"One little boat ride away until I get my 8th gym badge!" Ash said. "I'm so excited!"
As we headed for the ferry, a Vanilluxe passed us by. Iris saw it and whimpered.
"What's an Ice-type doing here?! Get it away from me!" she cried, clutching Axew to her chest.
Vanilluxe floated closely beside Iris and Axew. They trembled in fright.
"Vanilluxe, return." a voice said. Vanilluxe returned to its PokéBall. We looked to see Georgia, Iris's rival. "What are the odds. My Vanilluxe wants to befriend a Dragon-type Pokémon."
"I guess that would be Axew." Iris said.
"Look, I only caught Vanilluxe so I could beat you, Little Miss Dragon Master." Georgia said, waving Vanilluxe's PokéBall in Iris's face.
Iris narrowed her eyes on Georgia. "But you already know that I'm not a Dragon Master yet."
"No duh! That's because you're still too weak."
"Not as weak as the little kid you are." Iris smirked.
"Go on, make jokes, but I don't have time for them. I'm on my way to Ferroseed Research."
"Why?"
"Because their moss improves a Pokémon's skills."
"That's intriguing." Cilan said.
"You bet. Toodles." Georgia turned and walked away.
"We should go check out Ferroseed Research too!" Ash said. "Maybe we can get some moss!"
"Welcome to Ferroseed Research. My name is Case, one of Professor Malveaux's assistants." a worker with brown hair and pale green eyes said.
"Nice to meet you." Georgia said. "I'm here because I heard that you have moss that can improve a Pokémon's skills."
"I want some of that too!" Ash said.
"Just when exactly did I say that you could come with me?!" Georgia snapped.
"You didn't. Oh well." Iris said.
"It's always nice to meet young people that are interested in our research!" Case said. "Let's head to the second floor."
We went up the elevator to the second floor. We passed by small rooms where Ferroseed clung to different kinds of rocks. Researchers stood nearby, holding clipboards and taking notes. A Ferroseed expelled one of its spikes. It shattered on the ground and yellow moss grew in that spot. Another room with Ferroseed had green moss growing on the floor. We went up to the third floor, where researchers tested the moss's abilities. We observed a room with Ferroseed clinging to stones from Chargestone Cave. We went up to the fourth floor, where researchers made moss to increase certain skills for certain types of Pokémon.
"Do you have any moss for Ice-types like Vanilluxe?" Georgia said. She brought out Vanilluxe, who immediately floated over to Iris and Axew. They screamed. Oshawott came out of its PokéBall and gawked at Vanilluxe.
"It's like Purrloin all over again." I said.
"At least Vanilluxe isn't a male." Cilan said and I laughed.
Axew jumped out of Iris's arms and ran down the hall with Vanilluxe and Oshawott following it.
"Axew, wait!" Iris called, chasing after the three.
"I'll go after Iris and the others." Ash said, running down the hall.
Suddenly, alarms blared through the intercoms and red lights flashed along the walls.
"It's the emergency alarm system from the third floor!" Case said.
Ash cried out. We looked to see blue moss slowly inching down the hallway. It crackled with electricity. Pikachu fell to the ground.
"Pikachu, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Ash said, picking up Pikachu. The moss advanced towards them.
"Ash, look out!" I cried.
I ran towards them and pulled them away. A tendril of moss shot out and slammed into my chest. I exclaimed as I flew back and hit the ground.
~THIRD PERSON POV~
"Rylee!" Cilan and Ash cried as Rylee hit the floor. They ran to her side. She was unconscious, but she twitched and trembled.
"This is a code red!" Case said. "We need to get to the underground control room!"
Cilan scooped Rylee into his arms bridal-style and they all followed Case and another worker to the control room.
Ash laid Pikachu on a bench and Cilan sat Rylee next to it, propped up against the wall.
"Hang in there, guys." Ash said.
"It came on so suddenly." Cilan said. "What could've done this?"
"The Ferroseed moss." a man with gray hair and a mustache wearing a brown suit walked into the room.
"Professor Malveaux!" Case said.
Malveaux walked over and felt Pikachu's head. "Pikachu has inhaled a large amount of moss spores. They're causing a reaction that has caused Pikachu to become sick." he said. He turned to Ash and Cilan. "What about the girl?"
"Rylee came over to help me and Pikachu when all of a sudden the moss attacked her." Ash said.
Malveaux knelt down and examined Rylee. "I see..." he said. He stood and looked at the screens. "So this moss is because of the Ferroseed that are using the stones from the Chargestone Cave. They must have also absorbed the power from the stones."
"What does that have to do with what happened to Rylee?" Ash said.
"When the moss came in contact with Rylee, it sent a large amount of electricity into her body that could power a small city." Malveaux said. "The impact caused her body to temporarily shut down. Fortunately, she survived such a fatal incident. It's quite rare. I've only seen Pokémon survive an attack like that."
Cilan and Ash shared a look.
"Pikachu needs a treatment given to it." Malveaux said. He gave Case a recipe. "As for Rylee, she seems to be functioning again. She is simply in comatose, though I believe it will not last long. We'll just have to be patient."
"We inhaled the moss spores as well." Cilan said. "Are we at risk as well?"
"And what about the other Pokémon?" Georgia said. "My Vanilluxe is still upstairs!"
"Based on research, I don't think the spores have any effect on humans." Malveaux said. "Although, Pokémon are a different story..."
Malveaux received a call from the Pokémon Center.
"This is Nurse Joy." Nurse Joy's face appeared on the screen.
"Professor Malveaux here. It appears that a few of our Ferroseed have caused some serious trouble, and for that, I apologize." Malveaux said.
"So the trouble we've been having started at your research center? Pokémon have been lining up in extreme distress and need for our medical help. I suspected moss spores." Nurse Joy said. "But do you know why every Pokémon I've seen is either an Electric-type or Ground-type?"
"That explains Pikachu." Ash said.
"Thank goodness Vanilluxe is safe... for the time being." Georgia said, resting a hand on her heart.
~RYLEE~
I opened my eyes to a familiar dark area. I sat up and clutched my head. My ribs ached with each breath I took. I stood up and walked forward.
"Dad?"
He emerged from the shadows and smiled.
"Rylee. Hello."
"Hi. Look, Dad, I'm sorry that I pushed you too far the last time we talked." I said. "There's so much about my life and who I am that I don't understand. It hurts me that you know what I don't and you won't tell me anything."
"I'm sorry, kiddo." Dad said. "For forcing you out and keeping things from you. I promise you that one day, the truth will come to you."
"Thanks, Dad. And guess what? I can transform into my Pokémon form!"
"That's wonderful." Dad smiled.
"I have a question for you. What's a Pokémon Guardian?"
Dad's face both lit up and dimmed at the same time. He stretched out his hands and the darkness vanished. We stood on a desert plain. All around us, I saw men and women dressing in faded white armor. Pokémon of all different kinds stood at their side.
"Pokémon and man have lived together peacefully since the beginning of time." Dad said. "However, there are people that will try to take advantage of Pokémon and use them for their own evil purposes."
"Like Team Rocket." I said.
"Correct. However, there are many more evil organizations like Team Rocket in our world." Dad hesitated slightly. "Do you know of a group called Team Plasma?"
"No."
"Every region has a specific organization. In the Kanto region, it is Team Rocket. Here in Unova, it is Team Plasma. Their leader is a man name Ghetsis."
Dad waved his hand and a picture of Ghetsis appeared, with the Team Plasma emblem glowing behind him. Ghetsis was an older man with a red monocle over his eye and graying green hair. He wore a black cape with the Team Plasma emblem on it and he held a staff. Two grunts appeared next to him, covered in dark gray and black jumpsuits, black hats with the Team Plasma emblem on the front, and fabric covering their mouths. They both had red hair and blue eyes. When my eyes fell on the grunts, my brain ached and my heart filled with rage.
It was them. They took him.
I was startled by my own subconscious voice.
Who?
I reached up and felt the bump of my necklace underneath my sweater.
"Is something wrong, Rylee?" Dad said.
"No, no." I said. "So, are Pokémon Guardians there to prevent organizations like Team Rocket and Team Plasma from doing really bad things?"
"That's one of our duties." Dad said. "We watch over both Pokémon and people, protecting them from danger. We are their voice."
"What do you mean, 'we'?"
Dad waved his hand and showed an image of a young man dressed in faded white armor with brown hair and special green eyes. Articuno stood next to him.
"Is that you?" I said.
Dad nodded. "People with special power and potential have the opportunity to become Pokémon Guardians. There are three ranks of Guardians: Pages, Squires and Knights." Dad said. "When you first started your personal pilgrimage, you received the title of a Page. When your powers are fully developed, you will receive the title of Squire. After that, you have the chance to train and become a Knight, the highest rank of a Pokémon Guardian, like me."
"Wow." I said. "I have another question."
"What?"
I took off my necklace and dangled it in the air for him to see. "The Legendary Trio of Milos Island gave me this necklace. They said there is only one other necklace like this in the world." I said. "Who has the other one?"
Dad smiled. "I believe the answer is in the necklace."
"Huh?"
I examined the necklace and saw a crease on the side. I tried to open it, but a tiny shield of Protect enveloped the necklace and shocked my hands.
"Ow." I hissed. The Protect disappeared.
"Sorry, but the contents are sealed." Dad said. "The only way to open the necklace is when it and its other partner necklace are united."
"Great. More cryptic messages." I rolled my eyes. Cilan and Ash's voices echoed in muffled cries around us.
"It's time for you to go back." Dad said. "Your friends are in trouble. Articuno will be of great help to you."
"Huh?"
"Tell Officer Jenny to close off all the bridges!" Malveaux said. "We must contain the moss!"
Case gave Pikachu the treatment.
"The moss is spreading! It'll reach the roof soon!" a worker said.
The screen switched to the roof, where it show Iris, Oshawott, Axew, and Vanilluxe.
"Iris! She's on the roof!" Cilan cried.
"What?!" Georgia and Ash jumped to their feet and stared at the screen.