I...am sorry.
Gary sat bolt upright with a yell, covered in sweat and panting for breath. Eevee, who'd been sleeping stretched out belly-up alongside him and sharing Gary's sleeping bag and pillow, startled to consciousness with a defensive snarl before looking around, relaxing slightly after he remembered where he was prior to giving Gary a look that mixed puzzlement and concern. It was the group's final night in Pallet Town before they'd be setting out on the road tomorrow for Ash's League Challenge, and thanks to the early day combined with an impromptu celebration at Pallet House after they'd triumphantly returned to Pallet Town with the new additions of Eevee, Pikachu and Deecee, it had been collectively decided to hit the hay early.
The nightmare of the events that had happened inside the Pokémon Center, so familiar to Gary by this point after six long years of reliving the gruesome memories multiple times a month, had changed for the first time that he could recall. Gary rubbed his head, trying to clear the sheen of sweat while wearing a frown of concentration, attempting to recollect what precisely had differed besides that strange, echoing, gentle male-sounding voice shocking him awake from the images indelibly burned into his memory. "Sorry," Gary quietly muttered to Eevee as he gently stroked the Pokémon's head with a slightly shaking hand, hoping he hadn't woken the others up. Gary was relieved when he glanced over at Ash's bed and he was still dead to the world, Pikachu appearing as little more than a lump of green fabric cuddled up to Ash's chest with only the very end of the Pokémon's jagged yellow tail betraying him by poking out from under the edge of Ash's comforter. Tracey was passed out in a plush adjustable chair they'd dragged in from Delia's living room with a blanket and pillow on Gary's other side, Deecee curled up into a fluffy lump of blue and white on Tracey's chest and Scyther dozing by the far wall sitting upright with his namesakes carefully positioned so as to not hurt anyone or anything.
A monstrous Pokémon. That was what it was, Gary's mind summoning it clearly for him as soon as he'd stopped actively concentrating on it. Something purple and tall and metallic looming over the massacre as the nightmare altered itself, a faceless harbinger of destruction and death surveying the horror inside the Verdanturf Town Pokémon Center as it floated in midair somehow. Of course, this was something his at the time four year old and also highly terrified mind had conjured up...was it even real? There was no Pokémon that he knew of that remotely resembled it even if he was viewing it through the hazy lens of panic and old memory, that much Gary was sure of. But what unnerved Gary the most was that he was fairly certain it had been the memory of the creature apologizing to him that had just jolted him out of his restless slumber. Eevee seemed to sense his tension, rubbing against Gary's hand before gently nibbling Gary's pointer finger in a bid to distract the Kantonian out of his thoughts.
Before the images fled his mind, Gary decided to try and draw what he could remember to the best of his ability- maybe they could stop by a library with a good Pokémon research section in the course of their travels. Eevee hopped up onto Gary's shoulder with a yawn after he seemed to realize that everything was okay. As quietly as he could manage Gary borrowed one of Tracey's sketchbooks and colored pencils from Tracey's full-to-bursting backpack, focusing on silver, metallic and purple hues as he began to sketch the creature from his nightmare, Eevee watching from his shoulder with interest. Gary started with the most prominent feature that he remembered, the strange Pokémon's long, thick, muscular dark purple tail and odd, muscular lighter purple bipedal legs that ended in two large, split toes. It was silver here...and here...and here... The soft scratching of pencil against paper filled the crowded bedroom as he continued to work, satisfied with his results after about ten minutes or so- it was about as good as Gary knew his lacking artistic abilities would permit. Maybe a Steel-type? As Gary looked his finished drawing over it sure seemed like it was a Steel-type or an at least partial Steel-type if his memory wasn't playing tricks on him, a good portion of its vaguely humanoid-proportioned, bipedal purple body covered in shining silver.
Gary carefully placed the drawing on the floor by him after turning on the light and studying his work for a few more moments, deciding that he'd ask the much more travelled and worldly James if the older man maybe knew a Pokémon species that resembled it after they got underway on their trip tomorrow. Almost right after he and Eevee settled back to sleep with the light still on, the door softly creaked open, Meowth quietly padding in on all fours and carefully studying Gary's drawing before padding back out to the living room and releasing Khiva from her ball.
"[Hey,]" Meowth began in a whisper, "[Gary's memories seem t' be comin' back. James should b' happy, since we can ask 'em stuff when it seems like a good time an' place.]"
Khiva frowned at the news and nodded before gently tapping Meowth on the forehead, opening a temporary mental link so they could speak silently. [As you know, I felt a block almost as soon as I met Gary. And unfortunately, I can say with certainty that it was the work of a very powerful Psychic that knew exactly what they were doing. The block was just done so long ago at this point that it's beginning to weaken, so it doesn't surprise me that he may be starting to recall things more fully. I would wager that the block will probably be fully gone within, oh, a month or two, especially with how regular his nightmares seem to be.]
"So, uh-" Meowth clamped his paws over his mouth. [Heard him yell in there so I know he had the nightmare again, and he drew some kinda weird-looking armored 'mon I didn't recognize, probably the 'mon that did it to him I'd bet.]
[You didn't recognize it? I'm not sure that I like that.] Khiva's eyes narrowed in suspicion. [I'll keep them asleep if one of them starts to awaken, but let's go in there. I'd very much like to take a look at that drawing, actually.] The Grumpig's brow lifted. [I've eaten the nightmares, of course, so I've seen and tasted them, but they've never contained a Pokémon in them.] Khiva had stealthily been trying to Dream Eater the nightmares away when she could once she and James had realized how frequently they occurred for Gary, trying to relieve the young boy's anxiety, and Khiva had found no shortage of dark, churning nightmare energy to partake of. Khiva's hooves tapped softly on the hardwood before they reached the carpeted hallway as she followed Meowth back towards the hallway.
Four questioning sets of eyes greeted Khiva and Meowth as they snuck back into the room.
"[What are you sneaking around for?]" Scyther asked softly, eyeing Khiva and Meowth suspiciously from his spot. Deecee, Eevee and Pikachu, who'd turned around so his head was poking out of Ash's comforter, were all also watching things from where they'd been sleeping, though none had actually moved yet.
Khiva glanced over at Meowth before pointing with her paw at Gary's drawing and muttering quietly. "[I wanted to see that. I've been trying to help Gary with his nightmares, and knowing which of my brothers or sisters of the mind is behind them could help.]"
Eevee's ears drooped as he gave the still sleeping Gary a worried look. "[He woke all of us up, I think...but the humans seem used to it. Neither of them even flinched.]"
"[Yeah, I hope he doesn't do that all the time. Almost zapped my Keeper on accident 'cause I was startled,]" Deecee murmured as Khiva and Meowth entered the room, the Grumpig picking up the drawing and pondering it before she frowned.
"[I almost did too,]" grumbled Pikachu faintly. "[I mean, so far they've been okay to us, so that would have been bad.]"
Khiva shook her head. "[This is not any 'mon that I recognize. Do any of you?]"
One careful, hushed circuit of the drawing around the room later resulted in a round of head shakes punctuated by a "[Looks like some kind of Steel 'mon]" from Scyther. Deciding that they were going to try and get some rest and also not further risk possibly waking up their new two-legged friends, Khiva and Meowth headed back out to the living room wearing serious expressions. [I don't like this at all. We had Kanto, Sinnoh and Hoenn knowledge amongst us in that room, and none of us knew this 'mon. Maybe we can try asking some of the others tomorrow- I know we have Johto, Kalos and Unova with us as well. Alola may be a bit...harder to come by but not impossible, especially with Ash doing a Competition, which will let us encounter other 'mon more.] In the wake of what Pokémon had come to call The Dark Times or The Great Illness, what healthy Pokémon were left after the devastation had quickly become spread around the globe as Pokémon researchers, professors and breeders worked together desperately alongside the Pokémon themselves to help keep the various species genetically diverse and alive, mates sending their eggs to human caretakers and adoptive parents both near and far-flung. Regional dialects were still taught to children after they hatched and clung to almost as points of pride, as well as the folklore, traditions and stories from their original parts of the world that were passed down from parent to child.
[Sounds like a plan. For now, I vote we sleep. Can you get yourself back into your ball?] Meowth yawned widely, then curled up in front of the fireplace after Khiva's response was a deadpan look followed by her tapping her ball and recalling herself inside.
"Right. I want to know everything that happened in Shalour."
Erik Dresden was not a patient man when things Did Not Go To Plan, because the vaguely handsome green-haired thirty-year-old Sinnohite then got to turn around and explain Why Things Did Not Go To Plan to his boss, something that Erik tried to avoid at all costs. He could feel himself sweating under his light grey business suit in spite of the chilly early morning air as he adjusted his silver square-framed glasses, staring up at the color-streaked, lightening Kalosian sky he'd very recently arrived under after having lost almost an entire day supersonically hopping across time zones. "Actually, change of plans. I just landed in Kalos at our leader's request to help clean up your Arceus-cursed mess, so let's meet at a café close to Lumiose International and grab a bite to eat, your treat, shall we? I'm sure you'll have an excellent recommendation." He nodded as the name of a café was rattled off. "I pre-cleared en route so customs shouldn't take too long." Erik ended the call without bothering to wait for a reply, impatiently looking around as he entered the airport proper and absolutely, physically craving a cigarette after all the hours in the air.
Half an hour later after the trip through Kalosian customs, and retrieving his luggage followed by a brief trip on foot accompanied by a well-deserved smoke along the way, Eric placed his order and tucked himself into a corner booth in a bustling old, warm café decorated in earthy greens and bright whites named Délice de Slurpuff. The place quickly filled to standing room only as coffee, gossip and food were all consumed eagerly while the early morning sun playfully streaked through the windows, the din of mixed Kalosian and Common chatter filling the place and providing a perfect cover for the conversation they were about to have. Erik offered a polite, if feigned, smile to the waitress that brought him his requested noisette and croissant au jambon et au fromage a few minutes later just before he caught sight of his expected arrival, giving the weasely-looking Martin Beaumont an icy stare and nod of acknowledgement that was returned with a wince. Martin placed his order and slid into the booth across from Erik with a sigh and shake of his head, starting in without preamble as Erik worked on his croissant.
"[I told them it was too risky to keep them both together, you must believe me,]" Martin began in almost a pleading tone as he began without preamble in Kalosian, his blue eyes lit with fervor, keeping his noise level well under the general chatter and leaning forward while running a nervous hand through his messy black hair. "[The Orrean was a...problem from the start, like I've been telling the leads and you-]" He immediately stopped when Erik held up his hand.
"[I'm aware of the old reports on Subject Three's behavior and that you reported frequent issues. Just tell me exactly what happened during the breakout, in your words. Leave nothing out.]" He fixed Martin with a steely gaze as he polished off his coffee and leaned forward, almost whispering his next words. "[It took us quite a while to find a suitable Orrean, so you can imagine that Orson is...displeased, and Subject Four is our leader's personal favorite to boot.]" Erik rolled his eyes and waved a hand loosely. "[You know how he is about Fairy-types, and Subject Four is also Kalosian.]"
Martin swallowed nervously and nodded as his own food and coffee arrived, starting in without even looking at the food and drink as he quietly replied. "[Yes, I'm aware.]" He stared at his coffee with a frown. "[Well, we realized that there was a lot of talking going on between them for the past few weeks, more than seemed prudent, shall we say? They put a rookie on guard duty to try and curtail anything they were planning, but well...]" He shut his eyes and opened them again, managing to meet Erik's gaze. "[Three got a hold of the rookie's mind because his supervisor didn't properly warn and outfit him correctly. Three definitely worked straight through the collar's pain while they were escaping.]" He sighed. "[They found the rookie tied up in the control room an hour later, unharmed but completely mind-wiped about the last hour. We also,]" Martin finished with a dark look, "[discovered both of their restraint collars open on the floor and the Pokéballs gone. Security footage shows Three commanding the rookie like a puppet, making him walk right to Four's cell and release Four before also making the rookie remove the collars and hand over the Pokémon. They then...borrowed one of our cars and made their escape after they disguised themselves thanks to Four's help.]" He shook his head. "[The car was found this morning outside of Ambrette Town, but no sign of Three, Four or the Pokémon.]"
Erik's mouth twitched slightly with amusement. "[Sounds like Three, at least, had been practicing and plotting this for quite a while, which comes as no surprise given his past history with us. I'd wager that Four probably helped out and followed the leader, so to speak.]" Erik then sighed and shook his head. "[And of course they'd have taken the Pokémon. Without those Pokémon that they're so attached to and without the collars, we have no hold over either of them.]" He leaned back and tapped his fingers in a rhythm that barely carried in the café, glancing around absently before he leaned back in. "[That leaves us down two of our eight Subjects including one of our more dangerous ones and three Pokémon worth a tidy sum, an Espeon, an Umbreon and a Florges. What do you intend to do about it?]"
Martin sat up as if the words had been a verbal slap, openly staring at Erik in confusion. "[Weren't you sent here to help us search?]"
"[To help, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm going to hold your hand. I'm here for cleanup more than anything, our leader's direct orders. I wouldn't even be here if Four wasn't involved, but our leader insisted, of course.]" Erik shook his head. "[Plus...their combined powers could make them tricky to track down and potentially dangerous.]" He then stood up and spoke louder, deciding to not risk any further conversation since the morning rush crowd was clearing out and the background noise was steadily starting to recede. "[I'm staying at the usual hotel if you need to get a hold of me physically, and I'll have my phone on me at all times.]" He then smartly exited the café, leaving Martin with the bill. Martin groused to himself a bit before paying and leaving a tip and slouching his way out as well.
Neither had noticed a twelve-year-old brunette girl in a red outfit at the next booth who'd been carefully paying very close attention to the pair's deliberately hushed conversation while artfully pretending to be distracted by a lovely breakfast after wandering in behind Martin. She glanced around and pulled out an orange Pokénav, typing two sentences in Common to a long ago memorized number:
The 'Subjects' in Kalos have managed to escape. And I think I have a pretty good idea of what exactly THEY're doing and what they're up to, now.
She smiled as her text was almost immediately replied to:
Calling in less than ten.
Alisse waited impatiently for her phone to ring after she paid for her own breakfast, finally finding a secure enough spot for her liking just as the expected call came through.
"Go." Even though it was sexless and monotone, somehow the voice still managed to comfort the girl.
"After, how you say, overhearing a very interesting talk, I think I know what these 'living bridges' we've been hearing about are." Alice was beaming, her Kalosian accent delicate. "They're people, and I'm pretty sure zat they're people fused or combined with Pokémon somehow."