wondering where Archie is going with this. 'This is not how I expected this to go…'

"He shocked me with what he said." Archie's face darkens further, falling into a scowl. "He told me about his scheme, how he wanted to awaken Groudon and use it to rearrange the planet. He said he wanted to do it 'for all the right reasons', that he wanted to free the world from the whims of nature, but I saw that disgusting glimmer in his eye." Archie's eyes narrow into slits. "When he said 'free the world from the whims of nature', I know he meant 'from the control of pokemon'." He looks Lee in the eye. "That's why I want to thank you. You stopped him on Mount Chimney, and I know you didn't do it for us, but any setback for Magma is a win for Aqua."

Unsure of how to reply, Lee nods slowly.

Archie smiles back, but the expression is decidedly grim. "Maxie and the rest of his goons are lying low for now, but he won't take the loss you gave him lying down. Eventually, he's going to try and do something about you, which is why I'm here today." He holds out an arm for a handshake. "I want you and your friends to join Team Aqua, both because you all seem to have the heart for it, and because I want to protect you from Maxie's backlash."

'And there it is,' Lee thinks. 'It all seems so earnest too.'

Where Maxie radiated an aura of menace that demanded respect, one barely hidden behind a polite façade, Archie is the polar opposite. The man is as charismatic as he is blunt, and even though he knows better, Lee actually entertains the offer for a second.

"It's appreciated," Lee begins, selecting his words carefully, "but I don't think an offer like that will be conducive to my team's long-term health, except for maybe my Octillery."

Archie sucks in a deep breath through his nose, his smile falling along with his hand. "Heh. You are well-informed, aren't you? You won't tell me who blabbed even if I ask, will you?"

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you," Lee says, sharing a brief look with Ninetales, then looking at the people walking by on the street without a care in the world. "Surely you understand the ramifications of your end goal? You can't alter nature to such a degree and not expect…" Lee hesitates. "Mass extinction."

"Oh, but that's exactly the plan," Archie says, his reply so casual that Lee's body breaks out into goosebumps. "I can't be too hard on Maxie now that I think about it, because he's the one who really opened my eyes and showed me what I needed to do."

Both Lee and Ninetales regard Archie in disbelief as he crosses one leg over the other, seemingly pretending he didn't admit to the atrocity he has planned. Sylveon, meanwhile, looks on in total confusion, not understanding where the conversation is going.

"What are you talking about?" Lee's voice is little more than a whisper. "Do you even understand what you're saying?"

Archie scratches his bearded chin. "I understand. I understand a lot of things. I understand that the world is poisoned and that everything needs to be reset. The last talk I had with Maxie made me open my eyes and actually look around. There are a lot of things in this world that don't fit, and I know a smart guy like you has seen it too. One of my boys in Dewford told me you visited a seafood farm there for some kind of private study. A guy like you wouldn't do something like that unless you had questions, right?"

Lee takes a breath to reply, only to stop and consider Archie's words once more. '… He's talking about the presence of regular animals. That is strange, and no one has an answer for it. Most animals simply can't compete with pokemon in nature, but populations of wild critters are still found here and there. Yet there are also no small insects for some unfathomable reason. If any members of the animal kingdom could carve out a niche in a pokemon-ruled world, bugs would be the one by virtue of sheer numbers.' Lee's eyes widen. 'Arceus above, he has a point.'

"You've seen it too," Archie concludes with a small smile. "In this world we live in, there are parts that simply don't belong, that don't fit. If there is some kind of divine plan, it's gone wrong and deviates further and further as time goes on," he says, his voice rising in intensity. "Humans are one of the pieces that don't fit, Lee, and I'm certain we're what's causing things to go sideways. As humanity advances, pokemon suffer. You don't need to be a genius to see that pokemon and humanity will eventually clash. Hell, we're already doing it!"

Archie spreads his arms. "What kind of pokemon would be here in Fallarbor if we let nature take its course? If we didn't stop the ash for the comfort of people? Every opportunity that humanity takes is at the cost of pokemon, and it'll keep happening until catastrophe strikes! When it happens, I can already see pokemon being the ones to suffer the most!" Archie's voice nearly rises into a yell, but he takes a breath and composes himself. The breath does nothing to stop the dangerous flash of his eyes, though. "We shouldn't be here, and we're destroying what doesn't belong to us. Along the way something went wrong, and I know that something is the rise of humanity. The world is due for a reset before we make things worse."

The leader of Team Aqua looks up towards the sky, his face set in stony determination. "I don't know what you've heard about me and Aqua, but let me lay any lies you have probably heard to rest. I will beseech Kyogre for her aid, and wash away the influence of everything that doesn't belong one wave at a time, giving it all back to pokemon. If humanity persists afterward, they'll do so from a place of humility and respect for the rightful owners of the world."

'He's just as insane as Maxie.' Lee shakes his head, dread pooling in his stomach. 'He fully intends to kill millions without a hint of remorse.'

For a brief moment, Lee sees Nine's mind go somewhere foul, down into the realm of murder. With Ninetales and Sylveon already out of their ball, they could…

'No. No, we can't. We could justify it all we want, but the chance of something going wrong is just too high.' Lee swallows a lump in his throat. 'Approaching in the open like this was a good move on his part.'

Ninetales frowns, but doesn't argue. 'Do his underlings know, I wonder?'

"Is that really your call to make?" Lee begins slowly, looking at Archie the same way he would a powder keg next to an open flame. "What about the pokemon? What about the people who live peacefully with nature? What about all the people following you? That's to say nothing about the morality of such blatant disregard for life itself."

"When my time comes, I know I won't be judged favorably," Archie replies calmly, "but if no one else will take accountability for what our race is doing, then I will. I'm heading things off before the point of no return." He shakes his head in apparent disappointment. "We're tearing at the land now, and it won't be long before that's not enough. Greedy eyes will turn to the sea, the womb where life started. Once the sea is corrupted, it'll be too late," he says, his eyes darkening once more. "The suffering in the short term won't mean much in a hundred, or a thousand years from now, when things are back on course." He looks towards the horizon, and Lee follows his eyes.

Far in the distance, a man astride a Flygon is flying towards the Pokemon Center.

"I can see our time is running short," Archie rumbles. Lee doesn't miss how Archie refused to answer the other questions posed to him. "I take it that you don't want to join Aqua?"

"No." Lee's reply is terse.

With a sigh, Archie stands. "Are you sure? You're one of the good ones, Lee. I think you'd be happy in the new world."

When Lee doesn't dignify that with a reply, Archie nods. "Alright, if that's really what you want, I'll respect your decision. Next time we meet, though, it'll be as enemies, and we won't hold anything back. I'm sorry it has to be this way."

With that, the eco-terrorist slips his hands into his pockets and walks into the foot traffic crisscrossing the front of the Pokemon Center. A passing Aggron obscures Archie from sight, and when the pokemon passes, the man has vanished.

---

Lee leans back into the couch behind him, having finished retelling the day's events to Brendan and Zinnia, including the hair-raising encounter with Archie.

The trio, along with all of their pokemon, are once more in their hut in the heart of the Meteorfall Crater. Around them, all of their pokemon are busy eating dinner in different parts of the sitting room, though it's clear that most of them are listening carefully to the conversation.

"No fucking way he tried to recruit you." Zinnia seems flabbergasted. She leans forward in her chair and rests her elbows on her knees. "After he talked about all of that insane shit, no less."

"He wanted all of us, actually," Lee replies, watching Shinx eat.

The kitten seems to be listening more intently than anyone else, for she's eating the slowest, and frequently roams the room with her eyes.

"And as much as I don't want to admit it," Lee continues, "he did have one valid point that has me thinking. How in the world have animals persisted when they have to compete with pokemon? They should have been driven to extinction long before the invention of farms and nature reserves, and it doesn't really mesh with the rest of the world that they even exist at all."

"My dad proposed that some pokemon preserved habitats for animals as some kind of proto-farming a couple years ago," Brendan supplies from his place next to Lee. "That study went on the back burner, though, and I don't think he's picked it back up." He glances at Lee. "That doesn't sound too weird, does it?"

Lee shakes his head. "No. Back home, there were a number of animals who farmed other animals, most of them being insects. It's not outlandish to think that pokemon would do the same." He frowns. "That still doesn't explain why the animals exist in the first place. Back home, ancient humans either eradicated or interbred with the other members of the Homo genus until the modern human was the only one left. The fact that the same didn't happen to pokemon and animals is striking now that I think about it."

Zinnia shrugs. "He might've just been trying to get into your head. I wouldn't give it too much thought."

A short distance away, Ninetales audibly snorts as she chews on the last bite of her dinner. 'I can't believe she told you of all people to not overthink something.'

'Hey, I don't overthink things!'

'Whatever helps you sleep at night, Beloved.'

Lee grumbles under his breath about cheeky vulpines and resolves to worry about the animal question later. "How did the pokemon hunt go for you two?" he asks, eyes gravitating to Zinnia's group.

Sitting next to Altaria is an adult Noivern, Zinnia's latest capture by Lee's assumption. The bat pokemon has a wyvern-like body, with her wings and red-clawed forelimbs fused together. She timidly eats from a food bowl, keeping her large yellow eyes and even larger ears on Sylveon from across the room. Naturally, the fairy doesn't even notice the attention.

"Swell!" Zinnia grins, following Lee's gaze. "Noivern was a scrappy one for sure. I think she was the odd lady out for breeding this year, because her nest was empty. She was happy to take out her frustration on us, at least until Shelgon socked one to her. I don't think she expected Shelgon's Rollout to pinball off of the wall and nail her midair." Zinnia sighs and lets her shoulders slump. "I'm going to miss Rollout when Shelgon evolves."

Noivern's eyes narrow at the mention of her loss, but a growl from Shelgon makes her dip her head.

"I see." Lee nods. "I briefly considered a Noivern myself before I got Sylvy, so I hope you and Noivern don't mind if I study her a bit."

"Next time we do a swap battle, she's all yours," Zinnia says with a smile.

Lee smiles right back, then turns to Brendan.

The young trainer groans and leans back into the couch, mirroring Lee. "I found squat. Astis and I went to three Trapinch nesting tunnels, and none of them could stand up to Marshtomp even a little bit."

Lee pats the boy on the shoulder. "Well, Marshtomp is pretty strong, so if you're using him as your measuring stick, you might be at this for a while."

Shaking his head, Brendan elaborates. "No, like, they couldn't stand up to him at all. Every single one of the Trapinch went down after taking one regular, no-move punch. After the first tunnel, I had Marshtomp dial it back to half of what he was doing, and the same thing happened. The next tunnel we went down to a fourth, and after that, we ran out of time."

As Brendan speaks, Marshtomp sidles up to Mawile, sending her a smile and giving a macho flex of his (admittedly muscular) arms, which Mawile pretends not to notice.

"Huh." Zinnia tilts her head. "That does seem kind of weird. Maybe Astis was worried about you or something and took you down to the runt tunnels? I don't know her that well, but she seems that type."

Brendan crosses his arms and glances at Noivern, visibly bummed out that he didn't get a new pokemon today.

"Maybe Zinnia or I can go with you next time," Lee offers. "You know? To give you a second opinion. For all we know, Marshtomp actually is that strong. I know all the training down here is paying off for my team, so it's got to be paying off for everyone else."

Nodding easily, Brendan agrees. "Sure. That sounds good to me." He then turns his attention to Zinnia. "Say, Zinnia? How long are we going to be down here, anyway?"

The tanned woman hums under her breath as she thinks. "We've been down here for a week already, so we can probably get away with four or five weeks more before we've officially overstayed our welcome," she says before her expression sours. "If we're lucky, the old coots on the Elder Council will quit fighting long enough to actually fulfill everything I wanted from them."

Before Lee can ask her to elaborate, there is a knock on the door, drawing everyone's attention.

"Weird. We're not expecting any visitors, are we?" Lee asks. 'Is it some ironic timing from the elders?'

"No, we're not, but I think I know who it is." Zinnia stands and weaves through the pokemon in the room to the front door of the hut. Taking the squeaky handle, she throws the door open and reveals the person on the other side.

Or rather, the people on the other side.

Isis and Astis are both instantly recognizable. The girls look as they usually do; that is, mostly identical save for their hair color and for the shoulder bag Isis carries.

Standing between the twins is a woman so elderly that using the word decrepit almost seems polite. The elder is hunched over a walking stick, making her thin, bone-white hair fall down her shoulders, and making her age-shrunken form even smaller. Her hide clothes are like a tent hanging upon her thin limbs, and the thoroughly weathered skin of her face droops on one side, a telltale sign of having suffered a stroke. Her one open eye, however, is a strikingly sharp red, nearly pink.

The old woman scans the room behind Zinnia before smiling as well as her face can. "Thelban," she begins, her voice whispery, "it is heartening to see you once more. Might an old woman disturb you for but a moment?"

Zinnia steps aside and gestures for the group to come in. "The Crater is kind of your place, Madame Oracle. I don't think you really need to ask."

'Madame Oracle?' Ninetales questions with only Lee to hear her. 'Is this the Draconid oracle Zinnia spoke of?'

'Must be,' Lee sends back, vacating his seat on the couch to give the elderly woman a place to sit.

The Oracle shuffles inside, her walking stick tapping on the floor as both Astis and Isis hover by her side, their arms partially extended to catch the woman should she fall.

Once the old woman settles on the couch with a sigh, she takes her time looking at each one of the pokemon in the room, then turns her gaze to Lee and Brendan. "Naraikvejor Birch, Naraikvejor Henson. Allow me to bid you a late welcome. I am Hakea, Oracle of the Draconid tribe for ninety long years. I beg forgiveness for being a poor host and not greeting you sooner. Dialga's march is felt acutely in mine bones these days."

"It's no problem at all, ma'am," Lee insists, raising his palms and waving away the apology. "We're just grateful to be allowed here. We know that a lot of rules had to be bent to allow this to happen."

The Oracle smiles once more. "Ah, but I am here for a reason twofold, so withhold pleasantries and platitudes. Thelban Zinnia believes you and Naraikvejor Birch are worthy of our tribe's greatest treasures, worthy to succeed her should she fail. This evening, I am here to judge as much as I am to greet."

Zinnia looks like she wants to bite out something rude, but stops herself short, instead settling on a silent scowl.

"So you're giving us some kind of test?" Brendan asks with an unsure blink. "That's fine with me. Whatever you want to throw at us, I'm sure we can do it!"

Lee remains silent. 'Here to judge just as much as she is to greet, huh?' he thinks. 'One side of her face is paralyzed, and Zinnia said the Draconid prophecy hit the Oracle so hard that she had a stroke. Can seer powers have that kind of backlash?'

'If it's Psychic in nature rather than something spiritual, it would make sense.' Ninetales rises from her place and walks to Lee's side, where she sits and leans into him. 'Psychic powers are limited by the brain, after all.'

"The fire in thine veins will serve you well, Naraikvejor Birch, but I haven't a challenge for you, merely mine own curiosity." Hakea rubs a gnarled thumb over the worn, knobby top of her walking stick. "I ask you both, speak from the heart, as lies will serve no one. Tell me, what do you love most in life?"

"My pokemon," Lee answers without any hesitation, making the Oracle's eye shoot to him. "They're everything to me."

Ninetales and Corviknight smile, while Grovyle and Octillery bashfully look away. Sylveon blinks in apparent surprise, while Shinx beams.

Brendan takes longer. "I… well," he begins, looking away uncomfortably when the Oracle levels him with an unblinking stare. "My knee-jerk reaction is to say my loved ones, but doesn't that seem kind of broad? I don't know if I can narrow it down."

"It is as fine an answer as any," the Oracle soothes. "Now, another. Is mercy worth it?"

"Always," Brendan answers with a resolute nod.

Now it's Lee's turn to be put on the spot. "I want to say 'yes', but my real answer is 'it depends'." Saying that earns him a surprised glance from Brendan.

The old woman nods along, accepting the noncommittal answer. "Do you sometimes feel as if you don't belong?"

Brendan shakes his head. "No?"

"…I used to," Lee admits.

"Most interesting…" Hakea rubs her chin. "What is it that you fear most?"

This time, neither Brendan nor Lee answer right away. They meet eyes for a moment, and after a silent conversation, Brendan goes first. "I guess my worst fear is letting everybody down, now more than ever with all the meteor business."

Lee licks his lips and searches within himself. There are a lot of things he fears, but if he had to name one thing above all else… He looks down at Ninetales, who stares back up with her large, ruby eyes.

Between them, the psychic bond thrums like a plucked guitar string.

"If there's anything I fear—" Lee gulps, looking around the room at his pokemon, then to Brendan and Zinnia. "It's being alone."

Hakea draws in a deep breath. "I see… I see…" she repeats, her bright red eye becoming glassy. "I've only one more for you. When your journey comes to a close, what is it you hope to accomplish?"

'Of course she saved a doozy like that for last.' Lee bites his lip as he thinks how best to phrase what he wishes to say. He looks to Brendan, and the boy seems to be struggling just as well.

"I think peace is what I want," Lee finally says, somehow finding this exchange more exhausting than the one with Archie. "One way or another, I want my team, my family, to live in peace and comfort, with all of their wants met."

Brendan is quiet for another few seconds, and then, "When everything is said and done, I want me and my pokemon to be strong. Strong for us, strong for friends, and strong for everyone else who needs it," he says, his face hardening into a visage of determination, one Lee would expect to see on a man thrice Brendan's age. "Especially the ones who can't be strong for themselves."

Marshtomp, from his place next to Mawile, can't contain himself and lets out a proud laugh, punching his fist in the air.

Lee can help but huff ruefully. "Jeez, Brendan. You're making me sound awful greedy over here."

The boy flushes in embarrassment, his hard expression gone in an instant. "What?! There's nothing wrong with anything you said! A-and I was told to talk from the heart and all that junk, so I did!"

"Madam?"

All the eyes in the room turned to the elderly Oracle, who is staring off into space. Beside her, Isis gently gives the old woman a shake. "Madam Hakea? Are you okay?"

"I see…" the old woman replies after a long moment. "I see…" She suddenly turns her head towards Lee and Brendan, moving so fast that Lee flinches.

"O, Lonely Outsider… O, Hero Yet Realized…" the Oracle speaks, her words no louder than a whisper, yet perfectly audible from across the room. Her eye seems to glow. "O, Lorekeeper… One who is two and two yet to know, all shall learn and shine blindingly in joy. We unfortunates stand in awe of the unity. Yes…" She takes a deep gasping breath, blinking away whatever spell overcame her. "Yes…"

"Madam, please!" Isis shakes the old woman's shoulder once more, concern on her face. "Are you all right? Did you have a vision? What did you see?"

The old woman waves Isis away, but does so with such lethargy that it's clear whatever happened has taken a lot out of her. "Hush, child," the Oracle mumbles. "I have seen all that I need. Bring out the case."

Isis takes her hands away and looks down at the bag on her shoulder, seemingly unsure. "You're certain, Madam? Won't the elders be upset?"

Hakea clicks her tongue and taps her walking stick on the ground. "I care not. I have seen what I need to see, and these gifts are mine to give. Dear girl, the case!"

Isis ceases arguing and opens the bag on her shoulder, letting her sister reach in with both hands and withdraw a rectangular box of peeling, aged wood. Astis then sets the box down on the low table of the sitting room.

"Thelban," Hakea addresses Zinnia, who looks beyond shocked by what she's seeing. "They are worthy."

Zinnia's surprise and disbelief begin to fade, replaced with a wide, overjoyed grin. In the candlelight of the room, her expression is radiant.

'Worthy for what? What's going on?' Lee wonders, leaning in.

Isis unclips the front latch on the box and pulls it open, filling the room with flecks of refracted, rainbow light.

Zinnia vibrates in place, Brendan's jaw drops, and Lee's breath hitches in his throat. 'Those…!'

Sitting in the velvet-lined box are three shining, spherical, Mega Keystones.

"Thelban, Naraikvejor." The Oracle inclines her head. "My gift to you. I know you will use them well."

---

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[Fuggmann]

Take a look here!

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---

The Mega Keystone in Lee's hand feels as if it weighs a hundred pounds.

For most of the previous night and the entirety of today, the shining, spherical crystal has dominated his thoughts, which have ping-ponged all over. From the terror on the volcano, to the disquieting fate that befell Aster, the darkest part of his imagination gnaws at him without regard for how it frays at his nerves.

Idly, Lee rolls the Keystone around in his hand, watching it refract the waning sunlight streaming in from the great hole in the ceiling. Along his hand and chest, rainbow light dances. 'For such a powerful little thing, it's deceptively innocent looking.'

With the day's training over, Lee and his friends are relaxing outside their hut in the center of the Meteorfall Crater, mostly at Lee's request. The last thing he wants is a lack of sunlight exposure making anyone crabby - not when the Dragon TE in the air already leaves everyone higher strung than usual.

A short ways away, a smiling Brendan and his team all lay in a bed of soft moss, soaking in the sun and resting. Even the usually jumpy Electrike is already dozing off.

'Brendan is taking the Keystone thing in stride, it seems…' Lee observes, unsurprised.

Zinnia is huddled with her five pokemon a bit further away. Noivern, Zinnia's newest capture, looks positively exhausted. Apparently being fully evolved doesn't mean that she's able to keep up with the rest of her team yet.

'That, and Zinnia was twice as brutal in her training today,' Lee lets his eyes roam his friend's pokemon, taking in all of the half-healed cuts and contusions amongst their number. 'The whole damn cave was shaking.'

Finally, most of Lee's team are in their balls, resting and waiting for dinner time. Sylveon and Shinx were both thoroughly tuckered out by the day's activities, and Octillery has been even more withdrawn than usual recently. Corviknight is roosted up on the top of the dome-like hut, quietly preening his metallic feathers with quiet rasps. Grovyle…

Lee frowns and leans back into the wall of the hut, closing his hand around the Keystone.

Around his Keystone.

Ever since the Oracle left the Keystones in their care last night, Grovyle has had a fire in his eyes and an intensity to him beyond that of any other pokemon on the team. When he moves, he does so with purpose and zeal, pushing himself even when the burn scars across his body angrily tug at his skin. Three times today Lee has told Grovyle not to overdo his training, and three times Grovyle complied… Only to forget minutes later and go right back to what he was doing.

Lee can see what's happening as plain as day, and it leaves him frustrated due to how powerless he feels in solving it.

Grovyle feels like he's falling behind.

For quite some time, there has been a clear hierarchy of strength on Lee's team. Ninetales remains at the top. Her raw power, deep bag of tricks, and typing relative to the rest of the team make it so. Even if Lee were to completely shut himself out of her mind and deprive the fox of his input, she would still be a force to be reckoned with.

Corvi is next. The great raven was a terror as a Corvisquire, and his evolution has only made him more so. His size, strength, deceptive speed, and stellar dual-typing make him a nightmare to fight. Although he suffers a type disadvantage to Ninetales, a clash between them wouldn't exactly be a foregone conclusion. Corvi is just too stubborn, too iron-willed.

Then comes Grovyle. Lee knows the Grass-type doesn't begrudge his teammates for being strong, but he does curse himself for not keeping up.

The longer they stay down here in the crater, the worse the problem becomes.

On their first day of training, Octillery won their game of keep away, and got his Thunder Wave TM as promised. The octopus was beyond delighted with his new ability to shoot bolts of paralytic lightning.

Meanwhile, Grovyle stood by, his arms crossed and his eyes narrow, but no complaint was voiced. The gecko pokemon made Siphon Blade battle-ready only a few days later, but the rain cloud over his head persisted.

Then Shinx began to improve by leaps and bounds, going from little more than a kitten to a headache on four legs. The same tactic never seems to work on Shinx twice, and when a foe's cards are finally all laid bare, overpowering her becomes the only realistic option. A simple enough prospect now, but who knows where she'll be in a week, a month, or a year? Once again, Lee resolves to make time soon to give his baby a full cognitive test.

Grovyle is no doubt comparing her growth to his, and finding his own lacking. The sting of comparing himself to an infant is likely even worse.

Even Sylveon is beginning to ramp up. The middle-aged Fairy is shaking loose all of the rust in her joints, and improves bit by bit, day by day. Her impressive repertoire of moves aided by Pixilate means she will never be irrelevant in a fight.

Lee stares at Grovyle's back as the Grass-type stands on a boulder a dozen yards away, his arms crossed and his eyes closed as he soaks in the sun. Being one of Lee's first three pokemon, Grovyle knows much of the meta-lore Lee has to share…

… Such as the existence of Sceptilite, spurring him into such recklessness down in the training chamber.

Warm fur cuddling into his side eases Lee out of his funk. Turning his head, he spies Ninetales settling down next to him.

'Worry not about everything today, Beloved,' the fox begins, casting a critical eye toward the rainbow-hued bauble in Lee's hand. 'Grovyle… If he cannot shake what bothers him in a few days, I will aid you in addressing him.'

Lee smiles. 'Thank you, Nine.'

The vixen smiles back, warming Lee. 'Think naught of it,' she says, before returning her eyes to the Keystone. 'What a curious little thing. I can only wonder if my kind has a Megastone out there. Were I to evolve once more, what would I become?'

For a moment, Lee tries to imagine what a Mega Ninetales would even look like, but fails. To him, his fox is already perfect the way she is. 'Who knows? The world doesn't have the limitations of a videogame, so it's entirely possible there's a Ninetalesite.' Lee wraps Ninetales in a half-hug as he rolls the sparkly catalyst between his fingers. 'According to Zinnia, the stones are essentially training wheels, so even if there isn't, maybe you could go Mega anyway?' He gives the Keystone a stare as he musters many of the fond memories he's shared with Ninetales thus far, filling his chest with warm, bubbling love. 'Activate!'

A split second after that, Lee remembers Zinnia's grave tale about Aster, and her fate after trying to mega-evolve her Salamence before both of them were ready. His stomach drops to his toes.

The Keystone sparkles with a faint light in its center… That begins to rapidly build, bathing both himself and Ninetales in a radiant glow.

'No no no!' Lee clamps his hands around the Keystone, but the light won't stop! 'Wait! I take it back! Stop!'

Ninetales stumbles away as everyone turns to look at the commotion. Just like with Maxie's Camerupt, a shell of solid light builds around her like an egg, and her wordless alarm tears into Lee.

Something goes terribly wrong.

Lee can feel it. On the other half of his connection to Ninetales, on the other side of his soul, her being is twisted. The expected pain is absent, replaced with a horrible numbness as Ninetales' mind warps into something Lee can't make heads or tails of, into something utterly alien.

'What have I done?'

Inside the shell, Ninetales screams.

The shell explodes outward with a great shock wave, sending fragments that dissolve into rainbow light in every direction, and blinding everyone with a flash.

Lee rubs his eyes and fights the sudden bout of nausea that threatens to topple him over. Standing unsteadily, he blinks the stars from his eyes and looks towards his partner.

Horror greets him.

Standing where Ninetales was is something, something that makes him sick to look at, but he cannot hope to look away. The creature stands upon two human-like legs, roughly the same stature as Lee. Arms ending in delicate hands hang limp, stopping near the thing's hips.

The more Lee looks, the worse things become.

Ninetales' beautiful tails remain, but they're an unfitting parody on this being. They don't belong. The same can be said for the fox ears on the top of its head. Much of its pale skin is covered by a too-small robe seemingly fashioned from Ninetales' fur, and that robe does nothing to hide the doorway-wide hips or enormous bust of the monstrosity.

Its face is flat, with high, razor-like cheekbones and full lips. Ninetales' warm ruby eyes are gone, replaced with predatory chips of frozen blood.

"No…" Lee shakes his head and steps back. He blinks his eyes and bites his tongue, but the flash of pain doesn't dispel the image before his eyes.

Ninetales Mega-Evolved into...

...A generic fox girl.

"Oh, Lee!" Ninetales cries, leaping into the shocked man's arms and burying one of his arms in her cleavage. "Isn't this wonderful!? Now that I have a form acceptable to mainstream audiences, we can finally have a painfully awkward romance where neither of us communicates like adults to cause all sorts of cheap drama!"

Lee tastes bile.

Ninetales pauses, touching a finger to her chin in thought. "Or maybe I can get irrationally angry over nothing and freely abuse you while you remain a wet noodle for the next one hundred chapters, then we can suddenly come to an understanding for an unsatisfying conclusion!"

The world begins to spin.

"Or…" Ninetales smirks and breasts boobily at him. "I can be a 2D cardboard cutout waifu who exists only to look pretty for you, and we can constantly have poorly written, bed-breaking sex because that's how real relationships work, right?"

The scream that rips from Lee's throat is long and anguished.

Never do mass audience appeal.

---

April Fools. Real chapter in a few days. This will be re-labeled to Extras when the real chapter goes up.

---

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[Fuggmann]

Take a look here!

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.

---

Note: A Bleach crossover oneshot that has been taking form on my phone for the last 4 or so months, growing one or two lines at a time.

---

Kurosaki Ichigo is, in a word, frustrated. He's been frustrated all afternoon.

For the past few weeks, the lull following Rukia's rescue from the Seireitei has been maddening. After those many days of constant combat and near-death situations, Ichigo can't help but feel high-strung with the sudden return to normalcy. Hell, it took him almost 3 days to stop immediately jumping to his feet after awakening.

The looming threat of that bastard Aizen has done nothing to ease the teenager's nerves, either.

Just as Ichigo was beginning to allow himself to relax, the ever-present hollow population within Karakura town suddenly and mysteriously plummeted into nonexistence. For the past several days, no hollows have emerged, and the sudden disruption to the norm was suspicious.

At first, Ichigo suspected that his spiritually aware friends were encountering the monsters first, but a conversation at school dispelled that notion. Neither Orihime nor Chad had encountered anything.

Uryu didn't say a word throughout that talk, and Ichigo struggled to not let his pity show on his face, knowing it would do nothing but anger Uryu, who burned his Quincy powers away with that glove to avoid death during the Seireitei invasion.

Hat-n-Clogs, aka Kisuke Urahara, didn't know a damn thing either, but after being alerted to how unusually quiet Karakura has been, the old shopkeeper said he would keep an ear to the ground.

The several days of restless quiet finally pushed Ichigo to his limit. After dinner with his family, Ichigo used the Substitute Soul Reaper badge gifted to him by Captain Ukitake to separate his spirit from his body, so that he could patrol the city as a Soul Reaper.

"Damn it," Ichigo curses from his place atop a tall building in the center of town. "What the hell is going on? Is this Aizen's doing?"

The orange-haired teen cranes his head around, his spiritual form unbothered by the cool evening air. As far as the eye can see, the town is quiet.

Scowling, the young soul reaper closes his eyes and concentrates. Even if his spirit-sensing abilities aren't the best, he should still feel something out of place.

…Nothing. Nada. Not even a hint of hollow reishi. Even the usual places in Karakura where spirits congregate are peaceful. He checked out the burned-out hospital on the edge of town, the section of train track where a young boy was tragically struck a decade ago, and the old shrine in the park.

Maybe he's just being paranoid?

With a sigh, Ichigo reaches back and wraps a hand around the hilt of Zangetsu. As it usually is, the zanpaktou is warm to the touch, and thrums comfortingly in his palm. Knowing Zangetsu has his back takes the edge off his nerves.

Opening his eyes, Ichigo turns and leaps off of the building, letting himself free fall for a handful of seconds. Then with a flicker, he Flash Steps once, twice, three times, moving at speeds far beyond any man. In just a few seconds, he's standing outside of Urahara's small shop all the way at the edge of town.

Stepping forward, Ichigo goes to open the sliding door and step inside, but pauses when he hears voices within.

"-like the rest of Sylvy's abilities, logic should be the last thing considered. Believe me, fairies operate on their own rules. Wish should do what you want, but it's not a guarantee."

"…I see. Thank you for the warning, but if you are willing, I would still like to try. There are… Some conditions I'd rather avoid with the other avenue of reclaiming my powers."

Ichigo's eyes widen. The second voice is Uryu! The soul reaper withholds the urge to throw the door open, instead leaning closer to listen a bit longer. Who is the first voice? And what's this about fixing Uryu's powers with a wish?"

"If that's what you want, Ishida-san, then we'll see about getting a spiritually sterile place set up for the procedure. The fewer variables that can foul up Sylvy's Wish, the better," the first voice says. Their Japanese is heavily accented, but fluent. "Urahara-san –"

"Kisuke is fine, Henson-san," Hat-n-Clogs says, sounding as if he's smiling. "Anyone I can talk theory with is a friend in my book. So tell me again, you said this "Wish" move is Normal-type? It seems to be a misnomer, isn't it?"

"Well, with Sylvy's Pixilate…"

Ichigo jumps back with a startled yelp when the door is suddenly thrown open, revealing Urahara's tall, mustachioed assistant, Tessai.

"Can I assist you, Kurosaki-san?" Tessai rumbles, his expression flat and unreadable.

"Oh, I didn't even feel Kurosaki-kun outside!" Urahara exclaims from within. "Tessai, see him in, please!"

The large man stands aside, gesturing for Ichigo to come in with a polite bow.

"Thanks, Tessai-san," Ichigo murmurs awkwardly, hurrying past. The shop is small, or "cozy" if he were to use Urahara's words, so it takes no time to get to the small meeting room of the Urahara shop. Without bothering to knock, he slides the door open and steps in.

Sitting around the low table are both Urahara, who looks at Ichigo with a small, resting smile, and Uryu, who looks considerably more disgruntled. On the table itself is Yoruichi in her cat form, watching Ichigo with a raised eyebrow. The fourth and fifth members, however, are new to the teen.

Across from Urahara is a brown-haired man. His face is distinctly Western in appearance, explaining his accent, and his blue eyes regard Ichigo with curiosity. The only thing outstanding about the man is the trio of burn scars on the left side of his face, which look painful.

'He must be 'Henson',' Ichigo assumes, moving his eyes to the next unfamiliar person.

Next to Henson and across from Uryu is a large, golden-furred fox. Nine tails tipped in orange trail out from behind the creature, slowly waving about as if possessing minds of their own. On the top of the fox's head is a hair-like tuft of fur, and its shiny red eyes lock into Ichigo, watching carefully.

'Is that a real kitsune? Or is it a soul reaper who can transform like Yoruichi?' He wonders.

"Really, Ichi-kun, eavesdropping?" Yoruichi asks before anyone else can speak up, her smirk all mischief. "That's a bad gateway to peeping. I know a growing boy like you might be tempted to snoop around where you don't belong as a spirit, but what would Orihime-chan or Rukia say if they found out?"

Ichigo's face instantly lights up red at the accusation. "Shut the hell up! Don't accuse me of being a pervert when you're the one who flashes people for fun!"

The cat clicks her tongue. "Flashing people? I'm a cat, Ichi-kun. There's nothing to see," she coyly teases.

"So what brings you to my fine establishment tonight, Kurosaki-kun?" Urahara asks, saving the blushing boy from the mischievous cat. "Did you finally encounter a hollow?"

"No," Ichigo shakes his head, the red color draining from his face. "I was just patrolling the town to clear my head. I decided to stop by to see if you had any leads on why there's been no hollow activity."

Henson interjects with a lame chuckle. "Ah, that might be our fault," he says, gesturing to himself and the fox. "Ninetales and I were actually attacked by a hollow a few days ago."

Ichigo withholds an eye roll. Nine tales? That's some lame wordplay.

"The hollow wasn't very strong, so Nine warded it away without too much trouble," Henson continues. "She didn't kill it, but she did hit it with Imprison, which may as well be a death sentence. If it told any other hollows what happened to it, it might have spooked them into not showing up here."

"Imprison?" Uryu questions with a raised eyebrow. "Is that some sort of traditional spell? I recall no Quincy nor Soul Reaper technique with such a name."

The gold fox lets out a snort, and Henson shrugs. "Imprison is more of a curse than a spell. Once it's laid, the target can't use any techniques that the caster also knows. With enough power, Imprison can dig deeper and cause worse debilitations. The gap between Ninetales and the hollow was so large that Imprison completely paralyzed it. It couldn't move, it couldn't mould energy, it couldn't even speak. All it could do was open a portal to fall into."

"Really, now?" Yoruichi chimes in, leaning forward. "Hypothetically speaking, if a soul reaper was to know Imprison and use it on another soul reaper, what would happen?"

"That's hard to say," Henson frowns. "If the two soul reapers were equal in power, had the same Kido spells, and both had unlocked zanpaktou, then the target would theoretically be locked out of all of their Kido and their zanpaktou abilities," he says, each word carefully considered.

The hair on the back of Ichigo's neck stands up. On his back, he can feel a chill run through Zangetsu.

"Do you have other 'moves' like that?" Urahara asks suddenly. "You mentioned that you wanted to use my Senkaimon, and I would be happy to let you do whatever you want with it… Provided we can trade notes?"

Henson smiles back knowingly. "Remind me later, and I'll do my best to teach some useful tricks to anyone of your choosing. Something tells me you would appreciate Heal Block and Embargo."

Heal Block sounds straightforward, but what the hell is Embargo?

"That sounds wonderful," Urahara grins, his eyes flashing in the shadow of his hat. He glances toward Ichigo. "Ah, where are my manners? Henson-san, please meet Kurosaki Ichigo, my troublemaking protégé. He was the spearhead of our little invasion a few weeks back."

"Protégé my ass!" Ichigo exclaims with a scowl. "You haven't taught me squat!"

If Henson is annoyed by the antics, it doesn't show on his face. "A pleasure to meet you, Kurosaki-san. Henson Lee is the name," he says with a smile and nod. "If Ninetales doesn't give it away, I'm a scientist of a supernatural sort."

"Yeah, I was about to ask," Ichigo begins, looking between him and Urahara. "How do you know Hat-n-Clogs?"

"I don't mean to interrupt, but can we return to what we were speaking about before Kurosaki barged in?" Uryu cuts in, visibly annoyed. "Henson-san," he addresses the scarred man. "What sort of price are you asking for to give me back my powers? I have more funds than most, but I can't hand out a blank check."

A waved hand is Uryu's answer. "Don't worry about it, Ishida-san. Urahara-san –"

"Kisuke!"

"– Gave me the story in broad strokes, and you've got my admiration and sympathy for everything you've gone through. If I can help you, then I will, no need for repayment."

Uryu's face flashes with annoyance, but he bows his head. "Thank you."

The fox, Ninetales, noses Henson-san's shoulder, prompting the man to look at Ichigo once more. "Huh, when you're right, Nine, you're right," he says aloud. "Kurosaki-san, have you been getting enough rest? You're looking a little rough."

"Huh?" Ichigo blinks. He looks down at his soul reaper robes, which look the same as they always do. "Yeah?"

"You're certain?" Henson questions. The man stands up and steps closer. "When it comes to spiritually attuned life forms, I've noticed that the physical self has a way of mirroring the emotional self. Take a look here – " he points to the edge of Ichigo's sleeve, "– doesn't that seem a bit off?"

The teenager looks down at his sleeve and holds it up to the light, feeling his jaw drop a little bit.

Some of the threads on his sleeve are bunched up! He looks more and finds other imperfections, like frays and tiny holes. Normally whenever he leaves his body and takes on his soul reaper form, his clothes seem to magically repair themselves. He's never given his spirit clothes any more thought beyond that.

"Tilt your head back a little, please," Henson continues, squinting at Ichigo's face.

Ichigo complies before he could even think to ask why.

"Slight bags under the eyes, and skin is a little pale," Henson murmurs under his breath. He reaches out behind him, making a grasping motion.

Back by the table, Ninetales audibly sighs before her eyes begin to glow. As her eyes glow, a backpack situated against the wall unzips itself, and a notebook and pen float out, landing in Henson's hand.

The instant that the notebook is in the scarred man's grasp, he flips to a clean page, uncaps his pen, and begins to write. "Kurosaki-san, would you say that you eat healthily?"

"What?" Ichigo questions, confused.

"Do you enjoy exercise?"

"I guess?"

"Do you smoke or make use of recreational drugs?"

"What?! No!"

"Have recent events been weighing heavily on you?"

"Uh…"

"Would you say that you are a kinesthetic learner?"

"A kine-what?"

As the interrogation rolls on and the page Henson is scribbling into rapidly fills, Yoruichi leans towards Ninetales. "Does this sort of thing happen often?" The disguised soul reaper asks.

Ninetales tiredly nods.

"I see…" Henson nods slowly. "Well, firstly, let me apologize for worrying you with the lack of hollow attacks. I know that you've probably been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and that can be stressful. Secondly, I understand that you were a key player when you went and rescued your friend Rukia, right?"

"I suppose I was," Ichigo admits, looking away bashfully.

"Would you do it again?" Henson asks, drawing the boy's eyes back to him. "Would you do something else like that, knowing that you could get killed?"

Ichigo's face hardens. "In a heartbeat."

Henson looks down at the filled page of his notebook, seeming neither pleased nor displeased with the answer. "Well, Kurosaki-san. My friends and I are going to be here in Karakura for a little bit, so if you'd allow me, I'd like to help you train and even the odds for your next encounter. I'm not very strong, but making others strong is my specialty," he says, looking over his shoulder towards Ninetales.

The fox's eyes shine, and she smiles back.

"I'll make sure that the next time you meet one Sosuke Aizen," Henson turns back to Ichigo, a smile rising to his lips, "he'll be in for a very nasty surprise."

That's all that Ichigo needs to hear.

"I'm in," he says, resolute.

"As am I,"

All the eyes in the room are drawn to Uryu, who doesn't shrink into the attention. "Henson-san, I don't mean to impose, not after you said you would assist in fixing my powers, but if you are training Kurosaki, then I would like to join as soon as I am able."

To his credit, Henson recovers from his surprise quickly. "Well, the more the merrier. You and Kurosaki-san might make good whetstones for each other. Heck, if you have any other friends who would like a better fighting chance, bring them along." He looks down at his notebook.

Ichigo looks at the book as well, feeling his eyes widen. The writing is small, and the page is full!

"It's been a while since I've had a challenge like this," Henson murmurs, flipping to a new page and beginning to write like a human printer once more. "Where do soul reapers land on the P.G.D.F. compass? I'll probably have to get my hands on some spiritually-saturated foodstuffs and begin testing immediately. I can probably set Octi on securing some local funds…" He looks back up towards Ichigo. "Kurosaki-san, you should head home and rest. You're going to need it."

For some reason, Ichigo can't resist the urge to gulp. 'Why do I feel like I just made a mistake?'

---

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[Fuggmann]

This actually wasn't set to release for another week or so, but I felt like posting a freebie on freedom day.

---

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---

"That is not what we agreed upon!"

Elder Danae of the Draconid tribe frowns mightily, leveling his fellow elder with a glare from across the table where they both sit.

The Meteorfall Crater is home to many sanctums and hideaways, many of which keep ancient treasures from prying eyes. Others act as homes for the rare few who live within the Crater year-round, such as the venerated Oracle. This morning, the Draconid Elders and Oracle Hakea sit around the elderly Oracle's table for a meeting most urgent.

"Calm yourself, Taxus," Elder Juniper, ever the diplomat, soothes. The woman reaches out and places a hand on Taxus's shoulder, easing him back down into his chair. "There needn't be raised voices in this place."

Taxus twitches, as if he wishes to bat Juniper's hand away, but before he can, she withdraws it. The dark interior of the Oracle's home makes the shadows around Taxus's furious visage all the more fearsome. "Hakea," he growls, sounding akin to the Dragons the tribe venerates. "Why? Why did you give outsiders Keystones?"

Hakea seems totally unbothered with Taxus' seething hostility. In fact, she seems to barely be listening, her eyes unfocused.

"Taxus…" Danae speaks, stepping into the conversation with a glower. "Enough of this. Do you doubt the things I saw, the memories gifted to me? Ascension has fallen into the wrong hands already, and our best hope to restore the sanctity of our rite is to bequeath Thelban and Naraikvejor with the tools to combat it."

"I was not speaking to you, Danae," Taxus grunts, affront flashing across Danae's face. "Hakea! I demand an explanation!"

The shout draws a slow blink from the elderly Oracle, and she looks up to Taxus placidly. "You would demand an explanation from me?"

"I would."

A raspy chuckle escapes the old Oracle. "Never before have you questioned me. What compels you to begin now? Does the loss of pretty baubles disturb you so?"

Taxus grips the table with such strength that the wood begins to groan beneath his fingers. "Do not play coy, Oracle. It is not the stones themselves that bother me, but rather what they facilitate. It is folly, handing such powers to outsiders. We have already bent tradition as it is, but this is too far!"

"Your voice, Taxus; lower it," Juniper says as she narrows her eyes. "What's done is done, regardless of any opinion of the matter," she continues, sending Hakea a look. "We should be discussing on how best to guide the Thelban and Naraikvejor, not shouting impotently about events now passed."

The bald Draconid elder sucks in a hissing breath and runs a hand over his head. "We should have been consulted. I have half a mind to demand that the stones be returned."

"Returned into my ownership?" Hakea asks, raising a drooping eyebrow. "Youngling, you fail to remember, those three were properly all my own, not the tribe's. If they are returned to me, I shall gift them once more."

"We still should have been consulted!"

"Perhaps," Danae murmurs, "but time is of the essence. There is already an unworthy one perverting the sacred bond and rite, and soon I fear there will be another."

"Another?" Juniper asks sharply, snapping her head to stare at Danae. "What do you mean? Have we had another sneak?"

The youngest of the elders sighs and nods his head. "A great hulk of a man passed through the village but one day ago. His questions were many and unsubtle, nearly resulting in conflict. He was finally sent away, but I have warned the sentries to be vigilant."

Hakea laces her gnarled fingers together and turns her good eye to Taxus. "Change is coming whether we are prepared or not, and young, talented blood could see us through this turbulent time. Will we continue to resist the march of Dialga, or will we bend like the reed in the storm and survive?"

For a long moment, Taxus is silent. "I cannot agree to relinquishing the Mega Stones, not without a test of worth."

"Taxus, you cannot be serious!" Danae exclaims, standing and planting his hands on the table. His face screws up into a frustrated grimace. "Think of what is at stake! Thelban Zinnia was hand chosen by Thelban Aster! You claim to care for tradition, yet you spit upon the urging of the Thelban! This is unprecedented!"

"Sharing our gift with outsiders is also unprecedented, so I will not be convinced otherwise." The bald elder abruptly stands. "I must make arrangements. Good day."

In the shadows behind Oracle Hakea, gold and ruby eyes meet, then two forms shuffle away unseen.

---

The Mega Keystone in Lee's hand feels as if it weighs a hundred pounds.

For most of the past week, the shining, spherical crystal has dominated his thoughts, which have ping-ponged all over. From the terror on the volcano to the disquieting fate that befell Aster, the darkest part of his imagination gnaws at him without regard for how it frays at his nerves.

Idly, he rolls the Keystone around in his hand, watching it refract the waning sunlight streaming in from the great hole in the ceiling. Along his hand and chest, rainbow light dances. 'For such a powerful little thing, it's deceptively innocent-looking.'

With the day's training over, Lee and his friends are relaxing outside their hut in the center of the Meteorfall Crater, mostly at Lee's request. The last thing he wants is a lack of sunlight exposure making anyone crabby, not when the Dragon TE in the air already leaves everyone more highly-strung than usual.

A short ways away, a smiling Brendan and his team all lie in a bed of soft moss, soaking in the sun and resting. Even the usually jumpy Electrike is already dozing off.

'Brendan is taking the Keystone thing in stride, it seems…' Lee observes, unsurprised.

Zinnia is huddled with her five pokemon a bit further away. Noivern, Zinnia's newest capture, looks positively exhausted. Apparently, being fully evolved doesn't mean that she's able to keep up with the rest of her team yet.

'That, and Zinnia was twice as brutal in her training today.' Lee lets his eyes roam his friend's pokemon, taking in all the half-healed cuts and contusions amongst their number. 'The whole damn cave was shaking.'

Finally, most of Lee's team are in their balls, resting and waiting for dinner time. Sylveon and Shinx were both thoroughly tuckered out by the day's activities, and Octillery has been even more withdrawn than usual recently. Corviknight is roosted up on the top of the dome-like hut, preening his metallic feathers with quiet rasps. Grovyle…

Lee frowns and leans back into the wall of the hut, closing his hand around the Keystone.

Around his Keystone.

Ever since the Oracle left the Keystones in their care, Grovyle has had a fire in his eyes, an intensity to him beyond that of any other pokemon on the team. When he moves, he does so with purpose and zeal, pushing himself even when the burn scars across his body angrily tug at his skin. Three times today, Lee told Grovyle not to overdo his training, and three times Grovyle complied… Only to forget minutes later and go right back to what he was doing.

Lee can see what's happening as plain as day, and it leaves him frustrated due to how powerless he feels in solving it.

Grovyle feels like he's falling behind.

For quite some time, there has always been a clear hierarchy of strength on Lee's team. Ninetales remains at the top. Her raw power, deep bag of tricks, and typing relative to the rest of the team make it so. Even if Lee were to completely shut himself out of her mind and deprive the fox of his input, she is still a force to be reckoned with.

Corvi is next. The great raven was a terror as a Corvisquire, and his evolution has only made him more so. His size, strength, deceptive speed, and stellar dual-typing make him a nightmare to fight. Although he suffers a type disadvantage to Ninetales, a clash between them wouldn't exactly be a foregone conclusion; Corvi is just too stubborn, too iron-willed.

Then comes Grovyle. Lee knows the Grass-type doesn't begrudge his teammates for being strong, but he does curse himself for not keeping up.

The longer they stay down here in the crater, the worse the problem becomes.

On their first day of training, Octillery won their game of keep away, and got his Thunder Wave TM as promised. The octopus was beyond delighted with his new ability to shoot bolts of paralytic lightning.

Meanwhile, Grovyle stood by, his arms crossed and his eyes narrow, but no complaint was voiced. The gecko pokemon made Siphon Blade battle-ready only a few days later, but the rain cloud over his head persisted.

Then Shinx began to improve by leaps and bounds, going from little more than a kitten to a headache on four legs. The same tactic never seems to work on Shinx twice, and when a foe's cards are finally all laid bare, overpowering her becomes the only realistic option. A simple enough prospect now, but who knows where she'll be in a week, a month, a year? Once again, Lee resolves to make time soon to give his baby a full cognitive test.

Grovyle is no doubt comparing her growth to his, and finding his own lacking. The sting of comparing himself to an infant is likely even worse.

Even Sylveon is beginning to ramp up. The middle-aged Fairy is shaking loose all the rust in her joints, and improves bit by bit, day by day. Her impressive repertoire of moves aided by Pixilate means she'll never be irrelevant in a fight.

Lee stares at Grovyle's back as the Grass-type stands on a boulder a dozen yards away, his arms crossed and his eyes closed as he soaks in the sun. Being one of Lee's first three pokemon, Grovyle knows much of the meta-lore Lee has to share…

…Such as the existence of Sceptilite, spurring him into such recklessness down in the training chamber.

Warm fur cuddling into his side eases Lee out of his funk. Turning his head, he spies Ninetales settling down next to him.

'Worry not about everything today, Beloved,' the fox begins, casting a critical eye towards the rainbow-hued bauble in Lee's hand. 'Grovyle… If he cannot shake what bothers him, I will aid you in addressing him.'

Lee smiles. 'Thank you, Nine.'

The vixen smiles back, warming Lee. 'Think naught of it,' she says, before returning her eyes to the Keystone. 'What a curious little thing. I can only wonder if my kind has a Mega Stone out there. Were I to evolve once more, what would I become?'

For a moment, Lee tries to imagine what a Mega Ninetales would even look like, but fails. To him, his fox is already perfect the way she is. 'Who knows? The world doesn't have the limitations of a video game, so it's entirely possible there's a Ninetalesite.' Lee wraps an arm around Ninetales in a half hug as he rolls the sparkly catalyst between his fingers. 'According to Zinnia, the stones are essentially training wheels, so even if there isn't, maybe you could go Mega anyway?' He gives the Keystone a stare as he musters many of the fond memories he's shared with Ninetales thus far, filling his chest with bubbling warmth. He almost shouts the word 'Activate!' in the confines of his mind, only to stop when he remembers the grave fate that befell Aster.

The Keystone sparkles with a faint light in its center, making Lee's heart leap into his throat, before going dim once more.

Lee shakes his head, mentally kicking himself. 'Arceus-damned Dragon TE is still messing with my head. The training is nice, but if we never come back here again, I won't cry over it.' He stuffs the sphere into his pocket.

For a time, man and fox simply relax, lazily conversing about this and that. No words of any consequence passed between them, until Ninetales brings up the meeting with Anabel and Lucian.

'I can only wonder how we've apparently avoided the deadly pratfall of all bonded telepaths that have come before us,' Ninetales says, looking away from Lee to stare up at the sky through the crater opening. 'Anabel said she had never seen two as close as we without a great mental cascade into a singular being. What is it that we did differently?'

Lee is quiet as he ponders the question. "I'm not really sure," he admits. "You know just as much as I do when it comes to psychic shenanigans, or maybe even more. Interesting stuff, ancestral pokemon memory is. If you haven't figured it out, I doubt I can."

A prickle of uncertainty thrums across the telepathic tether holding them together, like a string being plucked. Nine turns back to Lee, her muzzle set in a frown. 'Perhaps… Something to do with my birth? Was it not as random as anticipated? I am aware that I said I would spurn any plans a higher entity had for me in favor of being with you, but perhaps… This was the intention all along?'

Lee places a gentle hand between Nine's withers, rubbing her shoulders. "I dunno, love. The subject of Arceus and how his influence plays into everything is muddy at the best of times. What we have is special, and we're going to look into it as best we can, but it's not a huge deal as long as we're safe and together."

Nine makes a vulpine purr in her throat, leaning once more into Lee. 'You are correct, as usual. Perhaps the Dragon TE is simply setting me ill at ease,' she sends, rubbing her cheek against his. She pauses, then rubs a little slower. 'Goodness, my fur is delightful, isn't it?'

Lee rolls his eyes, and in his head, gently nudges her away from his sense of touch. 'That's a little narcissistic, don't you think?'

'I am a living analogue to a kitsune; I am allowed some narcissism,' Ninetales sniffs. 'Ah, I've been so caught up with the training that I nearly forgot to ask. Have you been sleeping well, Beloved?'

'Sleeping well?' Lee furrows his brow. He takes a moment to feel his face and rub his eyes. He doesn't feel sleepy. 'For the most part. Why do you ask?'

Ninetales once more makes a purr, though to Lee it sounds more like a hum. 'Several times now, since we've entered the crater, I've not felt you dreaming when you've fallen asleep first. That's unusual for you.'

'Really?' Lee asks, surprised. 'When was the last time?'

'Two nights ago.'

…That lines up with the strange, repeating dream that Lee has had several times now. Each time he sees red eyes, flashes of gold, and a mouth that moved to speak, only for him to wake up before he hears a single word. Wordlessly, Lee offers his inky memories of the dreams to Ninetales, who inspects each one with a critical eye.

'Curious…' she mentally murmurs. 'Why am I not able to feel these?'

'I wish I knew,' Lee sighs.

The figure within the dream seems so familiar, but at the same time not. It doesn't help that all the figure's features are blurry and set upon a background of pitch black, but even then, a feeling of familiarity remains. Lee put it out of his mind with the busy schedule everyone has, but now that he truly thinks about it, it is beginning to bother him.

Vague, repeating dreams are never a good omen.

'Maybe Zinnia or one of the Draconids will know something,' Lee sends to Ninetales. 'This didn't start until we got here, so here's hoping.'

Further conversation is interrupted when, from one of the distant tunnels, Isis and her sister Astis emerge, walking towards Lee, Zinnia, and Brendan with urgency.

"Speaking of bad omens…" Lee grumbles, standing.

The approach of the Oracle's assistants draws the attention of both Zinnia and Brendan, as well as their teams, who all cease what they're doing to watch the girls approach. Once close enough, both halt, Isis' face set in a frown, while Astis' wears an expression of worry.

"Thelban, Naraikvejor?" Isis speaks, looking each one of them in the eyes. "We have news. May we discuss inside?

Brendan blinks in confusion and Zinnia sets her jaw, her expression becoming grim.

Lee heads to the door of the house, opening it and ushering the girls inside wordlessly.

---

Inside the hut, Brendan sits himself in one of the chairs of the living area, the ominous words of the Draconid sisters hanging over him.

'Everything was going so well!' The boy allows himself a bit of internal bellyaching. 'Well, except for pokemon hunting, but everything else has been going great,' he thinks. 'Electrike is ready for battle, Marshtomp's Water Cutter isn't recoiling anymore, Breloom's regeneration trick is almost there, and Mawile is becoming a debuff queen. What could've happened?'

The sisters seat themselves on the other chair in the living area, their shoulders touching, letting Lee and Zinnia claim the small couch. All the while, Brendan's eyes home in on Astis, the Draconid girl who is fascinated with him for some reason.

In the first days that they stayed in the village, Astis found Brendan and his team training on the edge of town, and the girl seemed captivated by what she saw in a painful echo of Courtney. She'd somehow always know when Brendan was out and about, admiring him from a distance.

Even with Courtney's betrayal still weighing upon him, Brendan tolerated Astis' gaze. He was a little bit exasperated when Zinnia told him that Astis would be following them into the crater.

Then Astis volunteered to help him go hunting, which has turned up a whole lot of nothing. Zinnia even suggested that she might be sabotaging him on purpose!

The young trainer stops, clearing his thoughts. 'Don't let the Dragon energy get to you. It's putting you on edge,' he thinks to himself.

Gosh, he wants to know what Astis' game is.

"I knew things were going too smoothly, I just knew it!" Zinnia exclaims, pounding a fist on her knee with a loud thwack! Apparently, Brendan isn't the only one with his emotions running high. "What, what is it? How are you going to rain on our parade?"

Lee, ever the calm one, sets a hand on Zinnia's shoulder. "Deep breaths, Zinnia. Calm down and get the Dragon TE out."

The tanned woman does as asked, taking a deep, shuddering breath and giving herself a shake.

Neither Isis nor Astis seem offended by Zinnia's outburst. "I'm afraid our news is indeed of the unfortunate sort, Thelban," Isis sighs. "My sister and I shadowed a meeting between the elders and the Oracle. Not all of the elders were pleased with Oracle Hakea's decision to gift keystones upon you."

Brendan feels his face shift into worry. They were going to try and take the keystones back, were they? "Are they going to want them back?" he asks. "I don't have a problem giving mine back, even if I kind of wanted to learn how to do this mega evolution thing…" He trails off despondently.

A shake of her head is Isis' answer, and Brendan perks up. "Nay. Those keystones were the personal belongings of Oracle Hakea. The elders, notably Elder Taxus, are displeased, but it is not their right to reclaim the stones. To claim the belongings of another is to announce the shedding of your civility, and your willingness to fight to maintain your claim. A seer is the last foe any should want."

Lee nods slowly. "That makes sense, in a… Dragon kind of way. So we don't have to worry about the keystones. That's nice, I suppose."

Isis nods. It's a sharp, crisp movement. "Yes. Elder Juniper remained neutral while Elder Danae argued your worthiness."

Zinnia clenches a fistful of her travel cloak.

"Elder Taxus, however, would not be dissuaded," Isis continues on. "He insists that the tribe should not relinquish worthwhile mega stones before you prove your worth, and proposed a test."

"A test?" Brendan questions, leaning forward incredulously. "They know about Magma, Aqua, the meteor prophecy, and all that, right?"

They can't possibly be stonewalling them at this point, can they? Lee and Zinnia said that the keystones need an accompanying mega stone for the pokemon, and Brendan can only think of one thing that the Draconid elders could withhold…

"Taxus has always been a stickler, even when it comes back to bite him in the ass," Zinnia growls. She releases her white-knuckle grip on her cloak and takes another deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "Fine. Whatever. A test. Did he say what it is?"

Isis meekly shakes her head. "No, Thelban. The elder did not say, and abruptly left the meeting after his declaration, saying he had arrangements to make. We can only presume that he is referring to the aforementioned test." She looks towards her sister, who stares back nervously before nodding. "Whatever it is that Elder Taxus is planning, we don't believe that he will spring it upon you immediately. No, for as foul as his attitude was, he would not shame himself by putting an impossible challenge before you. He will likely allow you time to train, and if you will suffer our presence, my sister and I shall assist."

"How so?" Brendan asks, giving Astis a suspicious glance. He ignores the prickle of guilt when Astis winces. "Like, with pokemon hunting and stuff? I don't want to sound like a jerk or anything, but I've gone looking for a fifth team member with Astis a couple of times, and it's been a bust each time."

Once more, Isis gives Astis a conspicuous look, as if saying, 'Are you really sure about this?', to which Astis screws her golden eyes shut and harshly nods.

With a click of her tongue, Isis answers Brendan. "Then you are in luck, Brendan Birch. The condition of our assistance is that you take Astis as your newest member."

'What?' Brendan's blue eyes narrow, and when he looks at Lee, Zinnia, and Ninetales, all of them seem equally confused as well.

Astis stands, her arms held stiffly to her sides. She cracks open her eyes and looks at Brendan with hope.

Then she begins to glow.

The redheaded girl shines a bright white with shimmers of rainbow color throughout, from the very tips of her toes to the very top of her head. Then, as if made of light itself, her human shape bends and contorts, refracting like a beam of light caught between countless tiny mirrors. The shape grows thin wings, a long neck, and arms ending in a trio of talons. As quick as it started, the light show is over, and hovering in Astis' place is a living, breathing Latias.

Brendan feels his jaw drop, gaping at the legendary pokemon that just revealed itself to him.

He's not alone. Over on the couch, Lee's eyes widen such that his face tugs at his scars. He reaches down, only to realize with a muttered curse that his bag, and thus his notebook, isn't at his feet.

Brendan can't really read Ninetales' expression, but all of her wavy tails going still seems like surprise to him.

Zinnia looks at the Latias with her lips pursed and the beginnings of a scowl on her face after the shock fades away. She looks none too pleased by what just occurred in front of her. She palms her face with a groan. "Fuck. I should've known…"

Wait a minute.

The condition of our assistance is that you take Astis as your newest member.

Without meaning to, Brendan shoots to his feet, pointing a finger at… Astis? Latias? "Hold on! You mean to tell me that you were a Latias the entire time?"

The Latias shyly looks away.

"And that…"

"… She wishes to take you as a trainer?" Isis finally allows herself a small smile. "I would ask you to forgive her deceptions, both for her appearance and for your botched hunts. The latter was purposeful, and she did not wish for your team to fill before she could work up the nerve to reveal herself."

… So Astis was misleading him the entire time for her own gain, just like Courtney. Despite the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity before him, Brendan can't help but feel a bit put out by being deceived again.

It just seems to keep happening.

The excitement drains away, and Brendan sits back down, folding his hands in his lap and staring at the floor as he thinks.

"Birch?"

Brendan looks up to Isis, whose smile is falling. "You… do not seem pleased. Is Latias not to your liking?

Beside Isis, Latias seems petrified at the idea. She stares at Brendan pensively, her shyness completely replaced by apprehension.

"Why?" Brendan asks simply.

Isis and Latias share a glance. "I don't believe either of us understands the question."

"Why me?" Brendan asks again, this time more intently. "What about me is so special that you would do all of this? What are you hoping to get out of it?"

Both Latias and Isis seem to have been caught flat-footed by the questioning. Red eyes meet gold, and Brendan recognizes the minute shifts in their expression, having seen the same thing between Lee and Ninetales whenever they use telepathy.

The not-so-silent staring match is broken when Isis turns back to Brendan. "Latias only wishes for a life beyond the village at the side of a worthwhile trainer," she begins softly. "You are no fool, Brendan Birch, so surely you must know the risks such an extravagant pokemon takes when they live amongst people. There always exists the risk of a trainer who would capture them, mislead them, use their power for wrong. Without being at the side of the trainer worthy of trust, she would have no hope of living a life free of paranoia outside Draconid lands."

Latias gulps and nods with Isis' words, staring at Brendan pleadingly.

"To that end," Isis continues on, voice little higher than a whisper, "she would not accept a trainer without a heart most pure. Yours, Brendan Birch, is what she's looking for."

Brendan finds his slowly building temper stalling out. He looks towards Lee, Ninetales, and Zinnia, but they seem content to remain quiet and watch. Returning his attention to Latias and Isis, Brendan mulls over his next words. "No one she's ever met has been better? What about Lee? He lives and breathes everything pokemon. Or Zinnia? She's your Lorekeeper, sworn to be your tribe hero."

Latias twiddles her talons, making a low croon in her throat.

"Lee Henson's heart is pure, but there is little room left to spare within it," Isis carefully answers. The corners of her eyes are crinkled, and Brendan can tell his unexpected questioning is stressing her. "Thelban Zinnia… She has changed since her departure from our lands, changed for the better. Were you not with them, Latias may have turned her sights upon them, but as it stands, you are the one she wishes for, Brendan Birch."

Oh man… Brendan almost wishes that the mega stone thing was the worst problem he had to face today.

"It's your call, Brendan," Zinnia says, leaning back on the couch and watching everything with scrutiny. "You've got Lee and I to help out if you wanna take this responsibility on, and if you don't, then don't. Simple as that."

Lee's encouraging smile pairs with Zinnia's words, and Brendan comes to a decision.

"A couple of months ago, a girl named Courtney lied to me for weeks straight to get what she wanted out of me, and I nearly threw my friends' lives away when everything came to a head, only changing my mind at the very last second," Brendan begins, earning him a startled look from Latias and Isis. He stares Latias in the eyes. "I understand why you kept everything to yourself, but I hate being lied to, and I hate being manipulated, even for situations like this. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Latias visibly wilts, shrinking in on herself and hovering backwards. She begins to shimmer, her body becoming transparent.

"So that means, starting today, there's no lying or withholding information from me or the team, okay?"

The nearly invisible Latias stops, looking at Brendan incredulously, before hope begins to rise to her face.

Brendan can't really stop the smile that tugs at his lips. "As long as you can follow that rule, welcome to the team."

The nearly transparent Latias becomes visible once more, and before Brendan can say anything else, she zooms across the room and pulls him into a bone crushing hug.

'Oof! For having such short arms, she's really strong!' Grimacing, Brendan smacked his hand against the back of one of her arms. "I need air! Tap out!"

Latias releases him with an embarrassed squeak, dropping Brendan back into his chair. Once the stars stop dancing in his vision and he catches his breath, Brendan reaches for one of the empty pokeballs on his belt. Taking it, he holds the capsule out to Latias, giddiness making him shake a little. "Whenever you're ready!"

Hovering forward and reaching a tentative arm out, Latias pokes the button in the middle of the ball, making it pop open and suck her inside as a mass of light. The ball shuts and doesn't even shake once before it dings.

"Holy crap…" Brendan murmurs to himself.

'I just caught a legendary pokemon. Without a fight. Dad is going to lose his mind.' Then he frowns as the sheer enormity of what just happened really hits him. 'Oh no. Dad is actually going to lose his mind.'

---

Before any screeching starts, remember that Brendan is 12. He's not smashing Latias, or anyone else for that matter.

---

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[Fuggmann]

NOTICE: Hey, not dead. Been busy with trying to move into a forever-home and its hell. Nearly done with that, though, so my pace should pick back up. If you want to help smooth that over, see below.

---

Take a look here!

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As always, thank you for reading.

---

-4 weeks remain in the Meteorfall Crater-

Leaning back on the park bench behind him, Andre takes another bite of the partially unwrapped protein bar in his hand, ignoring the crummy artificial Pecha flavor in favor of thinking.

Just two days ago, he and his pokemon managed to take the Dynamo badge in Mauville. Wattson was a sly old fuck, using Baton Pass to bypass the no substitution condition of the match and to make sure his Manectric fought Absol, but it didn't matter. Nowadays, if Andre's ace can't get out of the way of electrical attacks, he jams an Iron Tail into the ground to disperse as much electricity as possible.

After that kid Ash Ketchum embarrassed them, Andre made sure they were prepared for the eventual rematch. Without the money for a TM, they had to learn Iron Tail the old-fashioned way. If Andre wasn't good at sharpening the bladed side of Absol's tail before, then after all that practice, he was now.

Swallowing his bite, the maroon-haired teenager reaches back into the side pocket of his backpack and pulls out a badge case. Popping it open, he glances at the gleaming trophies inside.

Knuckle, Stone, Dynamo, and Heat. If he turned any one of them over, Andre would find a little "R" stamp on each one.

Andre smirks, finally, finally feeling accomplished for once in his life. 'And we did it all on our own, too. No sponsors, no handouts, no nothing. Talent and perseverance is all a real trainer needs.'

As he thinks that, he looks down at the half-eaten protein bar in his hand.

If he were still back on Dewford Brawly's mom would have been fixing dinner by now, and since it's Sunday, she would have picked up something from the Dewford fishery to cook. Brawly might be the dickhead to end all dickheads, but Andre could never find it in himself to deny Mrs. Toki's affections.

Grrrr…

A sudden growl catches Andre's attention. Turning his head, he looks at his partner, who is seated next to him.

Absol, pockmarked by mostly healed scratches and electrical burns, glances over, meeting Andre's eyes. The Dark-type quirks an eyebrow, silently asking what Andre is staring for.

'He didn't actually growl at anything, that was his stomach,' Andre glances back down to the half-eaten protein bar in his hand. Without another thought, he pulls the rest of the wrapper off and offers the bar to Absol. "Here. You used a lot of energy today."

Absol's mouth pulls down into a subtle frown, and he shakes his head.

In response, Andre simply pushes his hand closer. "C'mon, take it. You cinched that gym match and got us a badge, so this is literally the least I can do."

Andre's Ace remains unmoved.

A scowl mars the teenager's face. "What? Are you worried about the money again? We got thousands for our win today, so we can quit tightening our belts for a while. Eat, or this request is going to turn into an order. Your choice."

Sighing, Absol takes the offered bar in his mouth.

"And you better eat every fuckin' bite during dinner tonight, or I'm forcing it down your throat."

Absol simply grunts as he chews.

Exasperated, Andre pulls his phone from his pocket and gives his notifications a check. 'Dickhead. I'm the trainer, and I call the shots. If I say something, that should be the end of it.'

Nothing interesting in his email, and no new texts, so Andre does what every bored trainer does and opens up Battlenet for some mindless scrolling.

'A ton of unexplained crime in a place called Ryme City. Aren't they the guys who try to come down on pokemon battling in their city limits? No duh crime is going to skyrocket if no one is allowed to battle. Dipshit politicians up to no good again.'

Andre scrolls further down.

'Zoroark sighting? Fake as hell. Anyone who knows anything about Zoroarks knows you don't find them, they find you.

The next thread of note that he happens upon is Henson's megathread, making him frown.

Henson was named a conference shoo-in after his match in Lavaridge. Andre watched the footage of the match, explosive finale included, and was floored by what he saw. It stings, and he'll never admit it out loud, but Henson isn't the worst battler Andre has ever seen. The man is obviously carried by the power of his pokemon, but taming a temperamental monster like a Ninetales and going toe-to-toe with Mura Moore isn't something any old hack can do.

Henson is still a loser for sure, but less than initially expected.

Naturally, Andre has checked in on the mega thread from time to time, purely to keep tabs on someone he'll likely be facing in the Ever Grande Conference.

The teenager takes a look at the news around Henson, frowning mightily when he sees that Henson's latest pokemon is an adopted Sylveon of all things. No expert on Fairy is he, but Andre knows that fairies are a type rooted deeply in emotion similar to Dark types. No one would give away a pokemon as rare as a Sylveon unless there is some kind of string attached. Henson is probably on the hook for something after that.

Then… That's it. There is no other news. A couple other posters in the thread are wondering where Henson has gone, because he apparently hasn't been sighted in weeks. Theories started popping up in the thread, like how he flew away on his Corviknight to go get something special from another region, or how he's secluded himself in some kind of special training, with a few even speculating that he gave up. His friends, Brendan Birch and a tribal woman named Zinnia haven't been seen either.

'Probably got too big of a head and got strangled by that Sylveon,' Andre smirks at the thought. He places a hand on Absol's head, combing his fingers through coarse white fur. 'Whatever. It doesn't matter who shows up to the Ever Grande Conference, because we're taking the whole thing.'

Andre's phone beeps, drawing his eyes to a new email. Without even bothering to look at the title, he opens it up and begins to read.

'…Mega Evolution? Mega Stones? What is this shit?' He frowns and glances at the 'sender' field of the email.

From:

'It's empty?'

---

-3 weeks remain in the Meteorfall Crater-

"Yeah! I got the Balance Badge!"

Still shaking from the adrenaline of a hard-fought gym battle, Ash Ketchum raises his prize high over his head, taking care not to jostle Pikachu and aggravate the electric-type's bruises.

The cheers coming from the stands of the Petalburg Gym redouble as the badge sparkles in the sunlight.

The battle with Norman was hard, one of the hardest that Ash has had to face thus far in Hoenn. Norman's Slakoth, Vigoroth, and Slaking each brought something new and difficult to counter to the field. Never did he expect a Slakoth to know Blizzard of all moves, which froze Pikachu solid. Ash had to burn his one allowed substitution to send in Torkoal, who evened the odds by taking out Slakoth.

Poor Torkoal couldn't cope with Vigoroth's sheer speed and aggression, and fell to a savage one-two punch of Bulk-Up into Crush Claw.

Pikachu, given some time on the sideline to thaw, managed to defeat Vigoroth, matching the sloth pokemon blow-for-blow.

And then came Slaking…

Even after being paralyzed by Pikachu's Static, Slaking was an utter force of nature. Pikachu fell in one savage strike courtesy of Facade, and it was all down to Shiftry.

Shiftry won. Barely.

'I gotta thank Brock for the Sunny Day idea,' Ash thinks to himself. The older teen recommended teaching Shiftry Sunny Day after he evolved. 'If it wasn't for Shiftry's Chlorophyll ability letting him speed in and out under the sunlight, we would have lost.

As if sensing his thoughts, Shiftry's ball does a little shake.

The recently-evolved grass-type has been a handful as of late. His new Dark-typing has made him cantankerous even on good days, and it has been reminding Ash of his early days with Charizard.

'Maybe I'll bring Charizard over for a day to show Shiftry that a strong pokemon and a trainer are always better when they work together,' Ash nods to himself, making a mental note to reach out to the Charicific Valley.

As the referee ushers Ash, Pikachu, and Norman off the torn up field, Ash searches the crowd for his friends and finds them quickly.

Brock looks proud, and Ash's smile widens.

May looks mystified, like she wasn't expecting the outcome. 'Norman is her dad, so it was probably weird to see him lose.'

Finally, Max…

Ash withholds a wince.

Max looks devastated. His shoulders are slumped, and his eyes are teary, in stark contrast to May and Brock.

The younger boy had been going on and on all day about how strong Norman is, saying that even with all his training and experience, Ash had no chance. It got on Ash's nerves for sure, but he understood that Max is just proud of his dad. That in mind, Ash kept anything unpleasant he had to say to himself, determined to prove himself with actions rather than words.

And prove himself he did.

The cheers and chatter of the crowd fade as Ash, Pikachu, and Norman cross the threshold into a small office area behind the gym arena. Ash gives the space little notice, having seen these little administrative areas in gyms many times before. The boy wonders to himself why gyms even bother making these spaces when all they do here is give out victory prizes and do paperwork? The lobby would be fine for that.

Norman lets out a sigh and wipes at his sweaty brow. "What a fight," he murmurs, gesturing for Ash to sit down at a small table, where a few forms and an aide armed with a laptop already sit. "Talented kids are just popping out of the woodwork these days."

"That was definitely the toughest gym match we've had in Hoenn so far, Mister Norman," Ash replies with a grin. "I thought you had us for sure!"

"Chuuu…" Pikachu tiredly chimes in for emphasis, his battered and bruised form sliding down from Ash's shoulder to sit in the boy's lap.

"Me too," Norman sighs, looking down at the gym aide. "Nina, three on three, nonstandard team."

"Understood, Mister Maple!" The teenage girl chirps, already typing away.

Norman turns his attention back to Ash. "So, mine is your fifth badge, then?"

Ash nods. "Yep. We're thinking of heading to Fortree City after this for number six."

"Going after Winona next?" Norman asks with a short laugh. "Good luck, Ash. She's a terror. Don't think Rock or Electric types will be able to walk all over her, because she teaches Ground-moves to all her pokemon. Her Altaria even knows Earthquake."

Ash's eyes widen until he feels his eyebrows touch his hat. "Earthquake? On a Flying-type?"

"Oh yes," Norman smiles thinly. "If there's any truth to the rumors I'm hearing, she's also looking into getting a Dragonite. Be careful with her, or she'll stonewall you for ages."

A Dragonite? Ash exchanges a look with Pikachu and mentally reviews all the moves his pokemon know, finding that his team's arsenal is lacking anything Ice or Dragon. 'Oh crud. We should probably prepare for the worst.'

---

-2 weeks remain in the Meteorfall Crater-

Curled up on her tiny bed, her knees pulled to her chest, Courtney stares at the stone wall blankly.

It's official. She's lost track of how long she's been in quarantine. The fluorescent light overhead is turned off, so it must be the night hours still, but she's been waking at odd hours. Or at least she thinks she is, for the quarantine chamber has no clock.

The Team Magma standard quarantine period after contact with a hostile telepath is four weeks. Courtney knows this, for she's one of the ones who drafted the measure, which was approved by Leader Maxie.

'It's been…' Courtney blinks sluggishly. She's not tired, yet her vision is blurry. 'It must have been… Twice standard length. Maybe more. Leader Maxie... I'll be better. Please let me out.'

There is no answer to the silent prayer.

Day in and day out has been the same each time. A morning meal, then a visit from a Magma telepathic therapist, who spends hours trying to find out how and when Henson's Ninetales made it past all of Courtney's mental blocks. The therapist reveals nothing to her, but from how they came in every day at the same time, and from how each brain dive gets deeper each day, Courtney knows they're finding nothing.

Courtney screws her eyes shut as a migraine blooms behind them. Just thinking about the coming 'therapy' is unpleasant. 'For Leader Maxie, I endure.'

After the midday meal was another round of therapy, then dinner, then a short block of time to herself before lights out. Recently, she's simply been going to bed early, as she has nothing to fill her free time with. Courtney has long since read all the books on the modest bookshelf within the room, and she dares not ask for more. 'Leader Maxie is gracious to have already done so much for me. Where would I be without him?'

The dark, blank wall by her bed stares back at her, and Courtney swears she sees faces. She sees Tabitha's sneer, her pokemon, worried, and most of all…

Her breath hitches.

She sees Leader Maxie, disappointed. His eyes bore into her like drills of ice, and she quakes to herself.

"I'm sorry…" She curls into a tighter ball. "I… Didn't mean to be a traitor. Please, Leader Maxie. Just one more chance. I will prove myself to you, I promise."

The expression of the wall remains unchanged, unconvinced, and Courtney screws her eyes shut, clawing at her scalp. The sharp pain of her nails digging into her skin does nothing to make the face inside her eyelids go away. Despite the sterile cool of the room, Courtney sweats profusely and feels her clothes stick to her. Worse yet, she's gripped by a sudden nausea.

She was compromised.

She's a failure.

She's a traitor.

…Bang bang!

For a moment, Courtney forgets her woes as a banging noise followed by the sound of scuffling echo through the steel door of her room. Turning away from the wall and swallowing the bile in her throat, the former Magma admin turns over in her bed and stares at the doorway.

Clang-scritch!

Something metallic drags against something else metallic down the hall, and she begins to hear actual, human voices crying out.

"Stop them!"

"-one berserk! If you can't fight, get out of the way!"

"They're heading for the quarantine cells!"

They? Who are they? Courtney's sluggish brain scrambles for an answer as she sits up. "Aqua?" She wonders aloud. "Are they… Attacking the hideout?"

The more the disgraced admin thinks about it, the more other options seem outlandish. A police raid would be far louder, and a league raid would be lightning fast. An Aqua admin or someone comparable must be assaulting the base.

Now Courtney can make out violent stomping coming down the hallway, each footfall seemingly shaking the entire hideout, and she jumps when a gigantic dent is put into the cell door with a bone rattling CRASH! All the while, the sound of combat rages further down the hall.

'If they're breaking down my door, then they must have been tipped off about how I was compromised!' Courtney's eyes widen, and she quickly stands. 'Do they want to be rid of me, or capture me? I can't allow either!'

Courtney's eyes dart about her cell as the attackers strike the door again, deepening the dent. To her dismay, she sees no serviceable weapons.

CRASH!

Wild magenta eyes turn towards the bookshelf, and Courtney scrambles over as fast as she can. She unceremoniously dumps the books on the ground and dashes the bookshelf across the floor as hard as she can.

CRASH! The dent is getting larger, and the door hinges are giving out.

The flimsy wooden bookshelf cracks and splinters on the floor, bursting into pieces. Taking a piece that ends in a sharp point, Courtney ignores the splinters stabbing her hand and stands ready.

She will not be leaving without a fight.

With a final thunderous impact, the cell door falls, the hinges shearing off with hideous shrieks. With a snort, a lumbering form steps into the cell, and Courtney nearly drops her makeshift weapon.

"Camerupt?" She questions, scarcely believing her eyes.

Her own Camerupt stands before her, his eyes sharp and full of hate. When he turns his gaze to her, Camerupt lights up and steps closer, lovingly pushing his head into her torso with a subdued croon.

"Camerupt, what are you doing here?" She questions uncomprehendingly. "You damaged my cell. That's unacceptable."

The camel pokemon's expression flashes with hurt, and he takes a hesitant step back. As he does so, the din of battle further inside the hideout begins to die down, and Courtney is treated to another surprise when her Swellow flies in and lands on Camerupt's back, looking exhausted. Trailing in behind Swellow is her Mightyena, who is walking with a limp.

"What are you all doing here?" Courtney's question sharpens into a demand, a rare prickle of anger within her. "I'm under quarantine by order of Leader Maxie, and I am not to receive visitors. You're going against orders."

Swellow trills a note tinged with deep concern, her face dismayed. The bird trills once more and gestures over towards the door with a wing, her meaning obvious. 'Come with us!'

"I am under quarantine by order of Leader Maxie," Courtney repeats, her grip on her shard of wood tightening. "I've been compromised, and until the method used for the compromise can be determined and rectified, I am not to move."

Mightyena whines, her pearly fangs bared in a grimace.

"Leave," Courtney forces out, shutting her eyes and looking away from her pokemon. They can't be here, no matter how much seeing them balms her raw nerves. "Leader Maxie has forbidden me from – "

The blow to the side of her head is as sudden as it is unexpected.

Courtney's head swims as a pair of twin warmths suddenly find their way to her sides. She's looking at the ground for some reason, and it's moving by at a clipped pace, making her stomach roll. 'I'm slung across Camerupt's back,' she realizes. The warmths she feels are his volcanoes. There are voices, yelling, bellowing, shrieks, barks, and her head pounds. She blinks, but everything remains blurry, both her vision and her thoughts. 'Concussion.'

Fighting, flashes, doors broken down.

Then a pair of red flashes irritate her eyes, and Courtney feels a trio of spheres shoved into her pocket. Before she can get her bearings, talons grip the back of her shirt, and the ground falls away. The trees rush by, then they all become a green smear as she rises higher and higher into the sky.

Despite the cool morning air in the first taste of sunlight she's had in months washing across her skin, the disgraced admin is perilously close to tears.

If she wasn't marked a traitor before, then she certainly will be now.

She's failed Leader Maxie yet again.

---

-1 week remains in the Meteorfall Crater-

Sitting on the sidelines deep within the Draconid training chamber, Octillery ponders to himself as a pair of his teammates spar before him. It's something he's been doing more and more as of late. Without a proper wireless signal, Lee's laptop is quite useless to him, so the cephalopod has been turning inward.

Their seclusion within the Draconid holy land will be coming to an end soon, and they'll be returning to the outside world to resume the gym circuit and the crusade on Magma and Aqua. As regrettable as losing the Dragon TE thrumming through his body will be, Octillery relishes the thought of new foes to trounce and humiliate.

In these few weeks, so much has happened that someone else's head might spin, but not Octillery's. Disorganization is a trap for the apathetic and dull-witted. He's been carefully categorizing and cataloging each event — his own growth, chiefly.

'Were I to clash with myself from a month prior,' he begins, imagining many scenarios in parallel, 'then the result would be a foregone conclusion.'

A 'foregone conclusion' is a polite way to put it. Over the last month, Octillery has seen himself grow to heights he wouldn't have even dreamed of before being brought into the fold of Lee Henson's team. If his current and past self were to meet in the field of battle, then the past Octillery would surely perish. His skills, might, and repertoire have ballooned.

Protect, Thunder Wave, Psychic, Payback, and Focus Energy have been welcome additions to Octillery's move pool. The usefulness of Protect and Psychic go without saying, and he's found a delightful loophole with Payback after much experimentation.

Self-inflicted pain will trigger Payback's muscle strengthening effect.

As expected, Lee did not approve when Octillery shared this finding, but after demonstrating the effectiveness of the results, the man reluctantly allowed Octillery to continue his testing, so long as he was allowed to supervise.

An unexpectedly pleasing outcome. Octillery planned around being denied outright. It seems his trainer's newfound resolve after the showdown on the volcano is genuine.

Thunder Wave and Focus Energy were grand boons for this yet-to-be-named technique. Octillery swiftly learned how to modulate the power output of electrical techniques using Focus Energy's amplification. Using Focus Energy in tandem with Thunder Wave, he can electrocute himself. The actual damage from the technique is negligible, but Payback still swells with power when everything is fused together. The discomfort is a small price to pay.

Then Lee began working on yet another technique with Octillery, one utilizing Octazooka and Psychic; his favorite moves. Octillery is already familiar with Corviknight's Pursuers, and Lee's proposed technique was Pursuers taken to its logical extreme:

An Octazooka that cannot miss.

With Octillery's mental prowess, using Lock On for ballistic calculations is simply a waste, so Lee proposed using Lock On's accelerated calculating for something much more devious and intensive. Namely, telekinetically assisted flight control for Octazooka.

Combining his two favorite moves together seems like a 'no-brainer' as they say, so why didn't Octillery think of that?

It took weeks of practice and meditation to turn into a serviceable technique. Octillery needed to shift Lock On's thought acceleration property into his control of telekinesis, which was more difficult than expected. Going against the move's in-built programming was hell, but Octillery refused to be controlled by a limitation that is purely mental. He could do without the migraines it causes, however.

Then came practicing the first part of his new technique. Lee once more proved himself an unusually astute human by handcrafting a small, wooden maze for Octillery and instructing him to move a pebble through the miniature labyrinth as fast as possible without touching the walls. With each success, Lee reconfigured the maze and gave him a larger pebble. Within a few days, Octillery had less than a millimeter of clearance on all sides for his pebble, and some of the maze turns were intentionally made too small, forcing Octillery to rotate the pebble to clear the turn. Then the time trials started, and Octillery had to beat his best time or suffer the indignity of failure.

Putting all the pieces together, it was sweet to see his Octazooka pull hard 90 turns to dodge around obstacles and pin his target right where it hurt most.

Ink Spear, they decided to call it. Simple, distinct, and as descriptive as it needs to be. Though, Octillery spied the name Gáe Bulg crossed out in Lee's notebook. Gibberish, or something else?

A crash draws Octillery's attention outward again.

In the middle of their sectioned off area of the underground training arena, Ninetales and Corviknight rebound off of each other with a thunderous bang.

Ninetales' paws drag across the ground as she slides backwards to a stop, her red gaze locked on her aerial opponent. At the same time, Corviknight flares his wings, arresting his momentum midair.

Three of Ninetales' tails shiver like snakes, their tips shining like steel, then all of them rocket forward, extending far beyond their resting length using a trick she learned from Sylveon.

Corviknight weaves through the first two and barely dodges the third, which shrieks as it gouges his armor.

Lee's first pokemon doesn't let up and throws her open maw forward. In a split second, a raging conflagration the size of a Snorlax appears and races towards Corviknight.

Octillery lazily watches as Corviknight crosses his wings in front of his body, a green barrier, Protect, encircling him. It's all that he has time to do.

The fireball smashes into the barrier with a furious explosion that shakes the entire cavern down to its foundation. Dust is shaken from the high roof, and the square pillars that make up the floor all dance beneath their feet on the vibrations.

When the smoke clears, Corviknight's emerald shield is rendered naught but a collection of spiderweb cracks. Protect falls like shattering glass, and the great avian is panting.

Had he not raised Protect in time, the match would be over.

Forbidden Sun, a fitting name for the technique, Octillery thinks. Lee explained it to Octillery when asked. The move is merely Ninetales unleashing the fire within her inside a spherical psychic shell and throwing it at the foe. Apparently, learning Protect was the push Ninetales needed to learn shape control with telekinesis, thus turning Forbidden Sun into a reality.

Lowbrow, but the cephalopod can't deny the effectiveness.

Octillery lets his eyes roam over the rest of his teammates, who were gathered around and watching the spar.

Shinx must be the most surprising of the bunch. Octillery expected her to remain a pet to warm Lee's lap, but instead she has been growing at a prodigious rate. Each day, the kitten improved by leaps and bounds. Her techniques sharpen, her body strengthens, her mind is startlingly focused, and even with teammates that utterly dwarf her, she doesn't fall into childish pitfalls like jealousy or pettiness.

"She's as strong as I was when Lee and I first set out on our journey," Ninetales said at dinner a few nights ago, regarding Shinx with glowing pride. Pride in someone else is an alien notion to Octillery, but he nodded along anyway to keep the conversation moving. "She'll be something wondrous someday soon."

Shinx looked up from her bowl when Ninetales said that, a silly smile on her face and food stuck to her cheeks.

Octillery tries not to roll his eyes at the memory and resumes with his thoughts.

Ninetales, as expected, retains her place as the mightiest of the team. Her power swells each day, threatening to outrun her control, but with Lee's mind joined to hers, she can offload issues of control to him. With two minds and two perspectives to work with, new techniques came to her with ease. Protect, Iron Tail, Energy Ball, Dig, and even the legendary Hyper Beam were learned and brought to a professional level of expertise in just a few weeks. The only reason she hasn't used her Solar Beam TM is because of how unsuitable a learning environment an underground cavern is for such a technique.

As a control exercise, Lee started Ninetales down the path of Double Team experimentation, hoping it would help her with her fire clone move, Fox Fire. With some focus and imagination, the fox can make her illusions take on the appearance of other pokemon, and even humans. They're still as immaterial as ever, but progress is progress.

With fire, curses, illusions, telekinesis, and soon clones, it seems as if Ninetales has an answer for every situation.

When night falls, Ninetales would retire with Lee, often spending time meditating with him. Recently, they've taken to sitting and pressing their foreheads together, eyes closed. What goes on between them is anyone's guess.

Octillery isn't sure if that's par for the course for a paradoxical gestalt entity, but once he has access to research material once again (the internet), he'll be beginning a side study on the subject. It wouldn't do if the human handing him power hand over fist accidentally lobotomized himself.

The brooding dark knight of the team is the least remarkable when it comes to improvements. Corviknight continues to train diligently, and makes strides each day, but his movepool is already impressive, and he has few untapped talents to exploit. Lee has been brainstorming a new technique for the raven after seeing how quickly his metallic feathers regrow, but has said little at this stage.

Grovyle… Where does Octillery even begin? If Octillery has any friends among his team, then the sole one is Grovyle. The green reptile keeps his mouth shut unless needed, is surprisingly wise, and is talented, the last one being evidenced by the way it pushes himself to keep pace with Ninetales and Corviknight.

When compared to the other senior members of the team, Grovyle falls short in all aspects but raw skill and speed, but with just those, he still thrives. Grovyle's now-signature Siphon Blade is a menace of a technique, and he's adept at slipping his blade past one's defenses to steal their energy. No one makes the mistake of leaving themselves open to him anymore.

His mastery of Quick Attack is also in a realm of its own. Now bordering on Extreme Speed, any foe without their own grasp of Quick Attack or some sort of omnidirectional defense is simply destined to fail against the bladed onslaught that Grovyle will unleash.

Yet, frustration still clings to the Grass-type. He yearns for evolution, but it simply eludes him. Or perhaps he yearns for something even further, like the Mega-evolution his ilk are supposedly capable of. Whatever it is, Octillery doesn't really care to ask.

The sixth member of the team, Sylveon, is also another surprising one. When she was introduced to the team, Octillery recognized the look in her eyes.

The Fairy looked dead on her feet, like she was merely going through the motions of life. It was something he often saw in his own face before he resolved to be something better.

Her improvement was not so profound, but it didn't need to be. Being the eldest member of the team by far, she was no slouch, she merely had bad habits that needed broken and poor health weighing her down.

Lee did away with both, and it makes a twisted sort of sense that a human as disturbed as Lee would be able to easily get into the head of a Fairy. Sylveon has had little time to mope to herself with the intense daily training, and her condition improves each day.

More recently, Octillery has spotted her watching him and the rest of the team with an expression he can't place, her previous dreary attitude gone. He doesn't waste too much time thinking about it, knowing that trying to make sense of a Fairy is a futile effort.

Last and certainly not least, Octillery looks towards his trainer.

Standing several yards away, Lee stands with his arms crossed and his face stoic. His blue eyes follow each one of Ninetales' and Corviknight's lightning fast movements.

For the longest time, Octillery couldn't make sense of the man, and if he is being honest with himself, he still can't; not entirely, at least. He didn't understand all the sympathy - the unwavering altruism. At first, it seemed like he was just like every other trainer, out seeking glory on the backs of his pokemon. Octillery had no time for such nonsense, as a trainer would simply hold him back. When he woke up in the Lavaridge Pokemon Center and was informed that he was captured, he was dismayed.

Then Lee gave him the option of leaving, no strings attached.

"Everything."

Octillery still remembers the chilling word that Ninetales uttered when he asked just what Lee meant to her. That single word was packed with so much emotion, it made the comforting numb that has been shielding him for years actually falter. Only curiosity kept him with the team.

He then began to grow under Lee, and at a rate he honestly found acceptable. They faced many foes, some of which were overwhelming and redefined what Octillery knew of power.

The bellow of the Camerupt upon the volcano was the second time that his numb had fled him for a fleeting moment. In that moment, he felt the terror of his imminent demise once again, for the first time since the river.

He was powerless. A better had come, and he could do nothing. No amount of ingenuity could save him.

Yet, despite death coming to claim them all that day, they lived.

Each one of the pokemon who clashed with Camerupt fought with a desperation far beyond what fear for the self can conjure. It would have made far more sense to lie down and allow the better to end them quickly, but none did. Where did that desperation come from? What caused it?

Octillery pondered that every day since, and never could he find a satisfying answer. He knows instinctively that he cannot ask, for the pokemon around him would perceive something amiss. No, it's something he has to figure out himself.

Then, just a few short weeks ago, Lee set them all down and told them a story. One about himself and another world doomed to be washed clean in fire.

"I died."

It was outlandish, clearly the work of a delusion, and it lent credence to Octillery's theory of mental illness, but the words made his stomach clench beneath his numb. That should have been the end of it, but Ninetales, Grovyle, and Corviknight all vouched for the story.

Ninetales could be explained away as Lee's mental illness seeping into her. Corviknight, after his evolution, became a proper and obedient servant, so he could have simply been ordered to confirm the story.

Grovyle's belief, however, was the tipping point. Subservient he is, but a liar he is not, this Octillery knows.

In a fashion, he and Lee have the same origin. They are the very last ones. Yet, their paths could not be more different.

"If there is anything I fear, it's being alone."

Lee spoke those words a handful of weeks ago, in response to the Draconid Oracle asking his deepest fear. Not fire, not death, but loneliness.

Is there truly something out there greater than living for the self? Something greater than staving off death? Something that grants such distinguished power? The answer feels as if it should be obvious, yet it escapes him.

The coat of numbness around Octillery shivers, an occurrence that is becoming increasingly common. Crossing his front two tentacles over each other, the octopus narrows his eyes.

He needs more examples to study, so it appears he's committed to this adventure for the foreseeable future…

---

-5 days remain in the Meteorfall Crater-

Nigel smiles and sits roughly in his chair behind his desk, savoring the soft padding against his back. The shoulder bag he was carrying is set on his desk gently so as to not damage the laptop inside. Having just returned from Sinnoh's Snowpoint City for a study on the back of his trusty Flygon, a real seat after the nonstop flight is absolute heaven.

'I knew that the fur density of the average mammal pokemon is influenced by their birthplace, but I didn't expect the deviation between each successive generation to be so profound.' Nigel thinks to himself. The family of Poochyena that were moved to Snowpoint for the study grew thick, winter worthy coats after just a few generations. Raising his arms over his head in a stretch, Nigel let out a pleased groan as his back pops. 'Oof. I think today is going to be a half-day.'

After waking his computer and sending a message to the rest of the lab informing them that he'll be leaving at noon today, the professor set about catching up with his work. A few requisition requests from his researchers and aides are all approved easily thanks to the funding Lee and Brendan are attracting, a few emails from the Academic Board are answered, as are a few requests from prospective trainers wanting to board pokemon with the Lab. There's nothing new from Lee, which isn't surprising considering that he, Brendan, and Zinnia went off of the grid into tribal land. Before Nigel can do much else, his computer pings with a new email.

New mail from: Ranch_Monitor@hoennpkmnlab.org
Subject: Bbirch New Capture

The email is backdated to a few weeks ago, so Brendan must've just now gotten a signal for his pokedex. Eager to see what his picky son caught, Nigel smiles and opens the email.

His smile becomes brittle.

Acquisition Details:
Pokémon Species: #0380 – Latias
Gender: Female
Method of Acquisition: Capture
Location: ???
Research Value Index: 0.95

Oh… And to make matters worse, he's not the only one who gets these emails. Nigel looks up at the carbon copy field of the message.

The Academic Board got that email, too.

Before he's given much time to process what he sees, the office phone on Nigel's desk begins to ring. Looking over, he already knows the number on the caller ID by heart.

It's the Academic Board, and their timing is no coincidence.

Sitting perfectly still, Nigel lets the phone ring out to voicemail once. Whoever's calling doesn't bother leaving a message and just calls again, making the phone ring incessantly.

Slowly and carefully reaching into the back of the phone, Nigel yanks the power cord out and the ringing stops. To make extra certain, he reaches into his pocket and holds down the power button on the side of his cell phone until he hears its shut down chime.

"On… Second… Thought… Guys… I'm… Not… Feeling… Good," the professor quickly types off a message in the lab's IM app on his computer, ignoring the ping of a new email coming in. "Back… Tomorrow… Send!"

Standing and taking his shoulder bag, the professor quickly exits the lab, pops into his jeep, and begins the drive home.

"That's tomorrow Nigel's problem…" he mutters to himself. "So is finding something to spend all the incoming grant money on. That boy is going to drive me to drink."

---

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[Fuggmann]

NOTICE: Didn't expect this one so quickly, did you? Life is calming down, and I can get back to a more regular schedule again. Thanks everyone for being so patient. The next chapter should be Act 2's finale.

---

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---

Eyes of red, piercing as can be.

Mantle of gold, majestic as can be.

A fanged mouth speaking, damning as can be.

In a void of neither light nor dark.

The great maw of teeth opens once more, inhuman lips forming words meant for he alone.

It says unto him –

Lee's eyes shoot open before he hears a single word, as always. His heart is racing as he stares up at the plain ceiling of his temporary room in the Draconid hut. 'Fuck. It always cuts off before I can hear what it has to say.'

He doesn't sit up quite yet, content to let his pulse settle under the blanket of golden tails courtesy of Ninetales, who is still asleep next to him. Instead, he takes time to gather his thoughts and form a plan for the day.

For nearly six weeks he, Brendan, and Zinnia have been down here, training their pokemon day in and day out. Each one of their pokemon have grown leaps and bounds, aided by the seething Dragon TE permeating the air within the cavern. Lee has to admit that he was skeptical at first, but the results thus far speak for themselves. Nine has to have broken into the realms of the Elite by now, with Corvi and Grovyle only a few steps behind.

Eventually, though, Lee begins to grow restless and slides out from under his furry coverings, letting Nine sleep for a bit longer. Changing into some day clothes, Lee quietly slips out of his room and into the common area of the hut, finding both Zinnia and Brendan already awake.

In one of the hand-stuffed chairs, Zinnia sits with her head leaned back, staring up at the ceiling, her cloak draped over her like a blanket and her face lost in thought. What the Lorekeeper could be thinking about, Lee isn't sure. The unknown trial that Taxus may spring on them any day, perhaps?

At her side rests Shelgon, who acknowledges Lee with a glance. The petals of Shelgon's namesake shell have been slowly peeling back over the last few weeks, little by little. His gray skin has also been transitioning into a gentle blue. It won't be long before Shelgon evolves into a Salamence, a dragon revered and feared all over Hoenn.

On the couch, Brendan lounges with his Latias, both of them sitting calmly with their eyes closed, likely speaking telepathically.

Brendan has made it apparent in the past that he doesn't care for telepathy - at least not between himself and Ninetales. That said, the boy isn't the sort to let a new and useful tool go unused, and Latias has the proper talent for the art of telepathy. Each day, for a few minutes each morning, he and Latias connect and attempt to speak, trying to get used to the unusual contact. Both of them have taken Lee and Nine's warnings about prolonged contact seriously, and Lee can't help but find himself proud of Brendan's diligence on the matter.

Latias herself has taken an absolute shine to Brendan, and despite his reservations at first, the boy has grown to cherish her as much as he does his other pokemon. Brendan's approval made way for Marshtomp's, and before long, Latias was slotted into the team like she'd been there since day one.

Zinnia takes notice of Lee and smirks. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. You're the last one to get up. Finally starting to slack off on us?"

"I sleep under a cover of genuine Ninetales fluff - that would knock anyone out." Lee raises his nose as if he is talking to a peasant. "Besides…" He glances at a clock on the wall. "It's not even 9 o'clock."

"Yeah, but you're the cook around here, so it's your duty to get up first," Zinnia shoots back, pointing an accusing finger.

Lee crosses his arms and leans on the wall. "I'm sure you could have cooked up something for yourself if you weren't busy brooding." After a moment of silence, he continues. "Something on your mind? You've been out of sorts for a few days now."

The question draws Brendan and Latias out of their pseudo-meditation, Brendan looking at Zinnia with concern as well.

Zinnia opens her mouth to answer, only to stop and consider her words. After another false start, she lets out a sigh, seeming exhausted despite the early hour. "I've been… thinking about going to Aster's grave," she finally admits, averting her eyes. "I haven't been since she died, and I wanted to visit before we left, to tell her everything that's going on before things really begin to take off. I dunno if I believe in the afterlife and all that, but I'd like to pretend that she hears me."

'Not since her death?'

"…You don't want to go alone, do you?" Lee murmurs his realization aloud.

Still looking down, Zinnia shakes her head.

"We'd be happy to go with you," Brendan jumps in, a small smile on his face. "I'd love to meet her. I gotta at least tell her she made a great choice in picking you for the new Lorekeeper."

Try as she might to remain dour, Zinnia smiles. "Brendan, give it a few years and we're going to have to beat the girls off you with a stick. I want to do this before I lose my nerve, so how about we have breakfast and head out?"

And they do just that; Lee rouses Ninetales with a poke to her mind, and she sleepily trots into the room with Lee's pokeball-laden belt in her teeth. Brendan and Zinnia likewise let their teams out, and after everyone is fed and ready, they head outside, and all of the pokemon except Lee's Corviknight, Brendan's Latias, and Zinnia's Noivern are returned to their balls.

"Ready for your first solo flight, kiddo?" a grinning Zinnia asks Brendan as she helps him saddle-up Latias.

"I've been flying; I took my flying license test on Corviknight a week ago," Brendan grumbles, already looking a bit green around the gills.

"Flying on a bird is way different from flying on a Dragon!" Zinnia exclaims, gesturing to Latias, who watches the goings-on with nervous yellow eyes. "A big metal bird may as well be an airplane!"

Off to the side, Lee sits on Corvi's back, already mounted up and ready to go. The giant crow clicks his tongue as he listens to Zinnia.

"Don't listen to the adrenaline junkie, Corvi." Lee pats his mount's wing, watching as Brendan unsurely climbs onto Latias' back, making the hovering dragon dip a few inches. "She has no idea what she's talking about."

Despite knowing that the saddle on Latias was hand-made by a tribe of dragon tamers and should theoretically stand up to just about anything, Lee can't help but be a little anxious on Brendan's behalf.

Latias is fast.

Brendan's newest pokemon is a proper and powerful legendary, and that was made extremely apparent to everyone once they did some inter-team sparring. Latias eclipses damn near every other pokemon between them when it comes to raw power, and the only thing holding her back is her lack of combat experience. Of Lee's pokemon, only Ninetales and Sylveon are able to properly stand up to Latias.

'Latias has to be propelling herself with a positively ridiculous amount of Psychic TE, possibly with Flying TE mixed in. I really hope Brendan doesn't get sick or get blown off of Latias' back. The second one would be really hard to explain to Nigel…'

'If Latias has any sense, she's holding onto Brendan with telekinesis,' Ninetales chimes in, watching through Lee's eyes.

'We can only hope.'

Once Brendan is situated, Zinnia climbs onto the back of her Noivern, who is also sporting a Draconid-made saddle. "Lee, Brendan, stay on Noivern's tail, and don't get left behind! Fly, girl!"

Noivern takes to the air with a screech and a flap of leathery wings. Latias follows, and Corvi brings up the rear.

Zinnia and Noivern rise, taking them out of the crater and up above the plateau into the biting, early-autumn wind. Lee silently curses himself for not taking the ten seconds to get his scarf out, already knowing his face is going to be wind burned by the time they land.

The group cuts a wide turn, banking south and heading towards a low part of the plateau devoid of any Dragon nests. Once they level out, Lee gazes ahead of him at Latias and Brendan, nodding in satisfaction that Brendan is still securely on his dragon's back.

The flight only takes about twenty minutes, and Zinnia mercifully directs Noivern to come in for a gentle, gradual landing rather than a dive like Lee was half expecting. One after the other, the group touches down several dozen yards away from a stretch of barren ground covered in mossy stones with an equally mossy hill flanking its western side.

Slowly lowering herself off of Noivern's back, Zinnia takes a deep breath and stares at the field of stones with trepidation.

Beside her, Brendan shakily dismounts Latias as Lee does the same with Corvi. Taking in the flat ground, a chilling sensation runs down Lee's back, and he realizes what the rocks jutting out of the ground are.

Stepping a bit closer to one, Lee kneels down and wipes away the dirt and moss clinging to the stone, finding a flat face bearing the scratchy characters of the Draconid script staring back. "So this is the place?"

Zinnia nods, evidently unable to find her voice.

The trio return each of their flyers to their balls, then Brendan and Lee closely flank Zinnia as she leads them to the hill in the distance.

As they walk, Lee looks around, taking in the graveyard with more scrutiny. 'The headstones are arranged in twos, threes, fours… Are the trainers and their pokemon buried together?'

A short chill not wholly his own rolls in Lee's gut, and he places a hand over Nine's ball.

The short walk takes them to the foot of the hill where a jagged stone roughly 4 feet high sticks out of the ground. Like the others, moss has begun to claim it, but the growth hasn't yet climbed up far enough to obscure the scratchy writing.

Zinnia lays a hand on the stone, falling silent. Her face cycles through emotions so quickly that Lee can barely keep track, but she eventually settles on deep grief. The expression is so alien on her usually-smiling face that Lee is taken aback.

"Hi, Aster," Zinnia murmurs, rubbing her thumb over the inscription upon the stone. "I'm sorry for not visiting. Hell, I barely mustered up the nerve to come here. It still feels so strange to me that you… aren't here." Zinnia gulps heavily. "It almost feels like a dream - a bad one. Nothing seems real, standing here."

Brendan takes one of Zinnia's hands, and Lee leans closer, pressing his shoulder to hers.

The contact eases the pale pallor on Zinnia's face, and she resumes speaking. "I've been doing all I can as Lorekeeper, but I'll be damned if I don't have big shoes to fill," she says with a weak chuckle. "Bagon evolved about half a year ago, and he's almost ready to evolve again - so close that it'll be any day now. From Bagon to Salamence in under a year; isn't that something? I thought you and your Salamence were a bit crazy to give me Sala's first egg, but he's doing his dad proud."

'Aster's Salamence is Shelgon's father?' Lee files the interesting tidbit away for later. 'So Shelgon is only around four years old.'

'Considering most dragons have a decade between each evolution, Shelgon's growth is extraordinary,' Ninetales chimes in, her words heard only by Lee.

"We wouldn't have gotten there alone, though." Zinnia smiles thinly and puts an arm around Brendan and Lee's shoulders each. "Aster, meet Lee and Brendan - my best friends." She pauses for a beat. "After you, of course."

Lee can't withhold an amused snort, but Brendan rolls with it, a smile on his face.

"It's nice to finally meet you, Aster!" Brendan addresses the gravestone cheerfully. "I think I've liked everything I've heard about you, and I'm kinda sad that we'll never talk face-to-face. I just wanted to say that you made a great choice in a new Lorekeeper. Zinnia is like the sister I never had, so I see exactly what you saw in her too."

Once Brendan is done, Lee speaks up as well. "The love Zinnia had—has—for you is quite apparent every time she talks about you, Aster," Lee begins quietly. "It reminds me of my own late mentor, who set me on the path I'm on today. Did you know Zinnia started traveling with me and Brendan because I reminded her of you?" Lee shakes his head with a small smile. "That's a compliment to me if I've ever heard one. I think we would have been good friends, you and I, judging from all the fantastic qualities you passed to Zinnia."

A sniffle interrupts Lee before he can say anything more, and looking down at Zinnia, Lee finds her eyes watery and her mouth set into a wobbly smile. "You two…" She says nothing more, pulling both into a tight hug.

Lee wraps an arm over Zinnia's shoulders as Brendan hugs her around the middle. For a moment, they simply stand together like that, and warmth seeps into Lee's core.

It feels as if his little family has grown a bit bigger today.

Zinnia's trembling shoulders begin to still, and she blinks the tears from her eyes with a final sniffle. Her red eyes trail down to the brown cloak over her shoulders, and Lee follows her gaze.

The ragged, brown cloak is something Zinnia has always kept close, for she's only ever taken it off to bathe, clean it, or if she was otherwise forced to. It's precious to her, as anyone can see.

'What prompted this sudden inspection?'

Zinnia gently pries herself free from Brendan and Lee and, after a moment of hesitation, reaches up to the collar of her cloak and unties it. The cloth comes free, and Zinnia heavily steps forward to drape it onto Aster's gravestone.

"I think it's time I gave this back to you, Aster," Zinnia whispers, tying the neck strap and stepping back, letting the cloak flutter in the plateau breeze. "I don't need it anymore."

'Oh…'

All three of them stand and stare at the gravestone for a moment, the only sound being the returned cloak fluttering in the wind, and Zinnia's pokeballs slowly shaking on their magnetic clips.

'Do you mourn too, Shelgon?' Ninetales wonders as Lee glances at Zinnia's pokeballs. 'Were our places traded, I would.'

With a tired sigh, Zinnia rubs her arms, as if to ward away a chill.

"Do you want my jacket, Zinnia?" Lee can't help but offer. "It is kind of chilly up here."

Zinnia's reply is a short laugh. "Thanks, but no thanks, Dolittle. Don't bust out any charm on me, or your fox will get jealous."

'I'm not so petty…' Ninetales grumbles with only Lee to hear.

Lee lets out a half-laugh, half-exhale and smiles. "Okay, but if you change your mind, tell me. I'm not bothered by the cold."

Oh, and how true that is. Over the last month, he and Ninetales have been practicing with their unusual bond to furret out all the secrets they can. One interesting, if only situationally useful, thing they discovered is that Ninetales can shunt Fire TE into Lee, warming his entire body.

'But now that you have a good foundation for Fairy TE and can extend your tails with it, I still think a tail-tent or a tail-cocoon is better for keeping warm,' Lee sends to Ninetales.

Ugh. Fairy TE. What a headache that stuff is. TE already breaks physics, but Lee's now-grizzled inner scientist still nearly had a heart attack when he realized that Fairy TE runs off of pure belief and nothing else. Ninetales can use it to extend her tails because of course she should be able to do that.

Fairies run off of ork magic. No wonder Fairy experts can't explain how their favorite type works. How do you explain "it just works" to someone and expect them to take it at face value?

At least the realization has made training Sylveon easier…

Before Lee can get caught in a spiral of loathing for Fairy TE's flagrant disregard of the natural world, one of Zinnia's pokeballs wobbles furiously, then pops open, making everyone jump in surprise.

In a flash, Shelgon materializes at Zinnia's feet.

"Shelgon?" Zinnia blinks in surprise. "What's wrong?"

The armor-bound dragon growls, looking past Zinnia and into the sky behind her.

As one, the trio of trainers turn, following Shelgon's gaze.

In the distance flying towards them is a Dragapult, a Garchomp, and a Dragonite, all of them with the sun to their backs. Through the light, silhouettes of riders can be seen astride each dragon.

'The Draconid Elders,' Lee realizes, narrowing his eyes. 'What are they doing here?'

'Perhaps the day has come for the test Taxus insists upon.' Ninetales watches the Elders begin their descent through Lee's eyes. 'Unless they all collectively decided today was the day to pay respects to the honored dead.'

Trepidation wells up in Lee, but Ninetales is quick to soothe it. 'Worry not, Beloved,' she says gently. 'We've risen to new and fantastic heights, and I'm confident we can handle whatever it is they ask of us.'

'You're right…' Lee takes a deep breath as the Elders land a dozen yards away and dismount. 'We can do it.'

"Elders," Zinnia tersely greets as Taxus, flanked by Juniper and Danae, approaches. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Such a prickly attitude is unbecoming, Thelban," Taxus says, clicking his tongue. He looks between Zinnia and Aster's grave, his eyes lingering on the cloak wrapped around the stone. "The time has come to test your worth. It is fortuitous that you are here, for this solemn place is where your foe resides."

Zinnia's eyes narrow. "Here? In a graveyard?" she asks, panning her gaze around. "What, going to sic a Ghost on us?"

Taxus ignores her and continues on, though his severe scowl deepens. "You three wish for Draconid treasures, and treasures you shall have… should you pass the coming trial. Naraikvejor!" he barks, addressing both Brendan and Lee. "Present your Grovyle and Marshtomp."

Lee and Brendan reach for their belts, and in twin flashes, Grovyle and Marshtomp stand in front of their trainers with stony faces.

"For this test most important, we would ask to hold the rest of your pokeballs for safekeeping…" Danae's face looks as if he's sucking a lemon, going along with all of this. "This is a trial for the holders of the treasures, and only the holders of the treasures. We mean no insult, but…"

"You don't want someone jumping in if things get heated," Lee finishes with a frown.

"I understand, but I don't like it…" Brendan is the first to comply, reluctantly handing the rest of his team to Danae, who takes the balls with him.

Before Lee can do the same, Ninetales's ball wobbles before bursting open, letting the vixen out. Once she finishes materializing, Lee's pokeballs float off of his belt, held by Nine's telekinesis.

'If it is all the same,' Ninetales coolly begins, projecting her thoughts out to everyone around and causing more than one person to tense up, 'then I will observe in-person and retain custody of the team,' she says, practically daring them to object.

Taxus opens his mouth to do just that, but Juniper beats him to the punch.

"If you so wish, Naraikvejor Ninetales, but let it be known that interference will not be tolerated," Juniper warns, prompting her sleepy-looking Dragonite to stand up straighter.

Zinnia is the last to surrender her pokeballs, and does so with a scowl on her face. "We could have avoided this song and dance if you had just trusted me and sided with Danae, ya know," she grinds out, dropping four pokeballs into Juniper's hands.

The old woman looks away, age-bleached locks hiding her eyes. "I needed to know that you were ready. My wish is to not bar your way, but to not bury another child, O Granddaughter. Would you begrudge me so?" she whispers.

Zinnia sucks in a breath and turns away herself. "Granny, there is too much at stake to worry about that."

Juniper closes her shaking hands around Zinnia's pokeballs without answering.

"If you've any final preparations to make, do so now," Taxus orders. When no one moves, he nods sharply. "We shall begin immediately, then." With that, he turns towards Aster's grave. "Defeat the coming foe as if your life depends on it."

Raising his hands above his head, Taxus begins to speak the guttural tongue of the Draconids. "O unar vak'thoz vulden, ma yirn tuk zenvok. Fenrok tu zerak, vaz krelki or'nad fruv vor rokam. Zhex mazz fo ur vaz tazhn!" he exclaims, his eyes bulging and voice rising into a roar.

'What's he doing? Who is he talking to?' Lee wonders, his gut sinking.

Taxus lowers his arms as he speaks the final word, and the graveyard falls into a tense quiet.

Then, the hill behind Aster's grave begins to shake.

No, the hill behind Aster's grave begins to stand up.

The moss on the hill blackens and smolders as the air grows hot and dry.

Four stout legs ending in razor claws lift the hill up, as a tail as thick as a tree lifts and slams into the ground, shaking the entire plateau and cratering the rock beneath it.

The smoking moss flakes away, and from under the burning greenery, a pair of red reptile wings unfold.

Finally, a head on a long neck rises, and a pair of bloodshot eyes snap open to stare damningly at all of them.

"No… No way…" Zinnia's eyes go wide as she watches. Her legs wobble, and she actually falls to her knees, staring at the emerging behemoth with disbelief. "I thought he died with Aster," she chokes out, each word wounded.

Lee can't help but take a step back as Grovyle fearlessly jumps in front of him, glowing Siphon Blade at the ready. Craning his head back, Lee looks up at the monster before them.

Glaring at them is a gigantic Salamence. No, gigantic is underselling it. The beast is the size of a house and radiates so much heat that Lee's throat is going dry. Each leg could stomp a person flat, and the Salamence's jaws would bite a man in half with room to spare.

Lee's eyes travel down.

The Salamence's ribs are showing through his skin, and his scales are dull with malnutrition, painting a horrifying image.

"Zinnia?" Brendan asks, his words shaking. "Is this who I think it is?"

The Lorekeeper wordlessly nods, her eyes fixed to the gargantuan dragon.

'Aster's Salamence…' Lee realizes with a sharp intake of breath. 'He was lying down long enough for moss to grow on him… Has he been lying there since she was put to rest?!' Lee can scarcely believe it and shakes his head.

"Force these hatchlings from the nest, O Marred One," Taxus murmurs, his words uncharacteristically gentle and reverent. "Prove to us your partner's wisdom."

The Salamence wordlessly rears his wings back, and Lee winces when the air pressure sharply drops, popping his ears.

Then Salamence throws his wings forward.

Lee can't even yelp as a hurricane of howling wind and dust consumes the graveyard. A thrill of panic overtakes everything else when his feet leave the ground.

'Lee!'

Even Ninetales' distress is drowned out by the sudden storm.

Tumbling end over end, Lee tries to open his eyes and see what is going on, only to hiss and screw them shut when sand flies into them.

As quickly as it came, the hurricane passes, and Lee lets out a cough when he lands hard on his back, knocking the wind from his lungs.

Beside him, Brendan and Zinnia also gracelessly fall with grunts, as do their pokemon. The only one to land on their feet is Grovyle, who keeps his glowing blade and narrowed eyes ready the entire time.

'Lee! Lee! Answer me! Are you okay?!' Ninetales urgently asks.

'I'm fine, Nine,' he sends back, receiving Nine's relief in reply. Scrambling to his feet, Lee looks around and-

"What the fuck?" He can't stop the words as he looks in the distance towards another plateau, where the Elders, their dragons, and Ninetales all stand as dots. He looks around, and the graveyard is gone. "We're on another plateau?"

Brendan and Zinnia both stand up, as do Marshtomp and Shelgon. "Seems so." Brendan winces and rubs the back of his head.

"That was Whirlwind, or it looked like it." Zinnia brushes dirt off of herself. The sound of wings makes her look up, her expression morphing into alarm. "Move!"

Trainer and pokemon alike all leap backward when Aster's Salamence slams into the ground where they once stood, shattering the rocky ground and throwing chips of stone all around.

Zinnia lowers the arm she was using to shield her face and stares at the massive dragon with hurt. "Sala…"

The Salamence doesn't heed his name being called. Instead, he snarls and roars.

All of them flinch at the ear shattering noise and blast of hot wind. The force of the roar is so great, that each of them needs to lean forward or be thrown to their rear.

All of them sans Shelgon, that is.

Shelgon steps forward without a hint of fear, roaring with just as much ferocity as his father. As he meets Salamence's challenge head-on, Shelgon's shell begins to peel back before the eyes of the watching trainers. Half an inch, two inches, six inches.

Then, Shelgon begins to glow a brilliant white.

Shelgon's metallic armor explodes off of his body as wings sprout from his back. His body swells with muscle, growing to twice its size and then some. A long tail and equally long neck sprout from rear and front. From the neck comes a flat head, flanked by three fins on each side and a maw filled with dagger teeth.

When the glow fades, a second Salamence has taken Shelgon's place.

"He did it!" Zinnia's joy is barely audible over the draconic shouting match. "Shelgon evolved! I knew he could do it!"

That joy dies a swift death when Aster's Salamence's throat glows emerald green.

"Salamence, move!" Zinnia orders.

Salamence aborts his roar, stretches his wings, and flies up just in time. A second later, an impossibly bright Dragon Breath shoots from the elder dragon's mouth, turning the ground into hissing, sputtering lava.

Both Lee and Grovyle step back, and Lee has to turn away, as the glow of the newly made lava patch is blinding. "Zinnia, what's the plan here!?"

"Try and keep him off balance so Salamence can get some hits in for now!" she barks back, her eyes fixed on her dragon. "Poor Sala looks half dead, but this isn't going to be easy! Not by a longshot!"

"Support, got it!" Brendan forces a smile and a thumbs up. "You heard her, bud!" he says to Marshtomp. "Ice Beam!"

Marshtomp grins a nasty grin and opens his mouth, charging a blue ball of energy.

Lee and Grovyle meet eyes. "Swords Dance, then get up there and show him your Rock Tomb."

Grovyle closes his eyes and focuses, blue, sword-like flashes of raw energy manifesting around him. Taking a deep breath, the swords diffuse into wisps that Grovyle breathes in. Seen only by Lee, Grovyle's muscles grow tense.

'Sala', meanwhile, totally disregards Grovyle and Marshtomp, instead rising into the air to chase down his son. Despite his bulk and emaciation, the elder dragon moves like a fighter jet, rushing down Salamence with vapor tails on his wings.

Salamence throws himself out of the way, blasting Sala with his own Dragon Breath for the trouble. The emerald flames wash over Sala's hide, leaving only minor scorches.

Marshtomp laughs and looses his Ice Beam, sending jagged flashes of cryo-energy into the air right at Sala.

The dragon glances down and snorts, seemingly insulted. He opens his maw, and a white-hot Flamethrower shoots out without any delay, swallowing Ice Beam with ease and coming down upon Marshtomp like a meteor.

Marshtomp's eyes shoot open, and he swaps Ice Beam with a hasty Water Gun, only for Sala's Flamethrower to plow through it and flash every drop into steam.

'Shit! Water-type or not, that'll be the last of Marshtomp if that hits!' Lee's eyes widen. "Grovyle, save Marshtomp!"

The gecko pokemon lights up with a crackling white mantle of Quick Attack, then turns into a green blur that tackles Marshtomp out of the way of Flamethrower with inches to spare.

The flames bathe the ground a split second after the save, and another pool of lava is burned into the rocky ground.

'Arceus, this is Mega Camerupt all over again!' Lee complains to himself. 'This might even be worse. I'm not seeing how power like that can be a trick. It's the real deal.'

"Oh man…" Brendan fixes his eyes on the bubbling patch of molten rock. "Thanks Lee, good save!"

Lee blows out a sigh. "No prob."

"Guys, some help, please!" Zinnia angrily orders. "Chit-chat later! Salamence! Dive down!"

'Right, need to focus. Mega-stones are riding on this.' Lee turns his attention back to Grovyle. "In the air! Quick Attack into Rock Tomb!"

Grovyle explodes off the ground with a white trail streaking behind him, passing Salamence as he goes. A boulder the size of his own body materializes in his claws with a swirl of particulate, and with a grunt, he hurls it at Sala, who is diving after Salamence.

Sala's head shines white in what Lee recognizes as Headbutt. 'There is no way he's going to-!'

The titanic Salamence takes the super effective move right to the head and barrels through without so much as a wince.

Grovyle's Quick Attack flares and he shoots to the side to get out of Sala's way as the dragon comes down, but an opportunistic flick of Sala's tail catches Grovyle right in his stomach with a loud wack!

Every bit of air is knocked out of Grovyle as he shoots towards the ground like a cannonball.

"Quick Attack, stop yourself!" Lee desperately orders, balling his fists up and hoping Grovyle can hear him.

Grovyle grits his teeth, white energy bursting from his body and forcefully arresting his momentum, turning a debilitating crash into a manageable fall. Flipping through the air, Grovyle lands on his feet with a grimace, his stomach already beginning to bruise.

"Salamence, Dragon Claw!" Zinnia is quick to go on the offensive again. "Stop him!"

Salamence swoops low to the ground and flies back up, colliding with Sala in a deadly ball of gnashing teeth and ripping claws. Somehow, Sala remains both airborne and able to fight off the smaller dragon.

"He needs to be grounded ASAP, or Grovyle and Marshtomp are going to be too limited to make a significant difference," Brendan says, watching Sala and Salamence clash midair. A few feet away, Marshtomp waits for a clear shot, Ice Beam already charged in his mouth.

The pair of dragons snap at each other, but Sala clearly has the advantage. The older dragon has more strength, more reach, and knows how to use his body, unlike the freshly-evolved Salamence. It's like watching a robin tangle with a falcon.

"Easier said than done," Zinnia grimly replies, her eyes glued to the fight and waiting to order a disengagement.

"Grovyle," Lee begins, turning to the Grass-type.

The reptile practically reads Lee's mind and shoots back into the air, circling around to Sala's back. Another Rock Tomb grows in Grovyle's hand before he thrusts the boulder at Sala's wings.

Sala hazards a look over his shoulder, and just before Rock Tomb can hit, his wings stiffen and shine with the sheen of Steel Wing. The boulder shatters into pieces on the metallic appendages, doing nothing.

Then through the dust of Rock Tomb, a long, leaf-like blade coated in caustic Dark TE slashes right at the joint of Sala's red wings.

"Yes! Good hit Gro-" Lee's celebration is cut short as he watches the sneak attack land.

Grovyle's Night Slash skitters off of the wing joint like a knife dragged down a steel plate, throwing sparks and leaving only a tiny line of red.

Grovyle himself is so flummoxed by the ineffective attack that he's nearly struck by Sala's Steel Wing when the dragon grunts and thrusts his back out. Only a hasty flare of Quick Attack pulls Grovyle out of harm's way, where he falls back to the ground.

"Damn it all!" Zinnia curses as she sees Grovyle's attack barely do anything. "Salamence, get out of there!"

High above, Salamence snarls and thrashes against his father's hold. It takes all of the younger's strength, but he frees himself from Sala's claws with a number of cuts for his trouble.

The split second before Salamence drops away, Brendan makes his play. "Marshtomp, fire!" He orders.

Marshtomp's crackling Ice Beam flies, three-fourths of the way to its target by the time Salamence is clear.

Sala turns and sees the writhing lance of blue, but it's too late. He twists and takes the beam to his side.

For the first time in the fight, Sala lets out a noise of pain, and it's only a mere growl.

Ice Beam splashes across Sala's scales, covering them in short-lived frost that melts away in seconds, leaving behind a patch of blackened, frostbitten scales.

'A double super-effective hit, and that's all we got from it?' Lee grimaces. He's almost tempted to ask Ninetales for advice, but stays the thread of thought that wants to reach out.

The Elders don't want outside interference, and he doubts gestalts get a technical pass. He still feels Nine's persistent worry, however.

None of them are given any chance to follow up on Marshtomp's successful attack, as Sala rushes to the ground with a flap of his wings. Landing heavily and rumbling the ground, he rushes down Marshtomp with a livid roar.

"Rock Slide!" Brendan doesn't stay stunned by the dragon's speed for long and orders a counter.

Marshtomp jams his hands into the ground, and with a grunt and a heave, upends the earth between him and the charging Sala. The rocky ground explodes into jagged stones and heavy rocks, all bearing down on Sala with intent to maim.

Sala growls once more, not letting his focus on Marshtomp slip for a second. As he runs headfirst into the barrage of stones, he sucks in a deep breath and lets out an earth-shattering Roar.

The blast of sound and air blows a wide void through Rock Slide, letting Sala charge through without being hit by so much as a pebble.

"Grovyle!" Lee calls, hoping to save Marshtomp.

"Salamence!" Zinnia barks, having the same thought.

Both pokemon, however, are a hair too slow, as Sala's head shoots forward, his jaws wrapping around one of Marshtomp's arms.

Cra-cra-crack!

The sound of Marshtomp's arm breaking like a dry twig is loud, even over the remnants of Rock Slide crashing to the ground, but Marshtomp doesn't so much as flinch. No, instead, he bellows in anger and throws a savage Mega Punch crackling with fury into Sala's jaw with his free arm.

The dragon winces from the blow that would have brought a house down and twists his neck, making to throw Marshtomp away.

In reply, Marshtomp drives his free fingers into the ground and grips the plateau with everything he has, gritting his teeth and stopping Sala in his place.

Sala growls and yanks on the broken arm in his teeth, only getting a grunt from Marshtomp.

"Guys, disable him now before Marshtomp gives out!" Brendan urges.

"Rock Tomb!"

"Dragon Claw!"

Grovyle and Salamence charge at their trainer's orders. Grovyle rushes and leaps onto Sala's back, forming a boulder in his grasp as he does so. With a cry, he smashes Rock Tomb right into the slowly bleeding wing joint he cut earlier, forcing the wound open further with blunt trauma. Then he leaps away as Salamence comes down like a dropped anvil, landing on Sala's back. Salamence roars as he jams his red-and-blue claws into the wound Grovyle made, savaging everything he can.

Sala's eyes bulge, then narrow in hate. He tugs Marshtomp again, pulling the mudfish's hand out of the ground, then he bucks wildly, throwing Salamence to the ground.

The damage, however, is done. Sala's left wing is limp, but rather than chase Grovyle and Salamence, he instead turns his rage to Marshtomp, intent on finishing off the foe he caught before taking another.

Sala raises his head, then slams Marshtomp into the ground like a ragdoll.

Again.

And again.

And again.

"Marshtomp, no!" Brendan reaches a helpless hand out, his face stricken.

Grovyle and Salamence rush in to help, but Sala whirls around with deceptive speed. He uses the barely-conscious Marshtomp like a flail and smacks Grovyle aside. Sala's tail, meanwhile, coated in the cloak of Dragon Tail, smashes right into Salamence's skull, knocking the younger dragon for a loop.

Finally, Sala releases Marshtomp, throwing the bloodied and brutalized Water-type to Brendan's feet in an unconscious heap.

"Quick Attack, move in and flank!" Lee dares only spend a second looking away from Sala as Grovyle and Salamence start the fight anew, and he cringes when he sees the shape Marshtomp is in.

The poor starter's right arm is entirely purple and twisted, and the rest of his body is covered in countless contusions and lacerations. Lee is betting Marshtomp has a few broken ribs with how labored his breathing is, a feat considering just how damn tough Brendan's first pokemon is.

Brendan himself looks as if he's been stabbed in the heart, his face screwed up in turmoil. With a heavy sigh, he schools himself and takes out Marshtomp's ball. "You did amazing, Marshtomp. You're the toughest 'mon I know. Take a rest and return," he murmurs, pointing the ball in his hand down.

In a flash, Marshtomp is safely back in his ball…

…Leaving the fight a losing one.

---

'This is bad.'

Grovyle jumps out of the way of a gout of fire that would have incinerated him. Instead, the Flamethrower carves a shallow channel into the rocky soil. Landing back on the ground, the gecko pokemon frowns mightily as he considers what to do.

From the very start, this fight has been an uphill battle, but with Marshtomp down, things are looking grim.

Grovyle has no illusions on the matter. Of the three pokemon chosen to fight Sala, he is the weakest, no matter how much it shames him to admit it.

Marshtomp's barehanded blows made Sala flinch, and Ice Beam was enough of a threat for the great dragon to focus Brendan's partner down.

Salamence is… well, a Salamence. His claws, bites, and dragonfire slowly but surely wear upon Sala, and his raw power is something to behold. If not for Sala presenting an unfair comparison, Salamence would be awe-inspiring.

And then there is Grovyle.

Weak, ineffective Grovyle.

The gecko struggles to not grit his teeth as he watches Sala and Salamence clash again, rumbling the plateau down to its foundation. The starved dragon is losing steam, but all he can do is hold back and look for an opening, hoping to be useful.

'It seems like hoping to be useful is all I can do…' he thinks bitterly, sending a glance to Lee.

The man Grovyle calls Master has a 'poker face' as humans call it. Others find his face and thoughts hard to discern, but after months together, Grovyle can read him perfectly. The deeper-than-usual frown, the slight tilt of his eyebrows, the slump where he should be tense.

It all points to Lee losing hope for this fight, and he should be.

'After all, he has to rely on me, the failure of the team.' Grovyle clenches his grip around his leaf sword and touches the scars on his chest.

All the movement is making them sting.

These last weeks have seen Grovyle rise to new levels he thought impossible before, but compared to everyone else? He may as well be running in place.

Ninetales, Corviknight, Latias, and Shelgon (now Salamence), would all trounce him easily.

Breloom, Mawile, Marshtomp, Octillery, Altaria, and Noivern would each be a fight that took his all, with no guarantee of victory.

Tyrunt, Sylveon, and Electrike all nip at his heels, threatening to overrun him.

The only ones he can say he is truly better than are Goomy and Shinx, and comparing himself to an infant is pathetic.

'It'll be even more pathetic when Shinx overtakes me…' He narrows his yellow eyes down to slits.

Lee promised to take Grovyle to heights unseen, to be the very best, like no one ever was, and in accepting, Grovyle silently promised to live up to such lofty expectations.

Lee's side of the bargain remains fulfilled, while Grovyle has been reduced to a liar.

The gyms? Mostly losses.

The volcano? Swatted down like nothing.

And now here, during a critical trial that decides if they get tools that could help save the entire world?

He's losing.

What has he done for the team during his tenure? Why, he won a piddly beach tournament after Shelgon and Vulpix did all the hard work.

Because he is Grovyle, the failure.

"Quick Attack into Night Slash, left flank!"

Grovyle's body moves on pure instinct at the order. He flies across the ground and swings his sword in a wide arc, aiming to drive the slash right into Sala's frostbite weakened skin.

The attack connects with the blackened flesh, and Grovyle is rewarded with a mere trickle of blood.

'Not enough.'

Grovyle ducks and retreats when Sala turns and snaps with flaming jaws, nearly catching and roasting Grovyle alive. The dragon turns back to Salamence with a snarl when a Dragon Pulse catches him in the side of the head, and the two dragons are back to their melee.

Fueled by a fresh evolution or not, Salamence is beginning to flag under Sala's onslaught, and it's plain to Grovyle. His limbs shake, his wounds are piling up, and the blood on the ground is more his than Sala's.

Once Salamence goes down, it's all a forgone conclusion.

As if to punctuate that thought, Sala bullrushes Salamence, barreling over the smaller dragon and driving his electrified Thunder Fangs into his son's neck.

"Salamence, get out of there!" Zinnia screams, eyes wide in fright. "Listen to my voice and push him off!"

Salamence can only screech in pain, twitching as he's electrocuted.

"Grovyle, get in there! Night Slash into his back wound!" Lee orders, desperation in his voice.

Grovyle's feet move before the last syllable is out of Lee's mouth. The world blurs to Grovyle's eyes, and a second later, he's bearing down on Sala, stabbing his purple-hued sword into the ugly mess of a wound on his foe's back.

Sala was apparently waiting for this, though, as the beast turns with devilish speed and rams his skull into Grovyle's stomach, not at all caring about the Night Slash that scrapes across his thick neck.

Blood and spittle is forced from his mouth, and Grovyle feels a rib shatter. When he hits the ground, he struggles to draw breath through the pain, but he still forces himself back to his feet.

Sala turns away from his panting son, his bloodshot eyes regarding Grovyle with annoyance.

Not wariness, not anger, just annoyance.

Then Sala slowly begins to stalk forward, the ground rumbling with each step, and Grovyle knows he's done for. Still, he raises his sword, and looks towards Lee.

The man smiles gently back, free of blame or accusations. Like this isn't Grovyle's fault.

'It is, though. It's my fault for being weak. I can't defend anything I hold dear.' Grovyle screws his eyes shut, frustration bubbling over. 'I don't want to be weak, I don't want to be the only ordinary one amongst the extraordinary, I don't want to be left behind,'

In his mind's eye, he sees Lee, Corviknight, and Ninetales, all walking with their backs to him.

He tries to chase them, but he runs in place as they get further and further away, walking towards a light, something grand that he can't have. Then Octillery passes him, and Sylveon, and Shinx.

'I don't want to be left behind.'

They take another step.

'I don't want to be left behind!'

Their silhouettes begin to fade.

'I don't want to be left behind!'

They're gone.

Gone.

Gone without him.

'I refuse!'

A dam breaks, and a shining cloak of white bursts from Grovyle's scales, drawing a gasp from him.

His muscles writhe and his bones creak, and the ground grows further away as his limbs lengthen. His tail thickens, sprouting bladed leaves. The leaf on his head retracts, forming ridges over his eyes. On his back, a dual row of seeds push themselves from his scales.

The light fades, and Grovyle is no more. In his place is Sceptile.

Sceptile looks down at himself.

On his chest, his scars are no more, reduced to a faded starburst in his scales. He twists his arms, finding no pain or pulling.

Oh. Oh, he can feel everything.

Everything.

From the tip of his tail, to the point of his nose, and every scale in between, he can feel all of them.

Awareness of himself, in utter totality. The direction of the breeze on his scales, the beat of his heart, the synapses of his brain firing, each one consciously accounted for. It should be overwhelming, his brain should be melting out of his ears from the overload.

With a thought, his heart slows down to almost nothing. As he expects, his vision blurs and his limbs grow chilled, so he lets go of the organ.

Then he speeds it up, and he grows warm and restless as his blood surges.

It's all natural, just as natural as the muscles as taut as spring-steel beneath his skin.

He lets out a breath and allows his heart to settle.

He feels so light, so unburdened. If he so much as twitches his ankles with too much excitement, he'll fly up and never come down.

Sceptile turns his head towards Lee, and his heart soars.

Lee is looking at him with undisguised awe, an expression usually reserved for Corviknight and Ninetales.

'I won't be left behind.' He smiles around his chewing twig. 'Not now, not ever.'

Whatever shock Sala was feeling after witnessing Sceptile's evolution passes, as the dragon growls and charges once more.

On pure instinct, Sceptile spools up both Detect and Quick Attack, and the world slows to a crawl to him. Sala looks as if he's running through molasses, and is so slow that Sceptile has enough time to count each scale on his foe's face, if he were to feel so inclined.

One of the leaves on his forearm lengthens and twists, forming a blade as long as a Sceptile is tall with the same- no, greater- ease he did as Grovyle. Grasping his weapon, Sceptile sends Lee a smile and a wink.

In slow motion, Lee smiles back with a nod.

Sceptile turns his attention back to Sala. "Now, foe of mine." He lethargically raises his weapon. "Let us see how you combat that which you cannot hit."

The gecko pokemon races forward, and with all the might in his reforged arm, swings his Siphon Blade into Sala's leg.

His arm strains against the blue scales, but where nothing gave before, a split opens in the elder dragon's limb and blood begins to run.

In Sceptile's slowed world, it takes a few seconds for the pain to hit. Sala wastes no time moving once it does hit him, though, lashing out with flame-coated fangs.

Fangs that Sceptile has already dodged. He's on Sala's other flank.

"A failure no longer!" Sceptile declares before raising his sword and swinging again.

Blood flies through the air.

---

"Grovyle evolved…" Lee can barely contain his excitement, having waited for this moment for months.

Gro-Sceptile takes the brief moment of surprise from everyone to look down at himself with a discerning eye, turning his hands over and bouncing lightly on his feet. He turns his gaze to Lee, and Lee can only beam.

Sceptile smiles back.

'He's needed this for so long, and to evolve right here of all times and places! I knew you'd pull through for us, Sceptile.' Lee puts his hands together and says a short thanks to Arceus.

Sala, evidently tired of waiting, charges Sceptile with a chest-rumbling growl.

The Grass-type on the field gives Lee a wink, one that says "trust me", and Lee nods back without hesitation.

Then he blinks and Sceptile is… gone?

Lee blinks his eyes again and Sceptile seems to vanish. A second later, Sala lets out a deafening roar of frustration, drawing Lee back into the fight.

'Wait, what the hell happened? I looked away from him for only a few seconds!'

On Sala are four wounds that weren't there a moment ago, each one is long, deep, and weeping red onto the ground. They look like sword strikes, not claws.

Then another opens on his back, blood spraying up in an arc.

Another slash appears on one of his hind legs, which buckles under the wound.

Tiny cuts are slit right above Sala's eyes from a source unseen, which send irritating blood right into his vision.

The dragon roars in rage again. From his throat, white fire pours out as he spins in a circle, setting the entire rocky field ablaze and slagging the ground. The suddenly superheated ground prompts Zinnia's Salamence to shake off his electrocution and rise into the air with a flap of his wings, lest he suffer burns.

"What's going on? Where did Sceptile go?" Brendan asks, panning his head around.

Lee recalls where he saw something like this before, all the way back in his gym match with Moore in Lavaridge.

---

Lee blinks when he hears a squeal of pain, and as he blinks, Arcanine disappears from his sight. No, wait, what happened?!

Arcanine is already upon Octillery, mauling the octopus and shaking him around like a ragdoll. Octillery twitches and writhes under the crackling, electrified fangs digging into his flesh.

'What the fuck?! I could've sworn I saw him standing still a moment ago!' Lee's mind whirls. Arcanine didn't leave behind some kind of illusion, did he? No? 'Lord above, he moved so fast that he actually tricked my eyes. I just saw a real after image.'

---

"Honest to Arceus afterimages…" Lee whispers in disbelief, drawing looks from Zinnia and Brendan. "Sceptile is so damn fast we can't even see him!"

As if to prove Lee's point, Sceptile appears on Sala's back like a phantom. No blur, no whoosh of air, nothing. He's simply not there one moment, then there the next. Before Sala can do much of anything, Sceptile lashes out with a kick that slams into the back of the large dragon's skull, nearly driving his muzzle into the ground.

Sala turns his neck and snaps his jaws, but Sceptile is already long gone.

"We can win this. We can actually win this! Salamence!" Zinnia's manic grin is on full blast. "He's getting tired! We just need one good knockout blow now! Use the openings Sceptile makes!"

Another slash bursts open on Sala's side, and on pure instinct, the dragon turns and bathes the area in fire.

Salamence launches a Dragon Pulse right into Sala's unprotected side, making the larger dragon flinch.

Sala turns to Salamence with a growl and fires off his own Dragon Pulse, which rages right along with its wielder, only for Salamence to twist midair and dodge.

There is a barely visible flicker of green, and another cut rends Sala's side, forming an X with another wound.

Sala turns and blasts the area in fire, missing, and opening himself up for another Dragon Pulse from Salamence.

The game of cat and mouse continues, with each new wound slowing the great beast of a reptile down further. With his wing crippled, he can't hope to chase down Salamence, and Sceptile's new speed is simply something he can't keep up with. Sala tries changing tactics, like smashing the ground with omnidirectional attacks like Bulldoze, but Sceptile simply leaps high and avoids being struck.

'Aster's Salamence is something else. Heartbroken, starved, bleeding like a stuck pig, and he's still trucking through a two-on-one. How strong would he have been in his prime?' Lee wonders, conjuring an image akin to Godzilla in his head. 'Hell, maybe Zinnia undersold Aster, if that's even possible.'

Eventually, though, Sala's focus slips too far, and Zinnia calls for the last blow.

"Zen Headbutt!"

Sala turns his head just in time for Salamence to smash his shimmering forehead between his eyes. The sound of the dragons colliding is like a bomb, and is just as harsh on the ears.

With a tired, pained groan, Aster's partner falls to his stomach, his head drooping from the blow. He stares up at Salamence, who is panting and covered in wounds, with something akin to pride in his eyes. Then unconsciousness finally takes the behemoth, and his head falls to the ground with a thud!

For a moment, everyone waits with bated breath to see if the monstrous pokemon will get back to his feet. When he doesn't, Lee lets himself relax. "Holy hell…"

"Holy hell," Zinnia agrees, turning her eyes to the distant plateau where the Elders are mounting their dragons. "If that didn't impress, then I don't know what will."

Lee shakes his head as Sceptile materializes next to him in a flash of movement. "If they want anything more after an exhausting fight like that, I'm telling them to stick those mega-stones where the sun don't shine."

Zinnia snorts, then turns her attention to Salamence, who is lumbering over. "Excuse me, boys, I need to go admire my dragon," she says with a wide grin, almost skipping over to Salamence.

Beside Lee, Sceptile smirks around his twig and crosses his arms. He looks down at Lee and makes an inquisitive, throaty trill, one that seems amused. "So what's that about an exhausting fight? I'm the one who fought. How are you the tired one?"

"Don't spoil the pride I have for you." Lee levels Sceptile with a mock glare, but can't quite stop the smile that wants to rise to his face. Grovyle evolved! It still feels so good; so good, in fact that he throws an arm around Sceptile's shoulders and pulls him into a side hug.

Going for a hug, however, makes Lee notice that the Grass-type is now a good eight inches taller than him. "Huh, you're taller than expected. You're going to need another physical so I can get a new baseline on you."

Sceptile sighs. "Can't it wait?"

"Until tonight? Sure thing."

The next sigh is twice as exasperated.

---

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---

"Why wasn't I told that Sala is still alive?"

Zinnia's biting question is the first thing spoken as everyone sits down in the hut Lee and company have called home for the last six weeks.

Seated across from Zinnia with Danae at her side, Elder Juniper sighs deeply. "We thought him gone as well, Granddaughter," she speaks, each word weary. "When we found him beside what remained of Aster, he was delirious with grief, and we could not approach for fear of his aimless wrath. Then he took to the skies, flying to Metron'fall Krate, and we could not pursue, for we had to prepare the final rites of Aster. We feared he wished for solitude, to expire from a broken heart in peace." Juniper closes her eyes. "Weeks after Aster left into the sweet embrace of the ancestors, he returned, curling by her grave and refusing to hear any words spoken to him."

Zinnia's frown is decidedly unsatisfied. "That still doesn't explain why I wasn't told."

"We assumed you knew, Thelban. We assumed that of all our tribesmen, you would have gone to pay respects countless times and seen him," Danae murmurs, refusing to meet Zinnia's eyes.

Her frown transforming into a frustrated snarl, Zinnia turns her head and growls. Whether she's upset with herself or the elders, Lee isn't sure.

Sitting with Zinnia on the couch with Ninetales and Sceptile standing to his right, Lee swaps between listening to the Draconid's conversation and looking out the window, where Sala lies curled up just outside the hut.

It's no wonder Zinnia wasn't concerned about Sala when he finally lost the energy to keep fighting: the brute got back up within ten minutes, many of his lacerations already scabbing over. Even then, though, Lee's first instinct was to treat the dragon's wounds. Sala tried to ward him away with a snarl, but Lee wasn't having any of that.

---

"Don't give me that shit." Lee answers Sala with a seldom-used scowl. "You lost, bud, and I know how dragons handle things like this. Your fate is in our-" he gestures to himself, a smirking Sceptile, a stone-faced Salamence, and an amused Zinnia "-hands. If I say I want to fix you up, you're in no position to complain."

Lee drops his bag, unzips it, and fishes around inside, producing a Sitrus berry and a capped Super Potion. He thrusts the berry towards a flabbergasted Sala. "Now eat this and hang tight."

Still stunned, Sala takes the offered berry with care. The apple-sized fruit is comically small between the dragon's teeth and is swallowed without needing to be chewed.

Lee watches with a self-assured nod, then clambers into Sala's back, uncapping his potion and giving the gory wing-joint wound a critical look. "This is going to sting, just a heads-up."

Sala sends a glance towards Sceptile, who just shakes his head. "Don't fight it, you won't win," the Grass-type's amused growl seems to say.

---

With the worst of Sala's wounds taken care of, the great dragon was able to fly all the way back to the Meteorfall Crater at Lee and Zinnia's behest, though he did pause to give Aster's resting place a mournful glance. It was surreal to see all the grumpy dragons nesting around the crater's entrance duck their heads or even vacate the area as Sala flew in.

'I guess Sala is still a big deal to the locals, even after years of being absent,' Lee muses before his thoughts turn to Brendan.

Brendan… The young trainer was obviously put out that Marshtomp went down before he could evolve, but the kid took it like the good sport he is. With a strangely subdued Taxus escorting him, Brendan flew back to the Draconid village astride Latias so Marshtomp could be dropped off at the small clinic in the middle of town.

'Marshtomp is going to be a terror as a Swampert.' Lee can scarcely imagine the damage Brendan's eventual evolved starter will be able to inflict. 'A middle-evo making an oversized dragon flinch with a Mega Punch is unreal.

Zinnia's sigh draws Lee back from his thoughts. "Okay, fine, maybe not knowing about Sala was on me, but what kind of pact was Taxus talking about before Sala stood up?" Zinnia asks, crossing her arms. "Did you old fuckers put him up to that? That was scummy, by the way, questioning Aster's last fucking wish to motivate him."

Lee shoots a quick glance to Ninetales, who looks back. 'Based on what I'm hearing and what little I know of the Draconid tongue, Taxus apparently met Sala prior to today to be the 'test', and strong-armed him into compliance by implying Aster's faith in Zinnia was misplaced.'

Frowning, Lee feels his already low opinion of Taxus sour further.

"We were unaware of Taxus' plan until the moment of revelation," Juniper bitterly admits, her eyes hardening. "We will have words over it."

Before Zinnia can reply, the front door is pushed open, and in walks none other than Taxus with Brendan in tow. Held in Taxus' hands is a large, wooden trunk.

Sweeping into the room with the cloak around his shoulders billowing behind him, Taxus sets the trunk on the low table between the couch and chairs, his face set in a neutral mask.

As Taxus does so, Brendan quietly sits between Lee and Zinnia.

"Thelban Zinnia, Naraikvejor Henson, Naraikvejor Birch," Taxus begins slowly, looking at each one of them in turn. "You and your pokemon have proven yourselves against a trial you were not meant to overcome," he begins, closing his eyes with a sigh. The low candle-light of the hut makes the sweat on his bald brow obvious. "For that reason, I can do nothing but offer you congratulations… and the tools you were promised."

Slowly, reverently, Taxus lifts the lid of the trunk he set down, and the hut is filled with a soft, multi-colored glow.

Lee's breath hitches at what he sees.

Inside the velvet-lined trunk are three fist-sized orbs resembling marbles. Each one shines with its own luminescence, casting colorful rays of light that dance off of the walls. Unlike the keystones they received weeks ago, the mega-stones are already set into bits of armor spotted with green, aged patina.

On the left is a steely-white stone with twists of bright red and blue in its core, and Zinnia is staring at it with undisguised awe. On her belt, Salamence's pokeball shakes, then pops open on its own, making the already small room shrink further with Salamence's bulk. Like Zinnia, Salamence looks down at the little stone with awe, and also a bit of hunger.

'That must be the Salamencite.'

The middle mega-stone is a bright blue with a swirl of rusty orange and a blue of a more ruddy hue. Brendan's wide eyes are drawn to it instantly, as if by instinct.

'The Swampertite. I'm surprised the Draconids have one, considering Swampert isn't a dragon. That must make the last one…'

Lee can't stop the grin that splits his face.

The final mega-stone is a verdant emerald, and its innards are a mix of pale orange and a deep, forest green.

Beside him, Lee can hear Sceptile's sharp intake of breath.

'Sceptilite.'

When Lee began this journey of his with Vulpix all those months ago, never did he expect to actually come into possession of a mega-stone. It seemed like one of those things that a regular person could never ever stumble upon, not without some unreal luck.

'I think our luck is within the realms of 'unreal', Beloved,' Ninetales dryly interjects. 'Now, whether it is good luck or bad luck is a coin flip.'

"I'll be honest, Taxus." Zinnia gives the man an uncertain glare. "I was kinda expecting you to fail us on some kind of technicality."

Taxus looks as if he wants to bristle at Zinnia's words, but stops and takes a deep breath. "It is as I said, you succeeded where you were not expected to. I would shame myself if I went back on my word now," he grinds out. "All I can ask is that you not use Ascension as a toy. Treat these sacred tools and the rite they can invoke with the respect they are owed."

"Thank you, Elder Taxus." Brendan inclines his head with a smile. "We promise we'll use the mega-stones responsibly."

Taxus's scowl falters in the face of Brendan's sincere words. Instead, he crosses his arms and turns his head away. "Thelban Zinnia, Naraikvejor Henson, adorn your dragons. Naraikvejor Birch, guard your stone jealously until its user is ready."

A grin on her face, Zinnia stands and lifts the Salamencite along with its fittings from the trunk, not at all faltering with the stone or the heavy metal attached to it.

"Man, oh man," Lee murmurs, getting to his feet and taking the Sceptilite from the chest. He huffs at the unexpected weight of the armor, only for the burden to ease when a gentle aura of purple glows around the metal. 'Thanks, Love.'

Ninetales answers with a silent smile.

Lifting the Sceptilite and its fastenings up, Lee inspects it in the light of the candle chandelier above.

The actual mega-stone steals the show with its brilliant color and rays, but the chest-piece it's set into is also fantastic. The blueish-green metal forms a gorget with the mega-stone set right in the center. The entire thing is covered in Draconid carvings that Lee can't tell the significance of, and the neck area looks to be padded in wool. After running his thumb over the cool surface for a second, Lee raises an eyebrow. "This color isn't patina," he declares, looking over his shoulder to the elders. "What is this made of?"

"The peoples of the Draconid tribe call it 'Shorveth', Naraikvejor Henson," Elder Danae answers with a smile. "It is a… what is the word? Composite? Alloy? Alloy of meteorite, iron, and copper forged with dragon fire. Very heavy, very strong."

Lee hums to himself, filing that interesting tidbit away for later.

It takes a moment of fiddling, but Lee discovers a latch on the gorget, letting the back of it separate on a pair of hinges. Once he has it open, Lee turns to an eager Sceptile. "Ready?"

Sceptile nods.

Lee lifts the chest piece up, letting Sceptile hold the front while he circles around to Sceptile's back. Once he closes the back and fastens the latch, the whole thing sits neatly around his neck and on his shoulders. "How's it feeling, bud?"

The Grass-type rolls his shoulders and turns his neck, slowly nodding to himself. In a show of dexterity, he flips into a handstand without bashing his tail into the chandelier. Sceptile gives himself a shake, but the padding around the neck of the armor has enough grip that it doesn't slide down and bash him in the jaw.

Flipping back to his feet, Sceptile gives Lee a small smile and a thumbs up.

Lee grins back.

Over with Zinnia, the Lorekeeper is finishing her final fitments to Salamence's own mega-stone. Like Sceptile's, Salamence's stone is set into a carved, blue-green chest piece fitted around his neck. It's considerably thicker than Sceptile's, and when combined with Salamence's half-healed wounds, the dragon cuts a striking figure in the candlelight.

"Oh yeah…" Zinnia takes a step back to properly admire her dragon. "Salamence, you look so damn good wearing that."

Try as he might to remain stoic, Salamence preens under the praise.

Brendan, meanwhile, just takes the stone and its armor, which looks like a giant armband, and carefully tucks it away in his Silph bag. He takes care to shuffle the contents of his backpack so the mega stone sinks to the bottom.

Elder Juniper then clears her throat, drawing all eyes in the room to her. "With the conquering of your trial and the bequeathing of these tools, the faith of the Draconid people has been placed on your shoulders. This world is a troubled one, and it needs steady shepherds to see it through the storm; shepherds such as you three," she says quietly, bowing her head slightly. "The power of Ascension, of Mega-Evolution, is one we cannot teach, for no teacher can know the bond between man and pokemon as they do themselves. We know, however, you will master it."

"Mega-Evolution has not yet been seen in this new world of mass media and technology," Danae takes over, lowering his own head. "This new power is yours to command, and… It will create a paradigm shift. You will be in a unique position, one of consequence."

"It's for that reason that we must reiterate our plea to be responsible. You will drive countless others to seek what they cannot control. Be prepared," Taxus finishes, his eyes narrow and flinty.

Despite having expected a speech beforehand, there is a weight to the word of the elders that leaves Lee the slightest bit unsettled. 'Yeah, mega-evos are still real hush-hush, aren't they? If we use it publicly, there are going to be a lot of eyes on us.'

A moment later, the worry is banished, as Lee remembers the Mt. Chimney incident and the promise he made to himself. A phantom pain in his chest, from a spear of rock that never struck him, makes him narrow his eyes. 'Ha, here I am worrying about what strangers might think again. If I need to deal with a bunch of demanding emails and stares to make Sceptile or, hell, any of my pokemon the best of the best, then so be it.'

Juniper stands as Danae and Taxus make to leave. "We will leave you in peace. You deserve rest after today," she says, walking slower than Danae and Taxus.

The other two elders don't wait up, leaving and closing the door behind them.

Before leaving herself, Juniper lingers. "Zinnia," she says, her words tender. "Please, if you heed any of my words, make it these: be careful." She turns and stares at a startled Zinnia with wet eyes. "If I must bury another child, my heart will surely give out."

"Granny…" Zinnia whispers, her shoulders slumping, sending her earlier fire and defiance to the floor. She slowly makes her way over to Juniper, and takes the short woman into a hug. "I promise I will. I'll make you and Aster proud."

Juniper's singular laugh is quiet, almost too quiet to hear. Lee would have missed it if not for Ninetales' sharp ears. "You already have, my dear. You already have," she whispers back, wrapping her own arms around Zinnia.

Grandmother and granddaughter stay embraced for a moment, then Juniper pulls away, her face weary. "Naraikvejor," she says, nodding once to Brendan and Lee. "I bid you good day. You are friends of the tribe forevermore, and I wish you the best of luck on your mission and your lives after. I am in your debt for caring for my Zinnia."

Lee waves off the admission with a thin smile. "No worries. It's only a chore sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Brendan chimes in with a trouble-making smile.

"You guys are kind of ruining the moment!" Zinnia whirls and levels them both with a glare that lacks any heat.

Juniper laughs once more, this time with genuine mirth. "Haha! Perhaps I worry for nothing after all, if you do not find her a challenge."

With a grunt, Zinnia crosses her arms and looks away, but she grins the entire time.

Composing herself, Juniper inclines her head to the group. "I shall take my leave. These old bones demand rest after today's excitement. Belin guz yara, Thelban, Naraikvejor,"

"Belin guz yara," Zinnia says back, her grin easing into something more gentle. "I love you, Granny."

A smile blooms on Juniper's aged face. "And I, you, Granddaughter."

With that, Juniper leaves, shutting the door behind her.

Once the wing beats of Juniper's Dragonite fade, Zinnia instantly turns to Lee. "Okay, Dolittle, spill it. How does mega evolution work?"

Lee leans back into the couch with a sigh. "The exact mechanics were never explained, and some things were retconned between generations, but I'll explain what I can."

Everyone leans in to listen.

---

"One more time!"

Lee tosses a playing card, a king of hearts depicting a sleepy Slowking, up into the air. Slowly it flutters down, carried by the gentle wind currents that blow in from the opening in the crater.

Suddenly, there is a tiny pressure in Lee's ears, then as quick as it came, it's gone. It's so fast that he almost wonders if it was imagined.

The card, which is still midair, splits into two, cut right down its edge.

Lee catches one half of the card and runs his fingers over the white, featureless side that was separated from the other half, finding the cut smooth as can be. "I don't think that will ever get old."

Standing a short distance away, Sceptile smirks and gives his Leaf Blade a flick, making the air whistle.

Following the meeting with the Draconid Elders and Lee's warning to not fool around with mega evolution quite yet, everyone dispersed to do their own thing and relax for a bit.

Zinnia, who was all too eager to fly on Salamence, went back to the Draconid village to run some errands. She spoke briefly about seeing the blacksmith to ask about proper holders for their keystones, and wanted to get a saddle for Salamence.

Lacking a saddle currently, she of course flew bareback, flagrantly ignoring every air traffic law in Hoenn.

Brendan followed Zinnia, wanting to check in on Marshtomp. Unfortunately for Lee, the boy left before Lee could ask him if he was doing okay following the end of the battle with Sala. Marshtomp being the only one to go down and not even evolving to boot must have been an emotional gut-punch.

'Brendan is a mature kid. I'm sure he's disappointed, but I doubt Marshtomp's loss will keep him down for long,' Lee thinks to himself, returning his focus outward.

While Zinnia and Brendan took their teams and went to town, Lee decided it was time for some relaxation while he tested Sceptile's new capabilities. Nine, Corvi, Sylveon, Octillery, and Shinx are off to the side, resting as a group and conversing amongst themselves as Lee puts Sceptile through his paces.

'Let's see how he handles this…'

Looking down at his notebook, Lee pretends to be putting the playing cards away into his pocket, then suddenly flings all of them into the air, where they flutter around wildly in the wind. "Sceptile! Cut them down the edge! All of them!"

Sceptile vanishes from his spot, and half a second later, each one of the cards is split in two seemingly at once. The sound is like a clap of thunder.

No, not at once. Lee nearly misses it, but the cards closer to the ground are cut first. One nearly touching the ground splits, then the next highest one, then the next. The very last one to go is one carried high by the wind. The sound of each slice is so close together that it's easy to mistake it as one continuous noise.

Sceptile reappears in his eerily quiet way, with the hum of his Leaf Blade being the loudest part of the process. He barely even disturbs the mossy ground of the crater.

Bending down, Lee picks up a few of the cards, inspecting Sceptile's handiwork.

Most of the cards are split perfectly, with precision even a machine would be hard-pressed to match. Several are lopsided, or accidentally cut in half lengthwise rather than down the edge. 'So he's not an instant anime hero. Thank goodness, I don't think I could handle that kind of perfection right out of the gate.'

Lee shakes his head with a smile, jotting down Sceptile's results. "Sceptile, you'd put every master samurai back on Earth to shame. This is the kind of performance even multi-million dollar machines can't replicate."

Despite his words, Sceptile fixates on the cards he didn't split correctly with a frown, prompting Lee to ball one up and flick it at him.

The little ball of paper plinks off of green nose scales, and Sceptile blinks, giving Lee a half-hearted glare.

"Don't pout, no one is perfect." Lee calmly stares back. He balls up another card and rolls it between his fingers. "You'll get the hang of it. Just splitting one is impressive, and I won't tolerate you putting yourself down, you hear me?"

Sceptile sighs, "Very well…" he hisses.

"You're the only pokemon in the world who can be upset over * speed powers, * ," Corviknight croaks from the sidelines. "Feh! If you're * so put out, then have a * with me. Let's see how far you've come!" the raven challenges, standing and raising a glimmering Steel Wing.

Sceptile turns his eyes to Lee, who sighs, having seen this coming.

"Go down to the training chamber, and keep it light," he orders. "By 'light', I mean both of you being able to walk back. Dinner is in two hours, so remember that."

Sceptile inclines his head. "Of course, Lee."

Corviknight answers with a crisp nod. "I hear and obey."

"Go on." Lee gestures towards the distant cave leading down to the Draconid training chamber. "Enjoy while you can, we leave for Petalburg in the morning."

Both Sceptile and Corviknight disappear from their spots. The Grass-type's departure is silent, while Corviknight blurs away with a loud sonic crack!, almost throwing the nearby Octillery off of his tentacles, and actually throwing Shinx off her paws from the shockwave.

"Hey!" Shinx cries in alarm as she stands up with a wobble.

Ninetales glares after the racing pair of pokemon, then gently lifts Shinx by her scruff and pulls the kitten close for a grooming.

Lee shakes his head and looks back down to his notebook, flipping back to his general notes section.

It's been getting easier and easier to understand his pokemon over these last few weeks. He doesn't verbally understand them one-to-one (except for Ninetales), but their tones, inflections, and body language are enough to carry a conversation without Ninetales' telepathic assistance.

Lee hasn't any idea if the TE-rich air is speeding up this particular process, or if he's naturally getting the hang of deciphering pokemon cries, but it added yet another potential study to the back burner.

With Corvi and Sceptile, he can hold full discussions on complex subjects with only a little stumbling. He even imagines a posh tone for Corvi.

Sylveon and Octillery are harder, but the gist of what they want to convey gets across.

Shinx Lee's still trying to puzzle out. The kitten has the sharpest memory of anyone he's ever met, and she learns new words and their meanings easily, but she constantly makes new sounds with odd grammar, fouling up Lee's learning of her speech. He's learned the basics, like "Hungry", "Tired", "Pick me up" and whatnot, but it'll still be a while before he and his baby can talk properly.

'Not the worst problem to have, if I'm being honest,' Lee muses, jotting down a few new verbal idiosyncrasies he noticed from Sceptile.

On the topic of Sceptile, Lee can't help but flip back to his Grass-type's notebook section and grin like a loon.

Standing at six-foot-eight and weighing nearly two-hundred pounds in lean muscle, Sceptile is firmly in the top percentile for physique for his kind. He's no freak outlier like Corviknight, but he's still huge. Like he did as a Grovyle, Sceptile still makes the thin, leafy swords of his slash attacks as long as he is tall, and with his long arms, that gives Sceptile an absurd ten feet of reach in combat.

They haven't even touched on his tail and its fan of bladed leaves, or the seeds on Sceptile's back that experts say are explosive.

Sceptile's raw speed and mid-air control needs no hype; it's in a league of its own, as Lee's pokédex now lists Extreme Speed in Sceptile's repertoire.

Closing the notebook, Lee walks on over to where the rest of his pokemon lie by the outer wall of the hut, and sits down between Ninetales and Sylveon.

Sylveon lightly leans into Lee's side, while Shinx shakes herself from Ninetales and trundles into his lap. Shinx makes herself comfortable, then shuts her eyes with a content smile and purrs away.

Octillery, touch-shy as he is, burbles a quick "Wake me for dinner" and touches his ball on Lee's belt, retreating inside with a flash.

"Wake him for dinner, huh?" Lee mutters to no one in particular, a little tired himself. "I wouldn't mind a nap myself after everything today,"

"Did the * * use a dead woman's * words to * our guest?" Sylveon asks as she wraps a ribbon around Lee's wrist. The disapproval in her words is stark even if Lee can only puzzle out half of them, and she cuts her blue eyes over to Sala, who is still sleeping off the worst of his injuries a dozen yards from them.

The dragon hasn't stirred a bit since he landed and curled up, not counting his light snoring.

"One did," Lee replies, closing his eyes and leaning his head back into the mossy covering of the hut. "It doesn't seem like that was a popular choice, and I think Elder Taxus is going to catch hell from the other elders for that stunt."

"He'd better…" Ninetales grumbles aloud. "Danae was on our side from the beginning, and Juniper's inaction is understandable, if unappreciated. Taxus' objections were outright foolish, however."

Lee mulls her words over. "To play devil's advocate for a moment, I do get Taxus' reservations; he doesn't want any old person to be able to use mega-evos and potentially hurt themselves or others with it. Imagine a worst-case-scenario like multiple Maxies."

Nine frowns. Lee can't see it with his eyes closed, but he can feel her lips pull downward. "That is an unfounded fear given the rarity of the stones."

'And what about Aster and Sala?' Lee mentally retorts, not wanting to disturb the sleeping dragon by speaking Aster's name out loud.

"...Unfortunate outliers," Nine replies after a long moment. "If we keep the true nature of Mega Evolution to ourselves, it will remain a non-issue."

"No secret remains a secret forever," is Lee's blithe response.

The fox at Lee's side growls and nips one of his fingers. "Perhaps you do need a nap if you're this argumentative."

"Ow!" Lee cracks open an eye and theatrically waves his bitten finger. "Don't mistake this as me taking Taxus' side. He definitely deserves an ass-kicking after his little stunt, I'm just saying I get why he did it."

"When we have an argument, you're supposed to cave and take my side." Ninetales huffs, but she can't hide the fond amusement that pours from her being into his.

Lee smiles back and closes his eyes again. "If I do that, then there's no way we're beating the marriage allegations."

Ninetales rolls her eyes and rests her chin on his knee.

Taking a deep breath, Lee lets himself drift off.

---

Eyes of red, piercing as can be.

Mantle of gold, majestic as can be.

A fanged mouth speaking, damning as can be.

In a void of neither light nor dark.

The great maw of teeth opens once more, inhuman lips forming words meant for he alone.

It says unto him –

"I -"​

---

Lee suddenly startles awake when a roar reverberates around the cavern. Blinking his bleary eyes, he sighs.

That damn dream again. He can barely close his eyes without seeing it.

Looking around, it seems like Nine, Sylveon, and Shinx have cleared out, letting him nap in peace for…

He glances up at the sun peaking above the crater.

…Maybe half an hour.

The noise did more than startle him awake, as he hears the hut's door slam, and Ninetales is at his side in a hurry. The fox looks up, then shakes her head in exasperation.

Standing and stretching, Lee follows her eyes.

Flying down towards them is Zinnia astride her Salamence. Most of the dragon's wounds are gone, so Zinnia must have stopped by the Draconid clinic before returning. The next thing he notices is Salamence's saddle. Even from the air, he can make out swirling, tribal designs pressed into the leather, and spies quite a bit of extra length on the saddle straps tucked away.

'Maybe Salamence is going to keep growing, and the saddle needs room for adjustment?' Lee theorizes to himself.

As Zinnia and Salamence are touching down, Lee finally sizes up Salamence and gets an appreciation for how large the dragon is.

Salamence didn't look like much compared to the Goliath that is Sala, but in a vacuum, he's imposing to say the least. The ground rumbles lightly as Salamence lands, and Lee can only assume the dragon weighs a half-ton at minimum. From tail tip to nose, he looks to be pushing twenty feet long, and he towers over Lee even without his neck fully extended.

"Hey there, sleepy!" Zinnia hops off of Salamence with a grin. "Sorry for waking you, but a couple of the crater nesters wanted to give Salamence a hard time as we were coming in," she says, pointing a thumb over her shoulder at the cavern entrance high above. "Nothing that screaming 'sit down, chump' at a hundred and forty decibels can't fix."

Lee crosses his arms and smiles. "Dragon diplomacy sure is simple stuff, huh?" He asks, looking Zinnia up and down. "New duds?"

The dragon tamer plants her hands on her hips and gives him a smile. "I thought that after giving Aster back her cloak, I was due for a change. What do you think?"

Zinnia's open-back shirt is no more, replaced with a normal red tank-top with a black jacket bearing claw-designs on the sleeves. Her rope belt was also surrendered, replaced with something more standard. Her shorts and sandals look to be unchanged, however.

"Not bad." Lee nods along, his eyes trailing down to her too-short shirt, which exposes her navel. He reaches out and pokes her stomach with a finger. "Aren't you going to get cold?"

She slaps his hand away. "No! Who ever heard of a Draconid who gets cold?"

"I get the feeling that we will in the near future," Ninetales quips as Lee lets out a yawn.

Zinnia rolls her eyes as Salamence lets out a rumbly laugh deep in his throat. "You're supposed to be on my side, big guy," she throws over her shoulder before returning her attention to Lee. "You were out pretty good there. Did you get enough sleep last night?"

"Plenty." Lee yawns once more. "It sucks that you came in when you did, though. I was having that weird dream again, and I almost heard what the figure was saying."

"Geez, again?" Zinnia's mirthful face falls into something concerned. "That's every night this week."

"I don't suppose you have any suggestions?" Lee asks, leaning back into the hut. "It started up when we came down here, and doesn't seem to happen when I sleep outside of Meteor Falls. This place is some kind of catalyst for it."

Zinnia is silent for a moment as she rubs her chin. She looks between Lee and Ninetales, to the glittering walls around them, then to the hut. "You said you almost heard it this time?"

A nod is Lee's answer.

"Maybe…" Zinnia looks over towards the small lake in the center-most part of the great cavern, where the glowing meteorite at the lake bed shoots out rainbow rays. "Try sleeping or meditating out here, closer to the central meteorite," she begins, pointing a finger at the clear bowl of water. "Something is obviously trying to reach out to you through either the cavern itself or the Dragon TE, and having solid walls around you," she then turns her finger to the hut, "might be just enough of a hindrance to stop it."

Lee shares a glance with Ninetales. 'Worth a shot?'

'It's probably best to not snub whatever force that is so desperately trying to contact us,' Ninetales reluctantly agrees. 'I will be with you, however.'

Smiling, Lee reaches down and rubs the fox between her ears. 'I wouldn't dream of going alone.'

---

Several hours later, after everyone has dined and settled in for the night, Lee and Ninetales quietly exit the hut and trot over to the lakeside within the cavern. With them are Brendan and Latias.

Coming to a stop at the edge of the lake, Lee looks down at the shining stone illuminating the waters below. "You didn't need to come, Brendan."

The boy, with Latias in tow, puts his hands on his hips and gives Lee a hard look. "C'mon, you think we're going to let you do this alone? Latias is a great psychic, and if whatever is trying to talk to you decides to act up, she can rough them up no problem."

Latias croons bashfully at the praise, looking away with a small, pleased smile.

'Be that as it may, remain on standby until you are absolutely certain we need help.' Ninetales' stern words are projected for Brendan and Latias to also hear. 'We do not know who is attempting contact, and why they would use a method as unorthodox as dreams. Their persistence implies urgency, and we've ignored them long enough to foster possible resentment. Undue hostility has no place here.'

Brendan flinches slightly at her words. "Yes, ma'am,"

Ninetales nods briskly, then sits and turns to Lee. 'Beloved?'

Taking a deep breath, Lee sits down himself and scoots closer to Nine, leaning his head forward.

The golden fox leans forward herself, meeting Lee in the middle as their foreheads touch.

Both still their breathing, using the meditation exercises Anabel provided during their last meeting. As they do so, each gently pulls on the mind of the other, until their beings touch just the barest amount.

Slowly, Lee's senses begin to fade, until all that is left is himself and his dearest friend.

---

When Lee opens his eyes, he's not in the Meteorfall Crater anymore. In fact, where is he? He looks around, but nothing seems familiar other than the vixen at his side. It's almost like -

Oh, right. He and Ninetales are meditating together. That's why nothing around him makes sense.

"You figure I'd be used to this by now." Lee smiles despite himself. With a bit of focus, the space around him morphs.

One moment, they're surrounded by blackness, and the next, they're in the backyard of Lee's childhood home in an Ohio suburb.

The details of the scene are blurry, and the neighbors' houses are just smears of color that change every time he looks away, but it's familiar enough to be comfortable. He just wishes that-

Ninetales noses his side. "Don't worry about getting everything correct in one go, Lee," she murmurs, no distinction between her thoughts and words. "Anabel said this mindscape business is a work in progress for everyone, even for experts," she says with a smile.

"I guess you're right," Lee concedes, sitting in the grass and pulling Ninetales close. Her ever-flowing love feels like a soothing, physical heat under his fingers. "How long do you think we'll be waiting for… whoever it is?"

Ninetales leans into his side and shrugs. "I wouldn't know."

For a time, they stay here, saying nothing and just basking in Lee's old, smudgy memory.

"Say, Love?" Lee speaks up. "If we ever get the chance, let's head to-" He stops as he leans back and looks up.

Eyes of red, piercing as can be.

Mantle of gold, majestic as can be.

A fanged mouth speaking, damning as can be.

In a void of neither light nor dark.

The great maw of teeth opens once more, inhuman lips forming words meant for he alone.

It says unto him –

"I have been awaiting this moment, Lee Henson,"​

Lee stumbles backwards, somehow standing and tripping over nothing as Ninetales bursts into motion and stands protectively over him, her fur bristling and teeth bared.

Even knowing that he's in his own head… or Ninetales' head? Either way, Lee rubs his eyes, but the nostalgic scene is gone, replaced with… With…

He can't hope to describe what he sees around them now. It's dark, yet not. It's devoid of color, but the colors are so vivid that they burn to look at.

Above he and Ninetales is a twisting shape that somehow takes up the entire void around them, yet remains distinct amidst the not-dark. Lee sees the thing no matter what direction he turns his head. On either side, great wings of writhing black and red encircle them, cutting off all routes of escape.

Lee's stomach turns to ice, and he…

No, wait. That's not his fear. Ninetales is quaking on her paws, paralyzed by such terror that all she can do is stand over Lee and try to keep her emotions from leaking into him. It's a fear so pure, so instinctual, that all thoughts other than escape flee her.

They need to run from this thing.

Lee takes fistfuls of Ninetales's fur to pull her away with him, but no matter which way he turns, the shape remains in front of him. With a dry gulp, he looks up to face the beast head-on.

Giratina, antithesis of Arceus, stares down at them with eyes the color of fresh blood.

"We've much to speak about, the three of us."​

---

End of Act 2​

---

That was a long time coming, wasn't it? It was exhausting getting to this point for sure. This roughly marks the 2/3rds point in the story. I'll be taking a short break to work on other things for a bit before picking up Act 3. Thank you everyone for reading along all this time.
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.

RGBDRAGON, BrokenOlive, Iskierka, drykeon, puppy0cam, MrPerson0, speedyzman13, Raiger, Dingus, Spice_King, PAXAMERICANA, TheUnamusedFox, AlarmingThought, ShaRose, Morrigan, Sinnohan, Cat, HolyChomper/ Gabite, Latscry, OmegaEntertainment, GordianVapCat, IdiotRaiju, Regal Eagle, soup, Nickerdoodle, Reiter, Zazs, GreenPhoenix, TheTankiestTrain, Zapdoodad, MikeNP, Autocharth, Zany Old Coot, Planetace, Fabhar, Moonlit Chaser, Ray rizen, Ash The Kitsune, Dicloniuslord, LoverofPi, KaurisAzurai, Sulphercat, AbyssalApsu, Werew88, Cosmic Dust, demonmonkey89, Moxie, Hazel Kings, Shrimperium, Emeraldleafeon, Kevin, Kyubei, Ranger, Senrabmjam, Siphon Rayzar, Emilowish, Cynicals, MidnightJayguar, Adean23, Wing Shot, WiseKitsune, Skylark8756, Papito12495, Marthdovah, inkaral, Taitenator, Berusella, Ninjadanimo, Ultra-Anon, Gavinfoxx, Grey, Bruv, IAmYourKingAndMaster, Luc, Maestro, Rinzoro

 

[Fuggmann]

A quick little thing to help everyone keep track of what the team can do so far. We're probably overdue for this, actually.

The included game stats aren't a 1:1 reflection of what they do in the story and are more for fun than anything.

---

Lee's team as of: Act 2 Finale​

Ninetales

Ability: Drought

Moves:
Ember
Roar
Baby-Doll Eyes
Quick Attack
Confuse Ray
Fire Spin
Payback
Will-O-Wisp
Double Team
Feint Attack
Hex
Imprison
Flame Burst
Extrasensory
Psychic
Safeguard
Flamethrower
Energy Ball
Solar Beam
Iron Tail
Dig
Protect
Hyper Beam
(Various half-finished, unnamed Fire moves)

Custom Moves:
Convergence - Fire Type - Spawns fireballs all around the target, and after charging, converges on the target before exploding, striking from all sides.
[5 PP - 120 Power - 100 Accuracy - Special]
[2-turn move - Ignores foe's positive stat changes - Strikes adjacent pokemon for 50% of damage]

Forbidden Sun - Fire Type - An explosion is contained in a telekinetic shell and thrown at the foe at great speed. Explodes on contact.
[10 PP - 90 Power - 95 Accuracy - Special]
[High Priority - Chance to cause Burn]

Fox Fire - Fire Type - Spawns fox-shaped clones made of fire. The clones can move and use basic melee attacks as well as basic fire attacks, but require concentration from the caster. Clones can Self-Destruct at will or upon being destroyed.
[5 PP - 100 Power - N/A Accuracy - Special]
[Creates a clone with 1/4th the user's HP that absorbs attacks - Each turn the clone is active, it independently attacks a random foe using 1/4th the users Sp Atk stat with a chance to cause Burns - Upon being defeated, the clone uses Self Destruct, causing damage to all foes with a chance to Burn. Lowers the user's Sp Atk three stages after clone is defeated]

---

Sceptile

Ability: Overgrow

Moves:
Pound
Leer
Absorb
Quick Attack
Detect
Protect
Focus Energy
Swords Dance
Bullet Seed
Feint Attack
Extremespeed
False Swipe
Slash
Leaf Blade
X-Scissor
Night Slash
Energy Ball
Solar Beam
Rock Tomb

Custom Moves:
Siphon Blade - Grass Type - Strikes with a leafy, nutrient-sapping blade. Drains energy from the foe with each cut.
[10 PP - 90 Power - 100 Accuracy - Physical]
[Heals HP for 50% of damage dealt - High crit rate]

Seed Sniper - Grass Type - Fires a pin-point accurate seed with a hard shell at super-sonic speeds.
[15 PP - 80 Power - 100 Accuracy - Physical]
[High crit rate - Physical, but does not make bodily contact]

Seed Blast - Grass Type - Fires a wide cone of hard-shelled seeds.
[20 PP - 60 Power - 100 Accuracy - Physical]
[Strikes adjacent pokemon - Physical, but does not make bodily contact]

---

Corviknight

Ability: Mirror Armor

Moves:
Pluck
Drill Peck
Roost
Fury Attack
Extremespeed
Metal Sound
Swift
Hone Claws
Power Trip
Scary Face
Taunt
Steel Wing
Iron Defense
Light Screen
Protect

Custom Moves:
Pursuers - Dark Type - Launches homing balls of Dark TE. The balls move slowly, but have aggressive tracking. Bursts on impact into caustic clouds of Dark TE.
[20 PP - 80 Power - N/A Accuracy - Special]
[Ignores accuracy checks - Lowers foe's Def and Sp Def one stage]

---

Shinx

Ability: Intimidate

Moves:
Tackle
Leer
Baby-Doll Eyes
Thunder Shock
Shock Wave
Spark
Roar
Charge
Thunder Wave
Protect

Custom Moves:
N/A

---

Octillery

Ability: Sniper

Moves:
Wrap
Headbutt
Water Gun
Octazooka
Psybeam
Gunk Shot
Rock Blast
Charge Beam
Aurora Beam
Signal Beam
Ice Beam
Bullet Seed
Lock-On
Focus Energy
Psychic
Thunder Wave
Payback
Protect

Custom Moves:
Ink Spear - Water Type - Fires a salty bolt of ink at super-sonic speeds that can be guided by the user's thoughts. With enough control, Ink Spear can pull harsh turns unfeasible for other homing projectiles.
[5 PP - 100 Power - N/A Accuracy - Special]
[High crit rate - Ignores accuracy checks - Ignores Detect - Ignores most semi-invulnerability (Fly, Dig, etc)]

---

Sylveon

Ability: Pixilate

Moves:
Bite
Wrap
Covet
Sand Attack
Baby-Doll Eyes
Quick Attack
Baton Pass
Charm
Wish
Helping Hand
Disarming Voice
Swift
Draining Kiss
Light Screen
Hyper Voice
Protect

Custom Moves:
N/A