Chapter Ten: Metals Or Petals

STRIP LIGHTING. GLARING white. Streaming through metal bars.

As a groggy Haku slowly became more and more aware of his surroundings, his brain formed a thought: This is it. They've got us now.

Haku's body shuddered in dreaded anticipation. He'd only been captured by Genmi once before. But it had been a hellish experience he knew he'd probably never forget.

Another shudder as he realised that Frinos could be in the exact same situation, right now… because he had failed him. Haku had lost pathetically against that Ekans Pokéshifter, and, even with the help of his new friend Maddy, he hadn't even managed to get back to the camp and tell the Squad.

I'm sorry, Frinos… he mentally apologised, even though he knew it would count for nothing. He felt tears prick at his eyes, salt water dangerously close to spilling out in a rapid waterfall.

But… I'm hardly going to help anyone just lying here, am I?

The Pokéshifter sat up, rubbing savagely at his eyes with the sleeve of his black wool jacket.

Huh… I must've changed back to human form when I was out.

It wasn't uncommon for a Pokéshifter. Usually, while unconscious, they had no control over their transformations and so tended to revert from one form to another, especially if they were having a particularly terrifying nightmare.

He looked back over his shoulder and noticed Maddy, sleeping like a Snorlax, still in Latias form. She was out cold, but Haku, being pressed against her side due to the size of the tiny cage the duo were sealed in, could feel the living warmth emanating from her.

Taking a deep breath, he stared out at the room beyond the cage. To his surprise, it looked nothing like a lab. In fact, it looked like the workshop or storage room of someone who had an obsession with metal things – because literally everything in the room was metallic some way or another.

In one corner, there was a pile of scrap metal which almost reached the roof. Along one side, there seemed to be an entire row dedicated to dissembled machinery. And the walls were hung with every metal tool Haku could think of – spanners, screwdrivers, hammers, forks, spoons, helmets, and even a metal Teddiursa toy.

The only entrance in and out of the room Haku could see was to his left, just beyond an oil-stained wooden workshop table. His eyes locked onto it.

There. That's where we need to go.

Haku decided that his first step of useful action would be to analyse the cage – and look for weaknesses.

Primarily – it is electrified or not?

If it wasn't, then the cage would be infinitely easier to break out of.

The teen unbuckled his belt, unravelling it from his jeans and placing the metal buckle against the cross-hatched bars of the cage.

Keeping his fingers far away from the buckle, he waited for a full two minutes. But there wasn't a spark.

Satisfied, he tentatively touched one bar with his fingertip. But it was just your usual cold, hard steel which greeted him – no electrocutions or burning sensations.

Next, the door.

He couldn't see too much from the inside, but Haku could tell that the lock wasn't the most sophisticated he'd ever seen. No card slot, not even a keypad. Just a simple bolt secured with a tiny padlock.

Haku couldn't help himself but smile. It's like they're begging us to escape their clutches.

His fingers slipped through the bars, the hole being big enough to accommodate his entire hand. Haku flexed his wrist and gripped the bolt, yanking it backwards with all the force he had.

"Nnugh…" a grunt of exertion growled in Haku's throat, and he pulled harder, but to no avail. The bolt was lodged in its holding like it was attached with Superglue.

"You actually found something?" the incredulous voice wafted into the cage, and Haku abruptly stopped trying to force the bolt out of its jam.

We've got company…

He practically sat on his hands, doing his best to look innocent and hide his anticipated shivering. He even began to sheepishly whistle.

He was cut short, however, as two men entered the room.

Haku had to say they weren't entirely what he was expecting.

When he laid eyes upon the first man, all Haku could think was "mechanic/engineer". He was the spitting image of a stereotypical mechanic – red dungarees covered in dirt and grease; oily cloths spilling out of the many pockets. He face was almost obscured by oil and grease stains, as if he had just washed it with a bucket of Octillery ink. His Einstein-style, steel-grey hair looked as if an angry Pikachu had electrocuted it, and he had the grin of someone who currently felt that they were the happiest person in the world.

The second person was also dressed casually, though admittedly he was more presentable than the first. He was roughly the same age, with undulating, shoulder-length blonde hair streaked with brown at the tips, a clean-shaven face, and a stack of tome-like books being carried under his shoulder. He wore an expression which came across to Haku as utterly disbelieving.

So, they didn't dress like Genmi workers… but who were they?

"Yeah! I did find something. Wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but hey, it was a pretty good haul! It's not every day that you find a legendary Pokémon to be your friend, is it?" Crazy Hair spread his hands wide, his grin positively beaming with mirth.

Haku was pretty sure that had Book-Lover any kind of liquid in his mouth at that point in time, he would have spurted it all over his companion. "A legendary Pokémon?!"

"You think I'm having you on? Go see for yourself," Crazy Hair told him, gesturing at Haku and Maddy's cage.

Book-Lover stood there, gawking at Haku for a full five minutes (Haku even counted). "You caught a guy…?"

"Huh?" Crazy Hair had barely taken a glance at Haku before practically performing a backwards cartwheel. "Whoa-whoa! I… I never knew I'd actually managed to catch a human as well!"

Haku blinked. He thought he'd registered a wide laughing smile on the man's previously shocked face as he reacted, but it was only there for a fleeting second before the astounded expression came back.

Interesting…

His friend glared at him. "What were you doing?! You idiot!" He looked ready to bash Crazy Hair right in the quiff with one of his books.

Meanwhile, Crazy Hair looked as if he were about to cry. "I… I was only looking for the Golden Skarmory… I never meant it to get this complicated!" He put his distraught face in his hands.

"Golden Skarmory?"

It was out before Haku intended it to be. But he was so curious, and the more and more he watched these guys, the less and less they seemed like employees of Genmi Inc.

"Y-yeah…" Crazy Hair sniffed, still cupping his face with calloused fingers. "It's a Skarmory… but golden. Rarer than rare! That was what I heard. And it had been sighted not five miles from my house, above Eterna Forest!" He bounced up, grinning once again. "The thing is, it only comes out in the dead of night. So as soon as I heard this, I thought, I need to catch it. Why…? Because, well… Steel-Types are my passion! I dream of collecting every single one in the entire worl- OUCH!"

"Sorry, mate, had to do that," Book-Lover stated as Crazy Hair's cheek began to immediately turn an angry red. "But I think there's something you haven't said."

Crazy Hair then did something which genuinely surprised Haku. He actually got down on his knees, bowed, and then met Haku's eyes, his own shining like a Growlithe begging for a bone.

"Please forgive me! I really did think that was a wild Latias… It was dark, I must've not noticed you! Please, please… I'll get you out of there…"

So, he thinks I'm Maddy's Trainer…? Haku realised. Hmm… He supressed a sly smile.

The crazy-haired bloke grasped the bolt with both hands, practically flinging it to the left side. Clearly much stronger than Haku's failed attempt, the lock itself actually went flying across the room.

Crazy Hair swore under his breath. Then he sighed. "Ah, well, can always get another."

Haku crawled out of the cage, looking back to check on Maddy.

Sure as a Snorlax, she was still sleeping.

Holy Arceus, that girl can sleep for Sinnoh.

Haku stood up, holding his hand out to the Einstein-haired mechanic, who was still burbling apologies uncontrollably.

"No, really, it's okay! I suppose it would be easy to mistake my Latias for a Skarmory under cover of darkness," Haku reassured him with a smile. "They are both flying Pokémon, after all."

The man shook his head. "No… it must've been horrible for you to wake up not having a clue where you were. I must compensate you and your Latias!"

Haku chuckled. "No, really-"

He didn't have time to finish before the man stormed to his equipment hooks, swiped a metallic shimmer off one of them and stamped back.

"Here," he proffered, hovering the strange little tool in front of Haku's face.

That was what it was. It was definitely strange-looking, something of a cross between a pocket watch and a scarf. It was essentially a long, bendy piece of silver machinery, composed of countless, constantly revolving chrome gears, with various dials and steam-puffing pistons. It was adorned with random brass suns, silver moons and gemstone planets as if it were a fashion item.

Haku gingerly took it, as if worried that the gears would spring out, come to life and attack him like a thousand angry Klink. "Um, what is-"

Crazy Hair launched into his explanation before the Absol Pokéshifter could even ask. "It's my invention! I call it the Celestial Scarf, because it allows the wearer to transport himself or herself anywhere in space – instantly! It's like a powered-up version of the move Teleport!"

"Uh, it sounds rather useful, but-"

"Oh, don't listen to him," Book-Lover butted in. "It may look fancy, like something out of a steampunk fantasy novel, but believe me, it sure doesn't walk the walk." He prised the scarf off Haku and draped it over himself. "Now, scarf, I would love it if you transported me to the Sun, right away if possible!" he ordered.

"Wait, don't say that!" Crazy Hair protested. "You could die!"

But the scarf did nothing except continue its whirring revolutions and spout steam.

"See?" said Book-Lover. "You could wear it and look like an utter maniac, but other than that, it's worthless." He handed the contraption back to Haku.

"What do you know?" pouted Crazy Hair. "It's only a prototype. Besides, I never said it was voice-activated, did I?"

"Oooh…" Book-Lover sighed. "Really, do not mind him. He's crazier than a Chatot clock. But very interested in Sinnoh's legends. That's about the only reason why I'm friends with him."

Haku cocked his head as he absorbed this. "But who are you two, anyway?"

"Oh, damn, so sorry!" Crazy Hair apologised again. "My name's Sedemihcra. Confusing, eh? That's why everyone calls me Sed. I'm a mechanic and an inventor, but I studied Pokémon mythology at Sinnoh University. I'm generally inspired by Pokémon myths, though, so I suppose it paid off a bit, eh?" Sed finished, laughing.

The other man shrugged. "I'm Wookbrom. It's a strange name, I guess – so feel free to laugh your head off. I don't really mind. I was at university with Sed… unfortunately. Studying the same exact thing, but I became a writer instead. Novels, and non-fiction – I write both, but they always have something to do with the many myths and legends of our world. I've travelled to many places, hoping to see one of these amazing legendary rarities of Pokémon with my own eyes, but…" He sighed again. "You know how it is. A legendary Pokémon's not just something you can just go and see, if you take my meaning."

Taking a step forward, Wookbrom stooped so his head was level with the cage's ceiling. "So, this is a Latias, in the flesh… wow. Even sleeping… she's… beautiful." A wide, dreamy smile seemed to slacken the lower half of his face, but his eyes… they gazed at the slumbering Maddy in a way that was somehow unnerving to Haku. Hungrily, he thought.

Haku began to feel suddenly awkward, and tried to hide the fact he was beginning to sweat like a Tepig. "Y-yep," he answered, trying to keep his voice steady.

Wookbrom's gaze switched to Haku. "So, how'd you find her?"

"I…" Haku began, but his head swam – and suddenly, out of nowhere, he was unable to think clearly. A spontaneous migrane erupted, so painful Haku felt as though someone had landed an axe blow through the centre of his head. His vision dissolved into a rapidly swirling soup of greyish spots, like television static.

Oh, no, not one of these, not now, please-

His thought was abruptly cut off as he left reality.

When Haku's eyes snapped open, the sight that greeted him was of a dark room.

Virtually the only light was filtering from a bank – or rather, wall – of computer screens which gleamed stark white against the black backing.

Situated directly in front of the computer's screens was a long, curvature table, which was more of a desk. It was hard to tell from the lack of light in the room, but it seemed to be coloured a deep purple.

Besides Haku, there were two people in the room, both by the desk. One was sitting at it on a high-backed, plush office chair; the kind that not only looked comfy enough to kip in, but also enabled you to spin round and round like a maniac.

The second was standing rather meekly behind the chair. Haku strained to see more than their outlined silhouettes, but both their bodies were concealed in the shadows.

As for Haku, he was in a position from which he could see almost the entirety of the room. He felt cold stone at his back, and discovered that when he made to move, an invisible yet horrendously painful jolt racked his body.

He winced. What…?

But then, the silence of the room was broken by the chair's occupant.

As they spoke, they swivelled partially into the illumination, allowing Haku to glimpse greying hair accompanied by purple and white streaks, and a single, catlike maroon eye.

"Inyatis, being the head of Genmi's Kalos Division, I expected more from you in that last mission." Haku noted down two observations from that single sentence – the voice, being feminine, meant the owner was a woman; and, from the tone, Haku could tell that whoever she was, she held a supreme position of authority.

"U-um, yes, Madame," replied the one called Inyatis; he had a masculine tone with just a hint of fear underlying his words. "I-I'm deeply sorry. I could compensate-"

"There's no time for you to compensate!" the woman snapped. "That cock-up you caused may well lead to our ruin." She sighed. "Well, there is one Trump Card left to play… although it is rather… more of a Final Gambit."

The man, Inyatis, looked stricken. "No! Madame Axalar, you cannot seriously be thinking of-"

"I can, and I will do it. There's nothing you can do to stop me, Inyatis. Unless you want to get fired. Or killed, if I don't feel merciful enough."

Her underling was stunned into silence. Meanwhile, the woman named Axalar got up, what Haku could see of her face falling into darkness once again. A clack, clack of high heels echoed across the room's vaulted ceiling.

It was a few seconds before a shiver ran up Haku's spinal cord as he realised the woman was heading right in his direction.

By that time, she was leaning right over him. But what was even more terrifying about that was the fact that he still couldn't see her features.

"So, how about that, eh…? It looks like I have another reason to keep you alive. So I can see the twisted expression on your face when all your pathetic friends die right before your eyes. And you can be safe in the knowledge that you yourself were the instrument of their demise…"

You would've thought that this would be a good moment to fit in a sadistic, villainous laugh, but this particular character stayed silent. Instead, she leaned in even closer, until Haku could feel soft breath caressing his cheek. "Not so strong now, are you, Haku Kurosawa?"

Haku wanted to gasp, but there was something blocking even his mouth movements. No-one knew his second name. He hadn't told it to anyone… it was, in fact, an especially kept secret of his. So how…

How in Houndour had she learnt it?

Haku woke up to a piercing scream.

It took him milliseconds to realise that the scream had actually come from him.

What… what was…

"Are you okay?" Sedemihcra's voice.

That… that didn't seem like a vision of an impending disaster…

Haku's vision blurred into focus once again. His limbs felt like they had been cast in iron.

Or… o-or… was it?

Breathing out, Haku let himself relax. Surprisingly, he fell several inches to the floor. "Ouch…"

"He's alive!"

"Of course he is, dimwit." Wookbrom grasped Haku's hand and hauled him to his feet. "You okay? You seemed to pass out for a few seconds there."

A few seconds? That's all it was? Haku stood, wobbling slightly, until he felt balanced again. "Th-thanks. And yes… this happens sometimes… I-I have low-blood pressure," he garbled. "Sometimes I might just faint randomly, so…" he chuckled nervously. "Sorry."

Sed wandered over, giving Haku a once-over. "Well, you seem fine! That's good!" He grinned, slapping the Pokéshifter's forearm so hard it made him wince. "Fainting randomly, though… that's got to get pretty annoying!"

Haku nodded, thinking, You have no idea.

"Tch, just leave him!" Wookbrom waved Sed away with his hand. The inventor pouted.

"S-sorry."

"No, it's fine," laughed Haku. "It happens quite-"

At that point, the boy himself was cut off by a long, loud, slow yawn – a yawn, as it happened, to end all yawns.

"G'morning, Haku," mumbled Maddy sleepily, groggily, stretching out in human form, still clearly unaware, utterly off with the Fairy-Types. Looking back on it, Haku realised that she must've transformed, woken up and emerged from the cage while Sed and Wookbrom were occupied with him.

Of course, that wasn't the case at all now.

In an instant, Haku's mind procured about a thousand potential responses to this particular stimulus.

But "It's about time", "This is the worst time you could ever choose to wake up", or even "Holy fucking Arceus, what did I ever do to deserve this" just didn't seem to cut it.

So, without even really thinking, Haku clamped his hand around Maddy's wrist tighter than a Shellder round a Slowbro's tail and pelted out of the room like a temperamental Camerupt was on his heels. Maddy, despite being half-asleep, managed to match his speed.

Oh, what a day… Haku groaned internally. Hopefully those two will just think they're seeing things, and they won't wonder beyond that.

Although… there's something that bothers me. They don't seem like Genmi, it's true… but the way they were acting around us… was, in the least to say, strange…

Haku, in a rare moment, was wrong. Sed and Wookbrom knew they hadn't been seeing things, because they'd seen it all before.

But he was right about the second thing – the duo had been acting strangely. But that was mainly because their entire act had been staged.

"That went surprisingly well!" laughed Sedemihcra, slapping his sides.

Wookbrom stared sidelong at his companion. "Yes, apart from that moment when you almost gave us away."

"It was just one li'l smile! Hardly worthy of that clobbering you gave me! But…" The mechanic stared down at his scuffed, grease-marked trainers. "They took my scarf…"

"A necessary distraction," Wookbrom replied. "Besides, it was just a piece of junk anyway. You won't miss it."

"Yes I will," Sed grumbled. "It was my only prototype!"

Wookbrom sighed. "I'll never get you, Sed, but I'll have to admit it is rewarding being friends with you. Those camo-trackers I stuck on them… you say they're there for good now, right?"

"Wafer-thin, waterproof, camouflaged, and extremely difficult to remove, should they discover them," the inventor informed his friend proudly.

"Good stuff. But just remember it wasn't all your genius in this ploy."

"Hm?" Sed looked up.

"Pinpointing them in the first place? And where'd you think you got your inspiration for that "Golden Skarmory" comment, hmm?" The writer waggled his dark eyebrows.

Sed couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, that book… it was always my favourite. I still can't believe those kids were gullible enough to lap every last drop of our entire play up, just like Honey."

"Yeah, they're kids." Wookbrom turned away, lost in his thoughts. "Having a camp that close to Genmi's HQ? That's about as stupid as anyone gets."

"Oh, yeah," Sed agreed. "But, you know, Wookie-"

"Do you have to call me that?" the said man growled. "I'm not Chewbacca!"

Sed laughed another of his maniacal laughs. "I know – but it's a fun pet name, isn't it? But anyway… from last night, there's something still bothering me…"

"What?" Wookbrom prompted, without looking back.

"Uh, well, you must've sensed it too-"

"The other Pokéshifters? They probably died in that fire… A loss, I know, but two's all we need for now."

"No… not them. There was another one. Closer… Even I could feel their presence, and I'm no good at reading Aura. But it seemed almost as if they were… not quite controlling, but manipulating the minds of the Latias and Absol. From a distance."

Wookbrom met his friend's gaze, eyebrows raised. "And you sensed that much? Impressive."

Sed smiled graciously.

"Though I suppose you didn't notice the human, and the Pokémon, who in turn were manipulating the Pokéshifter you sensed?"

"Uh, what!? There was a human and a Pokémon?" Sed's mouth was agape.

Wookbrom smirked almost smugly. "Oh well, Sed, reading Aura was never your forte. Stick to inventing."

"Alright. Oh, and one more thing…"

"Yes?" Wookbrom asked, somewhat exasperated.

"That Absol Pokéshifter… he didn't just faint because of low blood pressure, did he?"

Wookbrom rolled his golden eyes. "Of course not. It's an Absol's intuitive power, and can have effects on them in Pokémon and human form. Impending disasters from the future manifest themselves in their minds while unconscious. And that was what we witnessed."

"Ah," Sed muttered contemplatively. "Sounds like a useful, yet depressing power – always knowing what bad stuff is about to happen round the corner."

"Yes, it probably is," agreed Wookbrom. "But haven't you got a job to do?"

"Oh, yeah, of course, Your Highness," Sed grumbled, rolling his eyes, but then smiling at his own sarcastic comment.

Reaching under his worktable, he produced a wide-screened plasma tablet. The onscreen display showed a high-resolution map of Eterna City.

Two pulsating, neon-green triangles indicated the real-time position of the two tagged Pokéshifters as they zoomed from the brown square block of Sed's own house and onto the street outside.

Sed allowed himself a grin. "You can run, but you can't hide. And never say there's anywhere safe for you, as you'll learn…"

"…that there is nowhere safe for your kind."

Blooming honeysuckle emanated a pungent aroma that was almost overwhelming for Luci. Although she could not yet see beyond the thinning undergrowth up ahead, it was quite obvious now there were mere metres between the group and the flower-filled town of Floaroma.

"Gee, really stinks around here, don't it, Luci?" Flara stated from behind Luci none too quietly. "It's a good thing that it's a nice smell, though. Imagine if it stank of Stunky fart gas-"

"Shut up," groaned Luci, pulling back a frond of ferns to catch a glimpse of the area beyond. The winding trail of Route 205 connected to the town up ahead, where the boundary was marked by a wooden, ivy-lined arch with "Welcome To Floaroma Town!" carved across the top in flowery lettering.

Everything about this town is flowery. Arceus, I already feel like puking – and we're not even in there yet.

Of course, it hadn't been Luci's plan to recuperate at Floaroma Town – in fact, if she had been in charge, they would've completely bypassed the place and made a beeline for Sandgem Town – where Luci knew there was a port. The fire back in Eterna had been a clear clue that Genmi were onto them. As far as Luci was concerned, their best bet was to get the hell out of the region – to someplace far away; Unova, or Kalos, perhaps.

Well, I've always wanted to visit Kalos. I wonder if those legendary "Mega Stones" we've all heard about would work on Pokéshifters.

Luci had had an argument with Leone minutes previously, but she'd learnt in the short time she had known the Torterra Pokéshifter that arguing with her was pointless – that girl had a knack for getting her way. Also, Luci did agree with her, deep down; she felt that she was dying on her feet, having practically run here all the way from the now burnt-out camp in Eterna. They all felt that way. They all needed to rest. And Floaroma's Pokémon Center was probably the best option.

Which was why Luci and Flara had been sent to scout the place out, then return to Leone with new knowledge. You never knew where a bunch of Genmi goons could be hiding.

All they had to do was pass themselves off as a regular Pokémon Trainer and her Pokémon partner. They had even given themselves aliases, in case Genmi were spying on them – Luci's cover was Yvonne the Ace Trainer, and Flara had insisted on being called Queen Fluffleflame, Yvonne's Flareon.

"Right. So far, so good," Luci muttered, drawing herself up to her full height. She sniffed. "Ugh. Makes you wonder whether Leone picked this place just because it's supposed to be Grass-Type Nirvana."

Flara shrugged. "I dunno. What's Nirvana, anyway?"

"I'll tell you later," sighed Luci. "Just turn into a Flareon already, will ya?"

"Okay then, Miss Bossyboots Leone-wannabe," grunted Flara reluctantly before shifting.

"Yeah, and get used to it," Luci retaliated as she stepped out of the undergrowth, Flara following inches behind. She grinned. "After all, I'm your Trainer now."

The Flareon Pokéshifter rolled her chestnut eyes in answer.

Luci chuckled as the pair passed under the archway. She panned her eyes around the streets as they walked, which seemed to be overtaken by plants – indeed, there were more flowerbeds than houses. Each and every lamppost, pillar box and garden gate they passed was hung with a garland of sickly-smelling plants.

Don't they get sick of the smell after a while?

They both stuck to the main drag, watching warily for anything suspicious, but it was all Floaroma natives.

Arceus, even the people here are flowery… Luci noted as she passed two men having an animated conversation, one complimenting the other's garden as a Cherrim danced around them, throwing sakura confetti.

Luci was glad when the Pokémon Centre hovered into view, seemingly the only building not transformed into a pungent and colourful bouquet. Painted the usual orange and white, the Poké Ball symbol above the door glinted in the late afternoon sunlight.

Taking a breath and readying herself, Luci proceeded to fulfil the second part of their objective – to book places for nine at the Pokémon Center.

No sooner had her feet touched the grey pavement slabs than she was practically bowled over as something which felt heavier than a brick wall slammed into her.

"Hey, watch it, you!"

The angry shout emanated from above. Luci picked herself up, meeting cool thundercloud-grey eyes practically sparking with distaste.

"Are you blind or something, girl?"

Luci bristled at being crudely referred to as "girl", but took her time analysing the boy in front of her before answering. His tousled blonde hair hung down his face in a spiky fringe, and he was clad in the signature brown and dark green outfit of the Ace Trainer cult of the Sinnoh region.

Luci didn't need to read his Aura to tell he was looking for an excuse to fight. Perhaps he's fed up of all the floweriness too.

But, unfortunately, I don't have the time to smash this guy's face into the floor in a Pokémon battle right now. So he'll just have to make do with a sarcastic remark.

Luci made a big show of it, putting on a huge fake smile and leaning into the boy's face, clearly pointing out her amber eyes. "Well, boy, I can most definitely see you right now. I have eyes, as you can clearly see."

As she made to move past him, the irritating Ace Trainer streaked in front, blocking her path. "Don't be such a smart-arse, girl. You're talking to Volkner Junior, and you aren't taking a step into this Pokémon Centre without battling me first!"

"Ooh, very scary," muttered Luci under her breath, before realising who the boy had introduced himself as.

"Wait… the Volkner?! Isn't he the Gym Leader of Sunyshore City Gym?" She scoffed. "You're lying."

"I am not, girl!" the boy insisted, practically pouting. "I am the only son of Volkner of Sunyshore City, and one day I will be the Gym Leader! I'm already just as strong as my father. There's no way a lowlife Trainer like you could ever beat me," he proclaimed with narcissistic overconfidence.

"Really, now?" Luci cocked a dark eyebrow. "I would take you right now, but I'm busy. So go run along back to Sunyshore. And by the way, my name's Yvonne, not girl."

"Heh! Well, I was just about to leave, anyway, but my Pokémon could do with some good target practice." Smirking, Volkner Junior hardly hesitated as he plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and threw it deftly into the air. The red-and-white capsule opened out in midair, releasing a cloud of glittering white, which instantly morphed into a spiky-haired Jolteon with an expression almost as cocky as that of its Trainer's.

Oh, ain't that just great, Luci wanted to groan. She knew from her previous childhood dreams of becoming a Trainer that as soon as a Pokémon, from either side, was sent into battle, it was mandatory as part of the Trainer credo to engage in the battle whether you liked it or not. Trainers seemed to have this annoying belief that none should ever run away from a battle with another Trainer.

Well, fuck Trainers, Luci thought grudgingly as she gestured at Flara. "Guess I'll just use Flar- er, Queen Fluffleflame to take you out!"

The Flareon Pokéshifter leapt in eagerly, even striking a pose, whilst Volkner Junior burst out laughing, and Luci resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Queen Fluffleflame?! Just what kinda lame nicknames do you give to your Pokémon?" He gasped for a few seconds to get his breath back. "Well, anyway, this should be over quickly. Jolteon, use Charge Beam!"

Flara only just manage to dodge in time as the electrified beam shot towards her faster than lightning. Her tail fur barely escaped being singed by the outpouring electrons.

Luci was taken aback, too – she had been so busy wishing Flara had taken a less ridiculous name for her Pokémon alias that she had barely noticed the Jolteon's oncoming, rapid attacks.

That Pokémon was like a tiny yellow Concorde – blink and you'd miss the swift Quick Attack which it dealt out to Flara within milliseconds.

She had forgotten how fast she knew a Jolteon could be. I guess you don't become that arrogant without a reason, Luci speculated.

Flara somersaulted backwards, landing smoothly on her paws. Despite taking a direct hit, she didn't look in the least bit winded.

Luci knew she had to strike. "Queen Fluffleflame, use…" The Lucario Pokéshifter hesitated just for a nanosecond as she picked her brain for any moves she remembered Flara ever using. Then the memory hit her; back in the woods where they had fought together, Luci had definitely seen Flara unleash Flamethrower and Shadow Ball. Although she knew there were a great many other moves Flareon were capable of learning, she had no idea which ones Flara actually knew. And it would be beyond embarrassing if she called out a move the Pokéshifter didn't actually know how to use. So she decided.

"Flamethrower!"

A stream of red-hot flames came tumbling from Flara's gaping mouth, but were met by the Jolteon's Charge Beam. The two attacks simply cancelled each other out in a smoky explosion which blew Pokémon and Pokéshifter backwards into their Trainers.

Luci absent-mindedly threw Flara off, feeling as though she had already landed on her one too many times. The Lucario Pokéshifter then wasted no time, leaping to her feet and giving a defiant yell of "Use Shadow Ball!"

Flara did so, but the Jolteon was just as ready. "Iron Tail," Volkner Junior muttered.

The Jolteon swung its steely tail tip at the oncoming purplish orb like a tennis racket, bouncing the attack back at twice the speed and power.

As the inky globe collided with Flara, a dust cloud was formed, engulfing both Pokéshifters. Inside, Luci could hear her opponent laughing like a maniac.

Right, I've had it with this guy, Luci thought, and, if Flara's down, then at least I can use this dust to my advantage, and get in there myself. I don't give a piece of Grimer sludge if Trainers aren't supposed to hit each other during battles. Besides, I'm not a legitimate Trainer anyway.

The shift came naturally and easily, her body once again transferring into the form of a Lucario. Using the smoke as cover while she shifted, she then charged out as fast as she could, delivering an ExtremeSpeed at photon velocity. She rammed the Jolteon before slamming her bare foot into the Ace Trainer's solar plexus – a good ol' Lucario kick. She then bounced right back to her former position, reassuming human form. All in two seconds, flat.

The dust cleared, and Luci was relieved to see Flara battered, but otherwise unhurt. The same could not be said for Volkner Junior's Jolteon – its glazed, spiralling eyeballs indicated its unconsciousness.

The Trainer himself sat up, coughing. He looked wildly from his senseless Pokémon, to Flara, to Luci. "H-how?!" he spluttered. "H-how can any Pokémon be that fast… and…" His expression changed from bewildered to worry. "A-aaack! Not my father's precious Jolteon, who I stole from behind his back… A-ahh… the two of us were getting to be so close…" He stopped, looked up, and noticed Luci gazing at him thoughtfully. "I-I-I mean, how dare you hurt my precious Jolteon! My father will hear about this!" Swiping up the Jolteon, Volkner's hapless son shot off at an impressive speed, kicking up soil behind him.

My Pokémon, my arse, Luci mused. If he stole it from his dad, then that explains things. A Gym Leader's Pokémon would be tough to beat. She sighed. "I knew that guy was all talk. But it was his Pokémon doing all the work back there." She glanced down at Flara. "Sorry."

The Flareon Pokéshifter gave a grin and a wink. Probably saying "Don't be."

"Well, let's do here what we came to do," Luci stated as she sauntered over to the Pokémon Centre's automatic doors.

As the doors slid open, Luci felt a tugging on her ankle, and looked down. Flara was staring at her with a confused expression. "Flare?" she inquired.

Even without being in Pokémon form, Luci still had a rudimentary understanding of the ways in which Pokémon communicated to each other.

"Why would a Gym Leader's son go to Floaroma Town…?" Luci shrugged. "Well, why does anyone go to this shitty town?!"

The neon-green digital readout on the room's whitewashed wall had just struck 8 pm by the time the entire nine-strong crew had congregated in their designated bedroom.

The group, now full up with the contents of a buffet worthy of a twenty-ton starved Snorlax, were currently languishing on their beds, utterly pooped from the events of the past twenty-four hours. Flara and Luci, especially, were particularly fatigued – they had curled up on their shared double bed and practically fallen asleep. But it wasn't surprising, considering they had had more than a few escapades on their last mission. According to Luci, they had been challenged by an Ace Trainer, forced to engage in a Pokémon battle, and had then had to talk their way out of Nurse Joy healing the injured "Queen Fluffleflame". But as Luci had begun to talk about the battle, she had cast an almost sheepish sidelong glance at Flara, as if saying, "Whatever you do, don't mention that secret we need to keep from Leone, otherwise she'll get really mad at us and probably try to kill us."

Just another secret being kept from me by my own friends, Leone sighed. Ah well, I suppose I'm used to it. All Pokéshifters have secrets, including myself.

Leone seemed to be the only one with enough energy to stand up. In fact, she was restless – pacing the large room from one wall to the other as if plotting the details of an elaborate plan. Sometimes she'd collapse into the navy-blue chintz armchair in the corner, but would only stay sitting for mere seconds until she got up again and resumed pacing.

The room itself had been the largest that the Pokémon Center had free. It was meant for five, consisting of two double beds and one single, but they had been provided with extra sleeping bags, a spacious, carpeted floor, and the armchair, which Leone had designated to herself.

Suddenly, the Torterra Pokéshifter stopped in mid-pace, and turned right on her slumbering companions. "Wake up, you lot! You can go to sleep after I've told you the plan."

Luci sat up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. "U-uh? What plans?" she inquired drowsily.

Her mind was fully broken back into reality abruptly as she noticed a certain Flareon Pokéshifter snuggling up to her. "Geroff!" she yelled, tugging her arm out of Flara's grip.

The said teenager fell back on her side, grumbling. "Whyyyy? Why so mean, Luci…"

Akari and the new arrivals – Leone was still stumbling over their names – were not acting much less chaotically. Except for Akari, who was her usual quiet self – listening attentively, her brown eyes fixed on Leone. The trio of Water-Type Pokéshifters had all tried to squeeze into a double bed together and were now clambering over one another to find out exactly what was going on. And the Lucario and Umbreon duo she had met in the woods with Luci were groaning, staring around the dimly lit room with glazed zombie-like eyes.

Leone managed to resist the urge to facepalm – she had become practically a master of that art over time.

About half of the others repeated Luci's question simultaneously, and even Akari piped up, stammering, "Y-you were saying, L-leone?"

Leone cleared her throat. "I was saying - Quit whining, Flara! – that we need to talk about what course of action we're going to take tomorrow."

Everyone fell silent, if for a few seconds. Tomorrow. No-one had considered it, or even thought about it, but they all knew that this Pokémon Centre was only temporary lodging. Soon they would be on the run again.

Luci was the first to state her opinion on the matter. "I say we go to Sandgem Town, catch a boat at the dock and escape to another region."

"Hey, hey, hey! That's seconded by me!" Flara crowed. "Let's get outta this stinkin' region already!"

Leone rolled her eyes. Typical Flara. That gung-ho attitude of hers has never lessened… Still, isn't she at least a little sad at the notion of leaving her home region? Although the Battle Zone's an island, it's still part of Sinnoh. She silently sighed. "Calm down, you two. Let's see what everyone else thinks first."

The new Lucario Pokéshifter – Sphaera, Leone recalled – piped up suddenly. "Another region? Not that that sounds bad, but where would we go? Me and Somber have never left Sinnoh, so I wouldn't know." The dark-haired boy beside her nodded.

"I've never left Sinnoh either," Leone admitted, sinking into the armchair whilst exhaling. "But I've read up on the other regions. There are five we could potentially escape to. But if we are going to leave Sinnoh, we need to narrow our available regions down, and pick the best one."

"W-wait… f-five?" Akari stuttered questioningly. "I-I thought there were only four regions, including Sinnoh…"

Luci stared at the Togetic Pokéshifter with something resembling incredulity. "You mean to say you've never heard of Unova or Kalos?!"

"U-um, no… I-I mean yes. G-geography was never my forte…" She looked down bashfully.

The Wartortle Pokéshifter, Avia, dug her male companion in the ribs. "Hey, Hydrus! Shouldn't you be offended? You come from Unova, after all!"

The big Swampert Pokéshifter fixed the girl with an embarrassed stare which said, "Oh, why did you have to just blurt that out…?"

The last of the trio, Jubilee, gave one of her signature grins. "Well, I dunno if I should say anything here, but in case you want to know, I'm a Sinnoh girl; born and raised," she finished proudly.

Leone sensed the conversation was going off topic. "Well, it's all well and good to hear your life stories, but we need to decide on a region. Has anyone got any ideas?"

Flara pouted, shaking her head so her messy scarlet strands swished across her face. "Nope. Gee, I wish Haku was still here. He'd have known what to do."

Leone instantly knew that she wasn't just referring to their current situation; she was also saying that Haku's analytical mind could've possibly helped them save the camp from being obliterated by flames.

She felt the pang of guilt attack her once again – she'd had so much to think about getting her companions out alive that she'd had hardly a thought to spare for the dead. Or, at least, the assumed dead.

Ridiculous, Leone. Not even an Entei could've survived that fire…

But when she had broken the news to Luci, Flara and Akari whilst the whole group had stopped outside Floaroma for a short break, all of them, especially Flara, refused to believe their old friends had died – they were convinced that they were missing, instead. But, dead or not, Haku and Frinos were losses which stabbed right at Leone's heart. She didn't think she could take any more.

"Who's Haku?" A thin smile played out on Sphaera's lips. "You don't mean the dragon boy from Sprited Away, right?"

Leone frowned. "He gets that – got that – a lot. But he… he was our friend. He died in the fire in Eterna."

Sphaera's face changed to a look of guilt. "Oh… crap. Sorry…"

"He is not dead, Leone!" growled Flara. "And neither is Frinos-"

"Flara!" Leone ordered, causing her to finally shut up. "We'll have this argument later. For now, regions… Since no-one seems to have any personal favourites, we're going to have to choose by an elimination method."

She looked around at all of them. When the silence ensued, she continued, "Well, Kanto's first up-"

"That's not a good idea," interrupted Luci. She had said it so vehemently, but she looked around awkwardly when everyone turned their eyes to her. "Uh, I mean… Genmi have been chasing me for years. And… well, I did once pick up a tip: they apparently have a base in Kanto like they do here in Sinnoh, only they're a whole lot more known down there – they have an alliance with Team Rocket, and they're so powerful they practically control the region. If there's a free Pokéshifter left in Kanto today, they must be the best escape artist in the entire galaxy. Or so I heard."

Even Flara didn't speak for a single minute as the group absorbed Luci's words.

"Guess that counts Kanto out, huh," put in Sphaera. "But what about Johto?"

Surprisingly, it was Akari who answered. "I-I-I c-come from Johto… a-and I can tell you that Genmi's there too… I-It's very close to Kanto, you see, so they've managed to get a b-base there too. I… I was running constantly while I was in Johto. I had to flee to Sinnoh to g-get away." Leone had to practically lean in to hear the girl's wispy timbre.

Sphaera looked annoyed. "Are you serious? Those Genmi dorks have gotten everywhere!"

Avia pushed her indigo-framed glasses up her nose, the frames catching and reflecting the lamplight. "Well, there's always Hoenn…"

"Hmm?" interjected Jubilee. "You come from Hoenn, don'tcha, Avia?

"Yeah…" Avia replied, her word trailing off into the ether.

"Uh…" Hydrus spoke slowly and awkwardly (Leone was surprised – she didn't think she'd heard him speak before), "You do know that's…"

The two shared a glance which was impossible to read.

Meanwhile, Jubilee's smile never wavered. "Ha ha! It's just summat to do with bad memories 'n' stuff… I don't know the details, I was never there. Besides, I did hear that things have been getting tense lately over there; Team Magma and Team Aqua are fighting again, it seems."

Avia nodded hurriedly. "Y-yeah! Genmi isn't as prominent over there, but the two teams make the entire region a pretty dangerous place to live, especially for Pokéshifters."

"I see," sighed Leone, not believing it for a second. She didn't have to have Haku's mind to tell that they were hiding something. Something deep, dark and personal. So she didn't inquire further. "Guess that just leaves Unova and Kalos."

"I say Unova!" Flara stated loudly. "It's pretty far away from the other regions, isn't it? That way, Genmi will probably have less people and less influence over there, right?"

Leone couldn't help it – she burst out laughing. "Arceus, Flara, did you just come up with a good idea?!" She applauded while the Flareon Pokéshifter stood dumbfounded, a single sweat-drop dripping down the side of her head. "The flaw in that plan though is just how far away Unova is from Sinnoh. I doubt we'll be able to get there from Sandgem Town – we'd have to go to a bigger port, like Canalave or Snowpoint City. And we-"

"-don't have time for that," finished Luci.

The Umbreon Pokéshifter chuckled. "Ooh, are you two secret twins or something? 'Cos the way you finish each other's sentences" - he clicked his fingers knowingly – "is the first sign of it." Sphaera joined in his laughter as Luci and Leone glared.

A small smile lit up Akari's face at the humorous atmosphere. "W-well, that leaves the other region, K-kalos, was that what you said?"

"Yeah!" Luci confirmed. "I don't know too much about it, I'll admit, but I know a few things. It's a little bit unlike other regions – for a start, the arrays of Pokémon living there are extremely diverse, meaning that there'll probably be more Pokéshifters there compared to other regions. And that's a great thing, right?"

Sphaera met Luci's gaze with her crimson irises. "There was something I heard about Kalos, too… isn't there some kind of mystical power there which can transform fully-evolved Pokémon to some "ultimate level of power" or something?"

"Mega Stones, you mean? Oh, yeah! There are those too." Luci smirked. "And I read once that Lucario is one of the Pokémon which can use that Mega Stone transformation."

Sphaera's eyes widened eagerly. "Really?"

The two of them barely noticed Leone and Somber simultaneously rolling their eyes.

"We're not going to Kalos just so you two can get superpowers," Leone sighed. "Just so you know."

"We knew!" Luci and Sphaera chorused before bursting into giggles.

Flara burst into fits of laughter along with the two Lucario Pokéshifters, before abruptly stopping and asking, "Wait, what's so funny?"

Leone got up again after yelling another trademark "Shut up, you lot!" and thrust her hand, palm downwards, into the centre. "Okay then, all those in favour of going to Kalos, put your hand in on top of mine."

All eight of them, eager at the prospect of visiting a new region, and starting a new adventure, formed a circle with Leone and placed their hands on top of hers.

"To Kalos!" Jubilee cheered.

"Well, to sleep, and then to Kalos," Leone corrected, chuckling.

"To sleep, and then to Kalos!" the group combined in a united cheer so raucous it probably woke up the Trainers' Pokémon in their Poké Balls.

Part of Leone wanted to yell at them all for being so loud, but the other half just wanted to laugh along with them.

I'm in with a strange lot; I think I've known that for some time.

But I should really just accept it. After all, it's not like they're going to develop any sense anytime soon.