Heeey guuuys. What's uuuuup?
So, this chapter is veeeeery dialogue intensive. Really, all it is is talking, talking, and more talking. As such, it is a little shorter than my other chapters, though not by much.
All the same, I do hope you'll enjoy it. We'll get back to action soon, promise. :)
Obligatory Disclaimer: I own nothing.
*Edited Note* To the 'Guest' reviewer (you don't leave a name, so I can't reply to you normally): This story will NOT be discontinued. Yes, I am aware that I am taking a long time to update, but it is slow going as I have school and work I need to attend to in real life. Also, I would like to inform you that this is NOT the only story I am working on. I have another. I apologize for the slow updates, truly, but you are just going to have to be patient with this one.
Questions and Answers
Ash stared in wide-eyed fascination as the small white creature, who seemed perfectly at ease with the many stares he was receiving after his declaration.
Professor Juniper was the first to break the silence, a brush of excitement in his voice at the prospect of interacting with a hitherto unknown species as he leaned forward in his seat, "Kyubey, you say? My, how very fascinating! I don't think I've ever seen a pokemon like you before! But where are my manners? You can call me Professor Juniper!"
Remembering his own manners as well, Ash leaned forward, managing a smile despite the odd circumstances (what wasn't odd these days?), "And I'm Ash! This here is my buddy Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu greeted, raising a friendly paw.
"My names' Iris," Iris said. Placing a hand on Axew's head, she continued, "And this is Axew."
"Axew!" the little dragon pokemon cried, smiling.
"And you may call me Cilan," Cilan greeted, giving a very small bow.
"I'm Agent Looker," Looker said, nodding in greeting.
N and Satoshi, on the other hand, remained silent.
Kyubey nodded once in response to their greetings, though his face remained completely collected as his telepathy reached out to them once more, "A pleasure. However, I believe I should inform you that I am not a pokemon."
The exclamations of shock following that statement were about what one could expect, surprise crossing everyone's faces as they stared at the little creature.
"You're not?" Iris asked in disbelief.
"But how can that be?" Cilan asked in wonder.
N, finally spoke up, a slight spark of suspicion in his eyes as he asked, "Then . . . what are you?"
Kyubey glanced his way, unperturbed by the note distrust in his voice, and said, "I suppose you could call me an outsider."
"An outsider?" Ash asked, blinking.
"Pika?" Pikachu echoed.
Kyubey nodded, "Yes. After all, what else would you call someone not of this world?"
"Not of this world!?" Everyone in the room cried in time, blatant looks of shock filling everyone's faces.
"Then, where are you from?" Iris demanded, eyes having gone so wide they resembled plates.
"Axew!" Axew added from the cushion-y shelter of her hair.
"And what are you doing here?" Ash asked, shock quickly making way for an overeager curiosity he was all too familiar with.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked as well, leaning over the edge of the couch on his two front paws.
Cilan's face, on the other hand, practically flushed with excitement, voice giddy like a little schoolboy's, "Can it be? An extraterrestrial encounter!?"
"Now, please, calm down," Kyubey interjected, and everyone immediately fell silent, the anticipation palpable, "I know this must be quite a bit of a shock, but I do have answers that could clear up some of the confusion you're no doubt facing."
Professor Juniper latched onto this juicy tidbit, overcoming the revelation in light of everything he'd just been through and jumping on the chance for some explanation, "Answers, you say? Well please, don't hold back! We're more than happy to hear them, believe me!"
"Of course," Kyubey nodded before hopping onto the coffee table between the group and sitting down, tail curling neatly around his paws, "Allow me to start from the beginning."
Ash leaned forward almost unknowingly, eyes refusing to stray from white creature as if doing so would mean missing the entirety of the explanation he'd been longing for from the start. So, in the midst of his excitement, he failed to notice Satoshi's stiff posture and shadowed eyes.
"Now, first of all, there is one thing I should make clear," Kyubey started off, "And that is that my arrival on this world was not a voluntary one."
Cilan blinked, brows furrowing together as he thought, "Not voluntary? So you didn't come here of your own free-will?"
Kyubey shook his head, "No. And unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding my arrival here are unknown to me."
At this, everyone let out a deep, protracted sigh. Man, this whole 'not knowing' thing was really starting to wear Ash's patience thin.
"So, do you actually have answers or not?" Iris asked, looking annoyed as she slumped forward, shoulders hunched and arms crossed.
"It's true I don't know the circumstances of my arrival, but that doesn't mean I don't have answers for other things," Kyubey said, unfazed by the irritated inquiry, "Especially since its become obvious to me now that I was not the only one to have been brought over from the other side."
Now this got everyone's attention, Looker putting the question everyone wanted to ask into words, "What do you mean?"
"I think you all already know. You've already encountered two such entities, after all," Kyubey informed them, beady eyes remaining perfectly impenetrable as he continued, "For example, the creature you encountered at the Ruins is one."
"Are you serious?!" Ash started, nearly jumping forward. No way . . . that monster had been from another world?!
"Pika?!"
"No way!" Iris said in disbelief, arms inadvertently tightening around asking and a drawing out a squeak from the poor pokemon. Looking down, she jumped and added, "Oh, sorry Axew!"
The little dragon pokemon merely slumped over her arms, murmuring, "Ax . . ."
"Well, when you think about it, it does make sense," Looker cut in, hand pressed contemplatively to his chin while the other rested against his knee.
"Especially given that creature's . . . aberrant nature," N added, giving a slight shudder at the memory of the monster's presence.
"And the other?" Cilan asked, jumping right at the other question niggling at Ash's mind.
"Shouldn't that be obvious?" Kyubey asked himself before truly replying. And what a reply it was, "The other one is Satoshi."
For a moment, Ash sat in stunned disbelief, only turning his head enough so his eyes landed on an equally surprised Satoshi. But then, like a key turning in its lock, everything suddenly clicked. Of course Satoshi was from another world! It had already been obvious from the start that he wasn't from theirs, so this made perfect sense!
The others all rapidly came to this conclusion too, Iris immediately asking, "So Kyubey, does that mean you know who Satoshi is?"
"And does that mean you all come from the same world?" Professor Juniper asked, scholarly mind alive with questions.
Despite his own eagerness, Ash couldn't help but glance Satoshi's way to see his reaction. Only to grow puzzled when he saw it. Ash had expected hope, or curiosity, or maybe even trepidation, something along those lines. What he saw instead was a look of pure suspicion, with a furrowed brow, pursed lips, and unblinking eyes. Indeed, Satoshi's emotions may have been even more tumultuous than that, given away by the slight tightening of his fingers into the fabric of the couch, as if he were fighting not to leap to his feet.
Satoshi? Ash wondered, worry beginning to grow in his heart as he reached out a hand, making to grab the other boy's shoulder and snap him back to reality.
He stopped, however, when Kyubey began to speak again, "To answer your question, Professor, we are. However, Iris's question is a little more difficult to answer."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Iris asked with a slight tilt of her head, puzzled.
"Before I answer that, I believe it's important that I inform you of the way our world works, considering your involvement with it now," Kyubey answered, tail flicking up with a soft swish, "Let's start with our system."
Ash blinked, hand falling back to his lap as his curious mind begged him to find satisfaction, "System?"
Kyubey nodded, "Yes. You see, our world has . . . well, a problem. One that required a certain system to fix."
"And what's the problem?" Cilan asked.
"The problem was what you encountered in the Ruins. The creature that attacked you," Kyubey explained, stature still one of complete ease, "That was only one."
Ash felt his muscles tense when he fully grasped the implication of Kyubey's words, feeling his spine straighten and his heart start to pound, "Hang on, are you telling us there's more of those things?!"
"On our world, yes," Kyubey answered patiently. Ash pursed his lips together at this, the silence hanging over the room like a heavy fog. Just one had been terrifying in it's own right. The thought . . . no, the reality, that there were more of those things out there, hiding in the shadows . . . it made Ash's blood run cold.
"Just . . . just what was that thing anyway?" Cilan questioned, though it was hard to tell if he really wanted an answer.
Kyubey gave him one regardless, "They're creatures born from despair. Everywhere they go, they spread chaos and misery, dragging people into their barriers and thus to their doom. Given their nature, we've found only one name fitting for such creatures . . . we call them Witches."
Ash started at the familiarity of the word, turning to Satoshi in order to confirm what he'd just heard, "A Witch . . . that's right! That's what you called it, didn't you Satoshi?"
"Mm . . ." Satoshi nodded slowly, though he didn't seem all to eager too.
"Witches . . . how very interesting . . ." the Professor mused to himself.
"Indeed," Looker mumbled in agreement.
"And what was this about a . . . barrier?" N asked.
"That is the name we have for the lair of a Witch. You see, Witches prefer to remain in hiding, in places where ordinary humans can't see them. So they construct barriers, places that exist outside of ordinary space and time, and lure their victims in from there. That's what makes them so dangerous," Kyubey explained. Briskly running a paw over one long ear, he gave them all a meaningful stare, "You were all incredibly fortunate that Satoshi was with you today. Otherwise, none of you would be sitting here now."
Ash inadvertently swallowed, very much aware of how badly things had gone inside the . . . barrier, or whatever. Kyubey was right. If Satoshi hadn't been there, then they probably would have . . . not come back.
Like Ghetsis . . .
Swallowing, Ash fought back a shudder and forcefully pushed the image out of his mind.
Looker's voice thankfully pulled him out of his dark thoughts, although the slight, bitter sting of accusation in his question made Ash wonder what was up, "You seem to know an awful lot about what happened at the Ruins today. Were you watching everything that happened to us in there?"
"I arrived around the time the barrier was destroyed," Kyubey replied simply, looking Looker's way, "And given what I know, it wasn't hard to guess what had transpired. But I am grateful. Thanks to that, I was able to find the person I was looking for."
"The person . . . ?" Iris started. She then looked to her left, eyes wide as she finished, "You mean . . . Satoshi?"
Everyone turned to look at the boy as well, who so far had said nothing himself in light of everything they'd just learned. Which, to Ash, was very odd. These were the answers they'd all been looking for, true, but if anyone had a real right to be excited, it would be Satoshi. But . . . he didn't look excited at all . . .
"Well, perhaps not Satoshi per say, but someone like him," Kyubey responded. Rising to his feet, he crossed the length of the table and resumed sitting once he was right in front of Satoshi, talking all the while, "You see, Satoshi represents the other half of the system in our world. One of the few who are capable of fighting Witches and bringing an end to their despair. Someone with the potential to rise above as they are and become something greater. To put it simply . . ."
Looking pointedly at Satoshi, the cat knocked his head to one side and said, "Satoshi is a Magical Boy!"
The declaration was met with a somewhat confused silence, Ash's eyebrow raised the entire time. A . . . Magical Boy?
"He's a . . . what?" Iris asked, genuinely baffled.
"A Magical Boy," Kyubey repeated. With a soft sigh, Kyubey flicked his tail to the right and started to explain, "In our world, Magical Children are boys and girls with, as the name implies, magical potential. It's my duty to find such children and, if they are willing, form contracts with them."
"Contracts?" N asked.
Kyubey nodded, "Yes. If a child with magical potential forms a contract with me, then they become a Magical Boy or a Magical Girl. Once formed, it's then their duty to fight Witches and to stop them from spreading their curses. Satoshi is one such individual."
"So, what Satoshi was using back at the Ruins . . . that was magic?" Professor Juniper asked, the wonder in his voice plain to hear. He padded around in his pockets for a moment, frowned, then leaned back in to his seat with a mumble, "The one time I forget to bring my journal . . ."
"Indeed it was," Kyubey replied in affirmation of the Professor's question.
"No way, so you can use magic?" Ash asked, turning to Satoshi with a look of awe, "That's so cool!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu said from his place by Ash's lap, fuzzy lips curled into an agreeing smile.
"Yeah, you're like a superhero!" Iris added, eyes sparkling with wonder.
Axew nodded vigorously, "Axew! Ax!"
"Unscientific as that is, I will admit, it is pretty neat," Cilan agreed with a nod. Smiling, he added, "And Iris isn't too far off with that comment, if I do say so myself!"
"Indeed! You truly are a remarkable young man!" the Professor said with a nod.
Satoshi looked from one face to the other as they each spoke in turn, eyes growing gradually wider with each statement as if he wasn't sure how to process all the compliments and adulations he was receiving until, at last, and to everyone's great surprise, Satoshi lowered his head and blushed.
After a moment of silence, Ash found in himself to grin and slap a hand against Satoshi's back, "Aw, what're you embarrassed for?"
To his even greater amusement, Satoshi actually pursed his lips together in a pout and pointedly looked away from him. Unfortunately, that didn't save him from Iris, who leaned over with a cat-like smile on her lips and teased, "And now you're pouting? Just like a little kid!"
Satoshi then stubbornly looked at the floor, pointedly ignoring both of them.
Cilan let out a soft laugh, wearing a good-natured smile as he said, "Come on, you two, leave him alone."
Iris and Ash both backed off as asked, though the smiles they wore didn't fade. And in those few, precious moments of simple, familiar banter and camaraderie, Ash truly almost forgot about everything that had just happened to them as the playful teasing suffused him with a sense of safety and comfort. It had seemed like years ago since he'd last been able to relax, and it was a moment he savored more than ever in light of everything he'd been through in the past few hours.
But it was not to last.
"So Kyubey, you said something about a contract?" N asked, still eager to know more.
"Yes, I did," Kyubey informed, the telepathic echo of his voice drawing Ash and his friends out of their bubble of momentary peace.
"What exactly are the terms? A contract usually implies a benefit to both parties involved," N said, arms folded over his chest.
"Well of course there is. We both get something out of the deal. After all, I don't exact Satoshi to put his life on the line for nothing," Kyubey replied.
Ash blinked, curiosity rising once more, "So, what did Satoshi get? Besides magic, I mean?"
"The magic is simply a tool for a Magical Child to fight with, Ash," Kyubey told him, "And that's not the what they get out of the deal. No, what they get is something far more valuable; a single wish."
"A wish?" Iris asked in disbelief.
"You can do that?" Cilan inquired, a slight look of incredulity on his face as well.
"Yes, I can," he said, "Anything they can think of, I can grant it."
"Wow . . ." Ash mumbled.
"Pika . . ." Pikachu breathed.
"And, once the wish is made," Kyubey continued, "The contract is then formed and sealed in the form of a Soul Gem."
"A Soul Gem? And what's that?" Professor Juniper asked.
"A Soul Gem basically serves as a container for a Boy or Girl's magic, as well as being physical proof of our contract with each other," the cat looked at Satoshi, ears twitching, "You can see Satoshi's there."
Ash and the others eyes all fell on the jewel in Satoshi's hands, and Ash couldn't help but be filled with a curious wonder all over again. Kyubey was right, it did seem quite small, sitting there innocently in his hand . . . and yet it held so much power. He remembered puzzling over it for hours on end, idly dreaming up all sorts of possibilities to explain it's unusual nature. For what else was it except unusual? It had been obvious from the moment Satoshi changed it into a ring that it was something magical or similar to magic. And now Ash finally knew why that was.
Iris suddenly sat up, hair buns bobbing as she looked at Kyubey, "So, since Satoshi made a contract with you, then that means Satoshi made a wish too?"
"Well, yes, that would be the obvious conclusion," Kyubey answered. Ash blinked at that. That would be true, wouldn't it? Huh, he wondered what it was Satoshi had wished for . . .
He almost asked himself when N suddenly stepped forward, his eyes narrow, "You don't sound too certain of that. Why?"
Kyubey turned around, paws padding softly over the varnished wood of the table, "That's something I've also been meaning to bring up. It goes back to Iris's original question. Remember what I said earlier, about not knowing the circumstances surrounding my arrival here?" he waited until everyone nodded in confirmation before continuing, "There's a reason for that. You see, during my transference here, some of my memories were affected. More specifically, a certain section of time has been omitted from my mind."
"What does that mean?" Looker asked, arms crossed.
"Most of my life remains intact, but a portion of time, including the contract I made with Satoshi and the events before coming here, are all mysteriously blank. In essence, I technically don't know who Satoshi is anymore than you do, even though, technically, I should. Speaking of . . ." he glanced at Satoshi, "I overheard you have amnesia. Is that correct?"
Satoshi pressed his lips into a thin line, as if he didn't want to answer. But he nodded all the same.
"I see," Kyubey said, "So that would mean whatever brought you here adversely affected you as well."
"Well, will his memories come back?" Ash asked.
Kyubey took a moment to scratch the back of his ear before replying, "Perhaps, over time. But you have to take into consideration his unusual circumstances. Changing universes isn't a natural or easy experience, so he's lucky amnesia's all that happened."
Professor Juniper, who had been nodding along to everything Kyubey was saying, suddenly jumped up and rapidly waved his arms over his face, saying, "Hold on a moment, did you just say 'changing universes'?"
Kyubey nodded, "I did," Cocking his head to one side in an almost curious gesture, he asked, "Haven't any of you ever wondered why Satoshi looks exactly like Ash?"
For a moment, only silence was heard. Then, it was filled with sound of Ash's hand slamming into his forehead as he groaned, "I cannot believe I forgot to ask about that!"
"Pikachu . . ." Pikachu mumbled.
"Well, it's not too surprising . . . considering . . ." Cilan tried to reassure, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.
"Wow, that was really stupid of us to forget . . ." Iris admonished to herself, looking embarrassed.
"So, you're saying you come from another universe entirely?" Professor Juniper asked, leaning over like an overeager student.
"It's more a theory than anything. After all, there's never really been any substantial proof before," Kyubey responded, "But given all I've seen, it's the one that makes the most sense. An alternate universe would explain the differences in our worlds, the most obvious being your world's lack of system."
"Lack of a system? You mean the Witches and such, right?" Looker asked, looking for confirmation.
"Correct. Your world has no Witches, and therefore needs no Magical Children to fight against them. However . . . that may change."
The ominous warning in Kyubey's voice set everyone on edge.
"What do you mean?" Ash asked.
Kyubey gave them a serious look, "Satoshi and I both were dragged into this world through unknown circumstances. It is entirely possible that others were too, including Witches. As for how many . . . I can only begin to guess."
Including Witches . . .
Ash's fingers curled against the fabric of the couch, dread filling his stomach like a pool of frozen water.
"If Witches are here . . ." N said softly, brow furrowed together in worry.
"That . . . is indeed very troubling . . ." Looker murmured, fingers steepled together.
"But what do we do about it?" Iris asked, placing a hand over Axew's side.
"Would you . . ." Ash looked over, startled when Satoshi actually spoke up. He watched as the other boy hesitated and licked his lips, as if afraid to ask, before finally getting it out, "Would you set up a system here, too?"
"I don't think I can," Kyubey said in answer, and Ash wondered at the almost relief that passed over Satoshi's face, "This universe operates under different laws, and I have to abide by them. I cannot make a contract with anyone on this world, including any of you."
"I see . . ." Cilan said.
Ash . . . honestly had mixed feelings over finding out he couldn't make a contract with Kyubey. On one hand, the wish and the magic sounded awesome! But . . . on the other, there was the reality of having to fight monsters for who knows how long. Really big, frightening monsters with no conscious or morality of their own.
"Therefore," Kyubey continued, "Before we can begin to look for a way back home, it falls to Satoshi to root out any Witches that have been brought here and destroy them."
"But you can't send him alone to do that!" Cilan immediately cut in, jerking forward in his seat.
"He can't fight all that by himself!" Iris added, looking upset.
"He's the only one who can. Furthermore, it's his duty to ensure that any Witches that have been unwittingly displaced are dealt with," Kyubey interjected calmly, "Otherwise, it could spell disaster for your world."
"Then we'll just go with him!" Ash declared boldly, thoughtlessly, like he normally did. However frightening Witches were, it didn't sit right with him to just walk away from something like this. He had to help!
"While your bravery is admirable, it wouldn't be advisable. Your presence would just serve to distract Satoshi from the fight," Kyubey informed him, "That could prove dangerous to everyone involved. But, if you are adamant, I can't stop you."
"But I can."
Ash's eyes widened as he turned to Satoshi, mouthing, "Wha-?"
"I know you just want to help, but I don't want you involved," Satoshi said adamantly, face one of unyielding resolve.
Ash grit his teeth and his profile to face Satoshi as fully as he could, hating the idea of sitting idly on the sidelines while a friend went off to fight on their own, no matter how magical they were, "You don't seriously expect us to just stay behind, do you?"
Satoshi turned as well, eyes boring into Ash's own, "Yes, I do. This is my fight, not yours!"
"But it is our fight now!" Ash insisted stubbornly, "This is our world!"
"And I'll protect it!" Satoshi declared just as stubbornly.
"All by yourself? Come on, that's too much for just one person to handle!" Iris added in, hopping into the argument as well. She clearly wasn't in favor of Satoshi's ideas either.
Satoshi rounded on her, "I'm not weak, Iris! I can take care of myself!"
Iris's eyes flashed, refusing to back down, "I didn't say you were! But even strong people need someone to back them up from time to time! Believe me, I know!"
"Everyone, settle down!" Looker suddenly and briskly interjected, holding up his hands as his interruption cut through the tension, "I understand we're all upset over this development, but losing our heads isn't going to solve anything!"
"Besides," Cilan said, finally speaking up in order to diffuse the situation, "Kyubey only said it was possible. It may be that the Witch we saw at the Ruins was the only one."
"That is also a definite possibility, I can't deny it," Kyubey confirmed, tail twitching.
Ash sat back and heaved a sigh, though he was still very much dissatisfied with Satoshi's 'plan', maybe even a little angry. The potent emotion was enough to leave an almost bitter taste in his mouth, and he had to fight to keep from opening it again and saying something potentially stupid, even if in his own mind the words made sense.
"Pikapi . . ." Pikachu murmured, placing a paw on top of his hand. Smiling slightly, Ash ran a hand over Pikachu's head, a silent gesture of reassurance.
"So . . ." N said once it became apparent that tempers had finally calmed, "Do you have a way of tracking the Witches? From everything you've said, it seems like they wouldn't simply be waiting in the open."
"And you'd be right," Kyubey said, "Ordinarily, Magical Children would use their Soul Gems to track down Witches by sweeping the towns and cities under their watch. However, considering the fact that we have to cover not just a city, but an entire world, it'd be too time consuming. Therefore, I've come with a plan."
Everyone waited in silence for him to explain, which he eventually did, "You see, in the past Witches weren't as numerous. They also had a habit of moving around a lot, so we developed another method of tracking them."
"What was the method?" Professor Juniper asked.
"In the past, Children would call it 'The Sight'. The basic idea was to take a map of some sort and use their Soul Gems to trace the signature of a Witch. The map would then serve as a conduit and reveal the location of a hidden Witch. But there was a problem with this method. For one, it didn't give accurate locations, only the general area a Witch was hiding in, such as towns or cities. Another thing was that most Magical Children didn't have the magical acuity or strength necessary to use it, and it eventually fell out of favor. Fortunately for us, I think Satoshi can do it."
"You really think so?" Cilan asked.
Ears twitching, he looked at the gem still resting in Satoshi's hands, "His Soul Gem may seem small, but I can sense a great deal of magical energy within, a rarity even amongst Magical Children. If anyone can do it, Satoshi can. Of course, there's no guarantee it will work, but right now we're low on options."
"Indeed we are," the Professor mused. Looking at Satoshi, he asked, "Are you willing to try, Satoshi?"
Satoshi was silent for a moment, seeming to weigh the options presented before finally nodding, "Okay. Let's try it."
Juniper nodded once before rising to his feet, "Hold on just a moment, I'll be right back! Or maybe not, depending on how quickly I find a map!"
Everyone watched as the door clicked closed, the sound echoing throughout the room as the silence remained unbroken, everyone too deep in their own thoughts to even try.
Until Kyubey finally spoke, "While we wait, now would be a good time for you to clean your Soul Gem, Satoshi."
Ash blinked, titling his head to one side as he asked, "Clean his Soul Gem? What does that mean?"
"Exactly as it sounds. When Magical Children fight, they expend magic power. As this happens, their Soul Gems slowly darken until they take the time to clean it of it's impurities and restore the energy they've used," Kyubey explained.
Cilan pieced the information together fairly quickly, "Oh, I see! We thought Satoshi gem seemed dimmer than usual!"
"Yeah, it did, huh?" Iris mused. Pursing her lips together, she looked the cat's way, "So, how does he clean it?"
Kyubey's response was slightly surprising, "You're actually holding onto how at this moment Iris."
Iris stared at him, "What?"
"Back at the Ruins, you picked up something before leaving, didn't you?" Kyubey egged on. Ash's eyebrows furrowed together. What was he on about?
Iris, on the other hand, seemed to finally get what he was talking about, because she suddenly jumped in her seat and said, "Oh! You mean this?"
Reaching into her back pocket, she shifted through the contents within before finally withdrawing her hand and holding it out. There, resting in her palm, was small, spherical orb made of what almost looked like polished obsidian, a ring of grey, fang-like protrusions circling around the middle, their sharp tips glinting. It balanced on Iris's palm on the tip of an incredibly thin spire like a top that refused to spin, defying every law of gravity Ash knew of.
And yet, somehow . . . it looked familiar . . .
"What is that?" N asked, looking at the orb warily.
Kyubey answered, "That's called a Grief Seed. It's the egg of a Witch."
There was a beat of silence, then Iris yelped as if she'd just been burned, snatching her hand back as the Grief Seed fell onto the table with a clatter. Ash and Cilan both leaned away from it as well, eyes growing wide with alarm and fearing any noise they made could make the egg hatch at any moment.
"Now, everyone calm down," Kyubey said, looking unfazed as the Seed landed next to him, "In this state, it's perfectly harmless, I assure you. It can't hurt anyone."
"A-are you sure?" Iris asked in disbelief, not relaxing in the slightest.
"I am."
Ash didn't feel so certain, even after Kyubey's words. That tiny thing . . . was really a Witch? It was hard to believe. But believe it he did, and that one change made the small black sphere sitting innocuously on the table seem so much more threatening than it should have been, harmless or not.
A memory returned to Ash then, one of an earthquake and lightning and small object rising form the shadows, it's surface black as coal . . . it was then Ash knew why it looked familiar. He had seen it before, right as it was hatching. Right before they'd all been pulled into the labyrinth of the Witch . . .
A hand suddenly reached down and picked the black orb up, and all eyes turned to Satoshi as he lifted it close and examined it with a curious eye. With a slow, deliberate movement, he then held out his Soul Gem away from his body before gently, very gently, pressing the Grief Seed against it's side. Ash quirked an eyebrow, staring in confusion. But his confusion soon turned into wonder as a small cloud of black mist suddenly rose out of Satoshi's Soul Gem, each mote like a tiny fractal of dust and shadow. It hovered in the air for a moment before it vanished into the Grief Seed, as if pulled in by a tiny vacuum and leaving the gem as pure and beautiful as when he'd first seen it, the glow finally free of the impurities within.
"Wow . . ." everyone echoed, staring in awe.
"Pika . . ."
"Axew . . ."
"Very good," Kyubey said, "The Grief Seed should be good for one to two more times. Keep it with you, Satoshi."
Satoshi didn't answer him, and instead merely closed his hand over the Grief Seed in silence.
The door suddenly opened again, and Professor Juniper stumbled inside, arms laden with rolls upon rolls of maps, some even falling to the floor as he struggled to see where he was going, "I wasn't sure what type of map would be suitable, so I just grabbed as many as I could find!"
Kyubey jumped onto the arm of the couch opposite Ash as the Professor dumped the maps in his arms onto the table, several bouncing or rolling onto the floor at their feet.
"Is all this really necessary?" Iris asked, staring at the mass with an unamused stare.
"This does seem a little excessive," N mumbled in agreement.
"Well, one can never be too sure!" Professor Juniper replied with an easy smile.
"Hm," Kyubey hummed, scanning the mound with his piercing maroon eyes, "I think a small map of the region's coast would be a fine start. We can work in sections."
Juniper ran his hands through the multitudinous scrolls before finally plucking one out of the pile and, after moving aside the mound (and knocking several over in the process), he spread it out over the table, "Will this work?"
Ash looked over and saw it was a map of Unova's coast, along with numerous towns further inland before it cut off at an expanse of forest. Kyubey looked it over as well and nodded, "It will. Satoshi, are you ready?"
Satoshi nodded, waiting for instruction.
"All you have to do is focus your energy though your Soul Gem and look for the signature of Witches. Be careful not to push yourself too hard, though," Kyubey said, "Now, hold your Soul Gem over the map."
Satoshi did so, the blue jewel glowing brightly and casting the map with a veneer of azure light. Taking a breath, he then closed his eyes, and the glow intensified, casting the room in dark shadows and making everyone fall into a tense silence. Ash pressed a hand to Pikachu's side, practically holding his breath as he waited for whatever was happening to finish.
For about two minutes, nothing happened, which truthfully gave everyone hope. For there not to be any monsters at all . . . that was the preferable option. And as time dragged, Ash became more optimistic that that would be the case, at least for this section.
But then, right as the illumination began to fade, a single speck of blue light appeared on the map proper, highlighting the chosen area like a tiny spotlight. Ash sucked in a breath, optimism fading. This was it. That was where a Witch was hiding. Which meant . . .
"So they really are here . . ." N said grimly, face downcast in light of the revelation that the Witch they'd encountered was not the only one out there. Indeed, everyone's mood took a solemn turn as they stared at the tiny, almost inconsequential light that continued to burn on the paper. Such a tiny speck . . . it was hard to believe that it marked the spot where a monster hid. Everyone sat stiffly in their seats, no one attempting to look over at the map quite yet. Ash didn't know the exact reasons, but he had a pretty good guess . . . no one wanted to look simply because looking and learning the name of the place would also mean having to accept the reality that this was really happening. Accepting that monsters were real, and very much in their world, doing Arceus knows what.
Satoshi sat back, breathing harder than before as he, too, stared at the tiny dot, "That's it."
"Yeah . . . but at least it's just one," Ash said, trying to bring back a spark of optimism to the group.
"That's one too many," Satoshi rebuffed, face stiff.
Ash's shoulders slumped, but had to concede that point. Even if it was just one . . . it could still do an awful lot of damage.
Kyubey hopped back onto the table, walking over to the bright spot and saying, "Excellent. Well done Satoshi."
"Hey, wait, the light's disappearing!" Iris suddenly shouted, looking at the map in alarm.
"Axew!"
Ash's eyes shot to the paper in alarm, and saw that she was right. It really was disappearing!
"Relax," Kyubey said before everyone started to panic, "Just because the light is gone doesn't mean the location on the map is. All we have to do is get there before the Witch moves."
"But where is it?" Looker asked. His question was met with silence as everyone finally leaned over to see the name of the place where the light had been, tension high as everyone's eyes ghosted on the name.
A city, by the looks of it. And it's name was . . . it's name was . . . was . . .
Ash's eyes went wide, alarm setting in as the name finally, fully clicked.
Oh no . . .
A pair of hands suddenly slammed down on the table, jerking Ash out of his shock just enough for him to tear his eyes away from the map and settle on Cilan, who'd shot to his feet and was staring at the name in pure, unfettered horror;
"That's . . . that's Striaton City . . ."
Outside the window, hidden within the dark greenery of the trees and bushes, three figures sat in a close huddle around a small tv, their faces half-hidden in the shadows. Team Rocket.
The screen flickered with static, the stern face of the man distorting frightfully for a moment before reasserting itself.
"Did you get all that, sir?" James ask, checking the feed to ensure not one word had been missed.
The man, the cold, calculating leader of Team Rocket Giovanni, nodded, "Yes, I did. And I must say, it certainly is interesting."
"What would you like us to do, sir?" Jesse asked, normally hot temper kept in check by her deference to her boss.
"Just say tha word, and we're on it!" Meowth added.
Giovanni sat in contemplative silence for a moment, his three subordinates remaining dutifully quiet as he thought. Then, "Follow them, and gather any more intel you can on this 'other world'. As for the boy . . . keep an eye on him. He may . . . prove useful."
"Yes sir!" The three saluted.
Giovanni nodded, "Good. Keep your distance until I contact you with further orders. Dismissed."
And the screen went black.
*whistles* Now that's a nice cliffhanger, if I do say so myself. Well done, me.
Someone, someday, is going to kill for my incessant use of these. And it's probably going to be darkpony.
Rate and review, if it pleases you! It always pleases me! ;)