The wind wafted through the trees. Yellow, red and brown leaves dropped to the ground here and there and the rainclouds passed by above the whole scenery. A small stream carved its way through the mossy rocks, purling quietly.
Raphi and Glace were on a short break during their journey to Roverside City. While the Ice-Pokémon was consuming an Oran Berry, the Grass-type Pokémon starred at his reflection in the brook, eyeing himself curiously. He tilted his head to the side and grasped his right ear, properly examining its fur and leafy upper part and paying close attention to the various indentations. His focus then shifted to the green sprouts on his chest as well as his long tail.
"You sure love your own mirror image, don't you?" Glace laughed and entered his field of view.
"You should know that I obviously have no clue of how I appear to other Pokémon. My entire visual nature is completely different than before! Except for my fur, which is approximately the same colour as my old trench coat…
"Well, I'm not going to rate your visual nature, you'll have to figure that out for yourself." she said, blushing unnoticeably and walking westwards.
"I'm fine with that." I don't care if someone dislikes my appearance - they'll have to deal with it either way because it's not going to change anytime soon. Before following Glaceon, he glanced at his reflection one more time. 7.8 out of 10.
"I suppose you're not fully accustomed of your new form yet?" she asked.
"Yeah… It's hard for me to accept it. Everything feels completely different! It feels strange being covered in fur and walking on all fours. I possess new powers and different abilities too. Fortunately, as a Leafeon, I can still concentrate on speed and agility rather than brute force. But what bugs me the most are my countless weaknesses and few type advantages. Luckily, I prefer brains over strength, so I'll just have to come up with the perfect strategy…"
"Good luck with that! It'll probably take quite some time, but I'm sure you'll be able to manage it! As for me, I like to intimidate my foes by enduring their assaults first and then using one of my devastating Special Attacks to defeat them!"
That's… pretty careless… and unthoughtful… he thought and shrugged.
…
After walking for a while without a word, Glace posed him a question: "So? What about your dream? Are you ready to tell me?"
Raphi looked at her and sighed. "Okay..." Here we go.
He briefly explained his nightmare, getting goose bumps just by mentioning the haunting red eyes. Glace listened in silence to his tale, nodding here and there to show she was paying close attention.
Once Raphi finished, she twitched her ears nervously and answered: "Woah. That is… really messed up. Do you have any idea who or what that thing could've been?"
"Unfortunately… no. I am certain that I've met it before, but other than that, I don't recall anything. It has to be linked to my arrival in this world, otherwise it wouldn't appear in my dreams! My theory is that it at least took part in a final moment before I was transported here. Out of the corner of my eye, I also saw pieces of machinery and floating glass shards – perhaps I was brought to this place by a lab accident caused by the creature, or a machine malfunctioned. Furthermore, I couldn't have been the only one to get sucked through a portal – The Weavile we encountered must've been one of those silhouettes! That brings up the question why he didn't lose his memory…"
He rolled his eyes and stomped on the ground in frustration. So many mysteries, so many unsolved puzzles. I'll have to get to the bottom of this!
"So basically we have to investigate everyone with red eyes?"
Raphi gazed at her sceptically. "…Yeah, of course. As simple as that…" Seriously?
"Don't worry, I'm just joking!" she chuckled. But it would be a starting point…
"Anyhow, I wanted to ask: What awaits me in Roverside City? What do I have to expect?" he said curiously with a hint of anxiety. I don't want to go somewhere unprepared - Knowledge is power!
"Well, as I explained earlier, there are many different Pokémon passing through this town on their own journey. It's one of the bigger cities in this area, marching upon major mountain ranges and a large river that originates from the hills and runs through the land. Many accommodation facilities are positioned at the city boundary. Shops, arenas and other establishments are located in the centre."
"Wait, arenas? Do you mean for gladiatorial events or for… I don't know… drama?"
"Actually… both! But if you want to win a fight in the arena, you'd have to be born as the right Pokémon – Most tournament participants simply lack the type resistances or natural power and loose in the first few rounds." And the more weaknesses, the less the chances of succeeding… Glace sighed, reminiscing about a former incident. "That doesn't stop few maniacs from trying though!" she put on a fake smile and watched the trees near the path.
Raphi eyed her with interest and concern. Is she hiding something from me? Sounds like she visited this city before - it's probably the best not to address it… "I haven't planned on competing in the arena, so no worries!" Pha! Physical limitations and type disadvantages – adorable! It all comes down to preparation, knowing one's enemy and – especially - will power! "Thank you for telling me!"
They chatted about Pokémon types and possible team names until it got dark and the moonlight was shining through the treetops.
"We should find a shelter." Glaceon mumbled and looked around. Unfortunately, the bushes all were either too small or contained thorns.
Raphi realised the lack of a safe hideout on the ground and gazed into the woods, coming up with an idea. Without hesitating, he sprinted to the next tall pine tree. He jumped and extended his claws, allowing him to grip the bark as he landed vertically on the trunk. Determined, he rapidly climbed all the way up into the crown, carefully avoiding brittle and fragile parts. With one final effort, he swung himself on the highest branch that could carry his weight without breaking. He triumphantly looked down on Glace.
"Are you coming?" he said and smirked.
She smiled benignly and followed him. She nearly slipped a few times, but eventually she caught up to him and sat down on the opposite branch. "It seems to me that you are inherently good at climbing." she stated and took a breather. But it kind of makes sense since this is the natural habitat of most Leafeons. "Excuse me for a second, I have to adjust my 'bed'." She stepped back slightly and used Ice Beam to form a flat, solid plate to sleep on. "Do you want one too?"
"No thanks, I'm good!" Raphi hooked his claws into the tree bark to prevent himself from falling down. I'm not so eager to almost freeze to death twice… "Good night Glace!"
"Good night to you too..." she yawned and closed her eyes.
The Grass-type Pokémon however lay agitated on the branch, switching positions every now and then. He stared at the scattered stars in the cloudy sky for a long period of time, trying desperately to remember events from the past – without success.
The fear of his nightmare returning turned into reality when he finally fell asleep.
…
Raphi found himself in the dark, empty void once more. The disrupted scenery was exactly the same: The pieces of machinery, the floating glass shards, the metal floor, the blurry silhouettes. But this time, there was a major difference to his previous dream: he could move around freely!
He cautiously avoided the broken pieces of glass as he examined the nearest machine. It was covered in a dust layer and partially overgrown by plants.
The next few machines weren't much different either: The letters on the buttons were undecipherable and the screws lay loose on the ground between rusty gear-wheels.
After inspecting a couple more, his attention shifted to one at the edge of the floor. Like the others, most of it was already torn to shreds. However, this construction consisted of newer materials and was overall – within the realms of possibility – in a better shape than the rest. It also seemed that it had been smashed to the side, indicated by the stress marks on the ground in front of it. The green signs on the dimly lit screen on the top left corner were illegible because of the cracked display.
This thing just looks out of place! Every machine looks like it belongs here, except for this one – it appears to me that it had been destroyed recently, while the others must have been rotting in this place for ages! Maybe someone brought it here for a special purpose… But what is it for? What does it do?
Raphi's thoughts were immediately interrupted when suddenly the dark, red-eyed mass from his previous nightmare rose through the floor, startling him greatly and causing him to wake up.