Destiny's Alignment

Andrea, Hilbert, Cheren, and Bianca uphold their promise to travel through Pinwheel Forest together. It is much bigger than Andrea thought; the clearing of cherry blossoms where she encountered Gorm isn't even halfway through the forest. Thankfully, Andrea's petilil knows the forest well, and is able to guide them through it.

A week had gone by when Bianca hears a strange voice calling out to her by a large lake.

"Did you guys hear that?"

No one else hears, and the voice is merely dismissed as a delusion, a possible misunderstanding—perhaps she just heard a pokémon's cry, instead?

"F-For some reason, I get the feeling I need to be really careful in Castelia City…"

A vision Andrea previously had of Bianca cowering in front of looming skyscrapers flashes through her mind when her friend tells her of the voice. But Andrea tries to kill the memory of the ominous image, purposefully focusing instead on the green, green leaves of the pine trees.

That night, after everyone has fallen asleep, Bianca sneaks away from the campsite, desperately curious to find the source of the voice she heard. Shivering with fear, she cautiously wanders through the lightless forest.

"Gosh, it's kinda spooky out here, huh?" Bianca says, looking down at her pokémon. "What do you think Flare? Bailey? Fern? Mushie? Should we just turn around?"

Pignite snorts and shakes his head, adamantly continuing to walk further into the forest. Her herdier rubs against her leg in comfort, her pansage quickly trots after Flare, and her munna remains hovering near her arm.

"A-alright, if you guys say so!" Bianca huffs, marching forward alongside her pokémon.

A sudden draft of cold air rushes by her. She jumps, twirling around, gaze flitting nervously about her surroundings. Her eyes land on a floating piece of cotton. She reaches out, tentatively grabbing it.

"It's a sign!" She gasps, rushing towards the direction in which the breeze came from without warning. Her pokémon briskly dash after her.

Bianca, a fair distance from her pokémon, finds herself crouching into an opening of shrubs. After a few minutes of awkwardly maneuvering her way through jutting branches, she reaches an opening, at which she is able to stand at her full height. Her mouth drops in awe of what stands before her. Leaves hang above her in a makeshift roof. The midnight sky peeks through the gaps; it is so littered with stars that scarcely any black can be seen. The starlight shines through like flawless sterling silver. So enamored by the sight is she that it has not clicked that, perhaps, this is a nest of a pokémon that could, perhaps, be quite territorial.

Before this realization is even conceived, she feels the presence of something right behind her right shoulder. Instinctively, but stiffly, she turns. She screams, falling backwards onto the ground. She covers her face and squeezes her eyes shut. Cacophony floods her mind; she can barely hear the sounds of a mischievous giggle above the buzzing that floods her ears.

Despite the lack of any sort of attack or threat, she finds herself wildly sobbing. Between wet sniffles and broken gasps, she begs not to be hurt, promising to do anything, even if that means she just has to shut up. It's not easy to be quiet in such a state of distress, but she's managed it before.

The touch of something at her chest causes her to gasp. She slowly opens her eyes, looking down. She almost wants to laugh at herself! If that was the thing that scared her, she really is weaker than she thought. The creature, fluffy with cotton-like fur, looks up at her with sorry eyes. Eyes welling up with newborn tears, she grasps the creature into a tight hug and allows herself the privilege to let her tears and sobs flow freely. She feels the touch of multiple bodies at her side. Opening her eyes, she looks about her and finds her pokémon cuddling near her. She cannot stop more tears from flooding forward.

"Thank you guys…" Bianca sniffs loudly. "I...I just get scared really easily I guess? Yeah...yeah..."

Her pokémon remain silent.

"And who are you? That wasn't very nice of you to scare me like that!"

The wild pokémon blushes in shame, but cannot stop a sort of chuckle from escaping.

"You're not the one who tried to talk to me earlier...are you?"

The pokémon looks at her, confusion swimming through its eyes.

"Ok. Let's see…" Bianca twists around, rummaging through her bag for her Pokédex. She pulls it out, positioning it in front of the wild pokémon, and readies the scanner.

"Cottonee: The Cotton Puff pokémon…" Bianca murmurs to herself. "How cute!"

The cottonee preens with appreciation.

"Well, little one, we've already been through so much together...I mean, I guess what I'm trying to ask is...would you like to join us? I mean, this is a pretty nice place you got here, but..."

The cottonee stills, seemingly in thought. He looks around, carefully yet curiously gazing at each of Bianca's pokémon. Having reached a decision, he jumps up and down.

"Yay!" Bianca grins. "Ok, let me just…" she rummages through her bag once again and pulls out a poké ball. She touches it to the cottonee and watches it rock back and forth three times. It clicks definitively. She smiles again, grabbing it and letting out the Cotton Puff pokémon.

"Welcome to the team...um...What should I name you?"

She takes a moment to herself, deep in thought.

"Ginny?"

Cottonee frowns.

"No? Ok. Hm...How about Chou? Because you kind of look like a cabbage!"

Fern snorts, relieved not to be the only one compared to a vegetable. Despite this, Cottonee likes the sound of the nickname, and coos with delight.

"Chou it is! Ok Chou, let me catch you up to speed…" Bianca clears her throat, ready to tell the story of her recently begun journey to her new friend.


"...so now, I'm trying to look for that voice!" Bianca beams. "Phew! That was a lot!"

Chou stares at her with wide eyes, seemingly having trouble processing everything.

"So now you're part of a big adventure, lil' guy! Now, without further ado," Bianca stands up, dusts some dirt off her skirt, and points to the exit of Chou's former nest. "Let's go!"


Bianca hears a melody in the wind, and she knows with confidence something is calling out to her. Making sure not to run off and leave her pokémon behind, she gathers them all near her and heads deeper into the forest.

They arrive at a large lake that reflects the starry sky like a shiny mirror. Her pokémon take a short break to drink the water from it, forming small ripples that disrupt the pristine reflection of the ivory moon. Once they are finished, they continue leisurely yet eagerly traveling alongside the lake. Bianca breathes in the fresh forest air, tinted with pine and daises, and feels an ethereal pull at her heartstrings. The pull leads her to a hollow log, which she reluctantly crawls through, and the log leads her to a dense cluster of trees. She weaves through them tentatively, and after what feels like ages, reaches a clearing.

She has never seen so many flowers before—daisies and wildflowers surround her feet, gazing up towards a cliff spotted with brilliant pink roses that sparkle in the moonlight. Bianca has to blink—rub her eyes, even—to make sure that what she's seeing is real. She walks further into the clearing, freezing at the sound of rustling grass. Her heart pounds loud in her ears. But instead of a startling surprise, she gets a graceful introduction: from behind the bushes of roses walks forward a stunning creature, fur as green as the grass beneath the flowers. It stands tall, antlers raised towards the sky. It turns and looks directly at Bianca, pink eyes barely glowing, yet serenely, in the dark.

My child…

Bianca starts at the familiar voice, somehow both strong yet gentle, like a delicate bird and steadfast general.

Stay strong and be brave; the events that lay ahead of you are tumultuous. But do not forget about your kindness, for it acts as a bright beacon of hope for those who are lost.

"Huh?"

We will meet again.

The strange pokémon vanishes into the roses.

"Wait!" Bianca yells, reaching her hand out to the pokémon. But it is too late. The pokémon is nowhere to be found.

Bianca remains there, frozen in equal parts shock and awe. Slowly, silently, she turns away, leaving the clearing, her pokémon silently trailing behind her. With the help of her pokémon, she reaches the campsite of her friends a few hours past midnight. She is unsure what she'll tell her friends in the morning; she cannot say she didn't leave the campsite because the arrival of her new friend, Chou, says otherwise. And what would her friends say about the mysterious encounter? Would they believe her?

After much deliberation, she decides she'll simply tell them that she went on a walk late at night because she couldn't sleep, and that's how she caught Chou. She will keep the details of the adventure to herself, and her run-in with the mysterious pokémon a secret; she wants a special memory she can keep private, and to have something she can make hers and hers alone.


Weeks pass as the teens spend days traveling through the cool shadows of the forest and nights telling stories under the ebony night sky, freckled with hot white stars. When they need rest, Bernie and Flare help set up a fire to keep their human and pokémon companions warm. Kai uses his powers to give the teens some water to boil the leaves Gardenia had so kindly offered them. The leaves on the petilil's head indeed have restorative powers, giving the teens energy to keep traveling through the vast forest. Bianca always has some snacks on her, which end up being barely enough to sustain everyone.

Just when everyone's supplies are beginning to run low, Gardenia and Chou guide everyone to a set of dirt stairs that lead to a paved path. Beyond the gravel path, the trees stop growing, and soon, nearly unbridled nature meets the neat constitution of city outskirts. The teens quickly move past shady, run-down apartment buildings; their eyes are on the long bridge that lays ahead, hovering far above the sapphire ocean. Beyond the bridge lies masses of skyscrapers so tall they threaten to topple over.

Smiling with delight, Andrea sprints forward. Her friends sigh with exhaustion and unenthusiastically run after her until they reach the bridge. Hovering above the ocean (and so close to the city, too!) restores them, and all except for Cheren twirl and skip about the bridge, giggling and hollering with excitement. The bridge stretches on for miles, but the teens are not deterred by this; they are so excited to tour the big city that all worries are thrown out to the sea.

Having only visited the city once or twice with their parents, the teens are hit with a gust of liberty and child-like excitement as they step into the bustling streets of Castelia. They absorb their surroundings with wide eyes and mouths, not paying any attention to the knowing looks they receive from the locals; their clothes left dirty from travel do not help alleviate the perception of passerbyers that they are not city people. Andrea returns her roaming pokémon to their poké balls, suddenly afraid she will lose them in the big city—she returns everyone except for Bernie. She leans down, picks him up, and holds him tightly.

Bernie has always been quiet, but lately he has been even more quiet than usual—brooding, even. The depressed pokémon is reluctant to battle, eat, sleep, and even play with Kai and Gardenia.

Andrea knows that, for now, there is only one thing she can do if she wants to understand what is bothering him.


"Hey guys," Andrea announces. "I'm gonna go outside and make a call."

"Ok," Hilbert and Cheren mindlessly reply, playing with a cross-transceiver and flipping through a book, respectively.

"Oooh," Bianca gushes, stopping midway through her skincare routine to tease Andrea. "Is it a secret boyfriend? Oh, or a secret girlfriend, maybe?"

Andrea bristles. "No. Just my mom."

"Oh, ok!"

"Be right back."

Andrea leaves quickly, closing the door to the pokémon Center hotel room behind her.

"It's so a secret boyfriend or girlfriend."

Cheren sighs, rolling his head back and setting his book down in his lap. "Why must you always romanticize everything?"

"Because that's what's going on!"

"What makes you say that?" Hilbert asks, a surge of jealousy coursing through his veins.

Bianca beams at the question she was waiting to be asked, oblivious to Hilbert's budding envy. "Oh you could totally tell by the look on her face!"

"If that truly is the case, then who do you think it could be?"

The three teens wordlessly think. Then a curious smirk appears on Bianca's face.

"I know exactly who."


The cross-transceiver rings once. Twice. Three times. Four times before the teen is able to walk across the bare hotel room and answer it. The image on the screen shocks him: a beautiful girl stands before him, wrapped in a pleather jacket, hair piled up into a ponytail underneath a pink and white cap. She is holding a crestfallen pansear in her arms. Behind her lays the cityscape and the black night sky—it appears as if she is on a rooftop.

"Andrea?"

The blue-eyed girl looks up in shock, as if she had never even called him in the first place.

"Hi N."

He stays silent, not knowing how to answer back as his mind floods over with jumbled thoughts.

"I kind of need your help," the girl confesses softly.

He says nothing, unaware that she was expecting him to ask what was wrong.

"Um, Pansear has been really depressed lately; he hasn't even been playing or talking with my other pokémon like he usually does...do you think you could talk to him and see what's up?"

"Of course…" N falters. "Where are you?"

Andrea's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Um...why?"

"Well, you see, I've, um, only talked to pokémon in person, and, um…"

"I'm in Castelia City," she replies. "On the rooftop of the pokémon center's hotel."

"That's perfect." N says. "I'm actually staying there right now. I'll meet you up there."

"Oh, alright," Andrea agrees, face hot. "I'll see you in a few I guess."

"Yes."

"...ok, bye," Andrea says, pushing the end call button before N can even reply. Conversations with him, she thinks, are always a little odd, like he doesn't exactly know how to traverse the world of human interactions.

He comes onto the roof shortly thereafter. He avoids Andrea's gaze, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black puffy jacket as he slowly shuffles towards her.

"Hello."

"Hey."

N looks at the fluorescent cityscape horizon with wide eyes. His lips and body remain stiff. "You would think Castelia would be nicer at night...But still, there are so many lights and people and noises...it all can get very overwhelming very quickly," the boy says, shivering as if the mere thought of the chaos of the large city makes his skin crawl. "But...I feel a little safer up here, distant from it all...if only we could see the stars."

Andrea looks up at the empty sky with him. "Back home you can see so many stars!"

N sighs longingly. "Yes. I know what you mean."

She is about to ask him exactly where home is, but she keeps her mouth shut, remembering his secrecy when they first met. Some things, she has come to learn, are better left unspoken. Sometimes the past doesn't deserve to be revived.

She carefully observes the young man. Her eyes land on something swaying near his hip.

"What's that?" She points. "On your belt loop?"

N jumps out of his reverie and follows her gaze. "Oh," his hand ghosts over the object. "It's a menger sponge."

"A what?"

"A menger sponge," he repeats. "It's a fractal curve, a three-dimensional generalization of the one-dimensional Cantor set and two-dimensional Sierpinski carpet. But it's not quite a three-dimensional object. Or a two-dimensional one, for that matter. It exists in fractal dimensions!"

Andrea gulps. "Oh, yeah. That's what I thought. I just...had to double-check."

N's eyes widen with childlike excitement. "Really?"

"Nah, I'm just kidding."

"Oh. Right." N kicks at the floor, wanting to slap himself for not immediately picking up on the girl's sarcasm.

"Where'd you get it?"

N looks up from the ground, relief washing over him. He expected her to linger, to guiltily sympathize, to patronize. But she just smiles at him with a warmth that penetrates his cold skin.

"I'm not quite sure. I've had it for as long as I can remember"

"That's awesome."

Out of things to say, Andrea simply wonders what N's childhood was like. She wonders how different a life with siblings is, which neither her nor any of her friends have. Or what a life of being home-schooled by really smart people is like. And what could have happened to make someone so interested in math, anyways?

"Did you know a menger sponge simultaneously has infinite surface area and zero volume?"

Andrea blinks harshly, snapping herself out of her sprawling thoughts. She shakes her head. "No. And I'm not even sure what that means but...it sounds crazy," she chuckles, shoving her hands into her pockets.

"Do you want to hold it?" N is already unclasping the chain that holds the object onto his belt loop. "I-I've never let anyone else hold it before, so be really careful."

"Oh yeah, sure." Andrea shifts Bernie to her shoulder, willing to postpone her initial request to N.

"Here," he gingerly places the object into the girl's hands.

Andrea turns the object around in her hands, feeling every corner and edge. She looks up, only to find herself somewhere else entirely. A colorful room crowded with toys floods her vision. She stands before a model of a ferris wheel that turns endlessly to a discordant tune. The bright colors of the walls and floor overwhelm to the point where it makes the room spin and her stomach swell with nausea.

"And this is...Andrea?"

It is only his hand touching hers that brings her back. The next thing she finds herself looking at is his face, so full of concern and confusion. Out of the corner of her eye she can see Bernie also gazing at her, full of worry.

"Are you alright? You looked like you were about to fall."

"I'm fine," she slowly exhales, trying to shake herself of the vision. "I just...get these...dizzy spells, sometimes."

He frowns. "That's not good. Are you eating properly?"

"Well…"

Bernie squeals, interrupting the girl and wildly waving his hands about.

"It doesn't sound like you are. Perhaps that's why Bernie has been upset."

Andrea grabs the monkey pokémon from her shoulder and holds him to her chest. "No…"

N's eyes take on a dark glisten. "If you can't do it for yourself, at least do it for the pokémon who's worried about you!"

Andrea's mouth drops. She flounders momentarily. "N-no, I mean, I don't think that's the reason why he's sad...it might be part of it, but…"

N looks down, making eye contact with Bernie. "Is this true?"

The pokémon says nothing.

"Can I hold him?"

"Yeah, sure."

Andrea gives Bernie to N. The monkey pokémon quickly goes from cuddling into Andrea's chest to cuddling into N's—too quickly.

"This is the demeanor of a pokémon who misses their mother."

Andrea's face lights up with understanding. "Of course...I got Bernie from a girl who was giving away her pokémon."

N, shaking his head, soothingly pets Bernie. "She should have just released them. Transferring ownership...it's not right."

Andrea scowls, taking Bernie out of N's grasp. "I don't own Bernie. He's my friend."

"Nonetheless you use him for battle. He is at your command."

"You do the same thing!"

N feels sick to his stomach. She's right. He feels no better than the trainers he so despises.

"The difference between you and I," N begins, "is that I release my pokémon when it's clear they're no longer happy. Maybe you should do the same."

He turns around and begins to walk away. The soft rhythm of his feet hitting the concrete, of his feet departing, is the only sound to echo throughout the rooftop.

"Wait."

N turns back. Andrea's gaze is cast downwards, her face obscured by her pink cap. When she looks up there are tears streaming down her cheeks. It makes his heart freeze.

"I-I…" she sniffles. "I never liked the idea of releasing pokémon because...because it hurts to let someone you really love go," a sob escapes her throat, cutting off her wobbly voice. "But if Bernie's not happy with me then...then I'll release him."

He doesn't like this. He doesn't like that she has a point, as selfish as it may be. He doesn't like that it's clear she loves Bernie. He doesn't like that Bernie misses his original trainer. He doesn't like that Bernie can miss a captor and still care for another. He doesn't like there is a strong bond between the two despite the fact that Andrea uses Bernie for battle. And, for some inexplicable, illogical reason, he doesn't like seeing Andrea cry—no, he doesn't like it at all.

It takes him a moment to realize he has said all of this, and that, once again, he is unable to control his thoughts—they escape him like water overflowing an already dangerously full cup.

Andrea is left speechless. She is surprised that, by the time she can finally form a sentence, N is still there, waiting for her.

"I don't...I don't want to lose anyone else I care about…" Large, dolorous tears escape the corners of her eyes.

N carefully, as if one wrong step could hurt her, makes his way towards Andrea. "I...think I know what you mean."

Andrea wipes at her nose. "Yeah?"

"Yes. I lost a friend of mine at a young age. From that point on, I swore to protect all pokémon, no matter the cost."

"That...makes sense."

"What happened to you?"

Andrea averts her gaze. "I...my dad left me and my mom a few years ago. I haven't heard from him since."

"Why?"

"Arceus, N!" Andrea implodes, turning away from him and clenching her fists. "I don't know! Why would you ask that?!"

N flinches at her raised voice. "Are you upset?"

"Oh no, I'm perfectly fine," she scoffs.

Able to pick up on the sarcasm, N softly speaks. "I'm sorry...my sister says I have trouble with these sorts of things..."

Andrea turns around and critically peers into N's eyes. He immediately looks away.

"It's fine. Sorry for yelling."

N nods and, filled with nervous energy, lightly bounces on the balls of his feet.

"So," she continues, wiping at her eyes. "How should I know when—er, if I even should release Bernie? I mean..."

The pokémon climbs atop her shoulder and gazes curiously at the green-haired teen. N stills. He looks up at the sky and closes his eyes. His eyebrows squeeze together in concentration.

"Don't worry about that. It appears that...everything will work out the way it should."

Andrea squints. "What? What does that even mean?"

N opens his eyes and looks at the girl's forehead. "Sooner than you think, too."

She says nothing, waiting to see if he will feed her more information.

"Wait...How—"

"It's written in destiny. And destiny never lies. Trust me."

Andrea is not sure what to make of this strange prediction. Part of her wants to scoff, deny such a whimsical concept, but part of her, a part of her deep in her stomach, the part of her that experiences visions that come true, trusts him and trusts destiny. Maybe there's an in-between, a grey area where both fate and self-determination can exist in harmony, where they can be the masters of their own fate, changing what they can and conquering the inevitable—that which cannot be changed.

"Ok," Andrea finally says, still longing for the grey.

"It's...not what I consider an ideal situation but...for a reason I have yet to understand, Bernie will be happy."

Andrea smiles, a very small curve of the lips.

"Well, it's getting quite late so I—"

Before he can finish he is caught, entrapped by toned arms and a warm body. His bones turns to stone: stiff, heavy, very still.

"Thank you," she murmurs into his chest. "For helping me and Bernie."

But the hug more than that; in fact, the hug is barely about that. The hug is an attempt at scooping up all of the emotions and secrets she had let spill out. The hug is searching for contact, a connection that won't fade away like sea foam. The hug is not a thank you for help, but perhaps, a thank you for tolerating, a thank you for listening, a thank you for helping her see clearly—for the revelation of a sort of truth.

Slowly, N melts, oh-so-slightly. First, his arms stiffly move to pat her shoulders in an awkward rhythm. He doesn't like the feeling of her fake leather jacket—it makes his fingers tingle in the worst way possible—but he likes the feeling of a warm body next to his, of her shoulder blades under his hands. His hands still. They rest there, curious yet unready to fully embrace her. It's about as close as he can get to reciprocating the hug before the girl pulls away from him.

"I should head back before my friends start to suspect something! See ya!"

"Suspect? Suspect what? What do you mean?"

And just like that, Andrea is seemingly back to normal, lightly floating away from him and towards the door that leads to the inside of the pokémon center's inn. Before she closes it behind her, she waves to him, a fresh smile planted on her face.

N raises his hand up in a stiff wave back, softly murmuring, "Until we meet again…"

Then he is left alone on a rooftop in a city he doesn't like all that much. He stares at his hand, remembering the feeling of Andrea's bones underneath his fingers. What is this feeling that plagues him? Could this be what it feels like to have an equal, a rival, a friend? And why is this strange girl the only one who both complicates his feelings and makes the world so much less confusing?


Liberty Garden is at least three hours away from Castelia City by boat, but nonetheless, Andrea, Hilbert, Bianca, and Cheren decide to climb onto a tourist-packed ferry early in the morning to visit the small yet historical island.

"Look!" Bianca says, pointing to a brochure in her hands. "Two-hundred years ago, the exiled Prince of Eindowak bought this island! He named it Liberty Garden because he wanted to build a place where both people and pokémon can live freely!"

"Interesting."

"Why'd he get exiled again?" Andrea asks.

"He wanted to marry a commoner!" Bianca sighs wistfully, clutching the brochure closer to her chest. "Imagine someone leaving royalty for you...How romantic!"

"Man, she must've been hot."

"Hilbert!"

"Anyway," Andrea interjects, "did they end up together?"

"Yes! The brochure says they lived the liberating life that they longed for," Bianca's smile falls as she continues to read the brochure. "But unfortunately, it also says he has no living relatives. The last man seen in their estate disappeared at sea! Ever since then...visitors have heard a strange voice from underneath the floorboards!" Bianca shivers, shoulders cowering inwards.

"Just an urban myth, I'm sure," Cheren reassures.

"Only one way to find out!" Andrea grins, standing up adamantly as the ferry comes to a slow stop.

"Y-yeah!" Hilbert shakily exclaims, wondering if their search for a supernatural force would lead them to somewhere dark. "We should, uh, check it out!"

"You don't sound so sure of yourself."

"Shut it, Cheren."

"It's ok Hilbert! I get really spooked too," Bianca smiles, sympathetically resting her hand on Hilbert's shoulder.

"I am not spooked."

The boat stops. An announcement airs overhead, signaling their arrival. The teens join the crowds filing out of the boat and onto the land. People already on the island have lined up to board the ferry back to Castelia, and soon, the boat is gone, and the visitors who have just arrived are left to roam the luscious, green island. The teens walk across the uneven cobblestone foundation of the main plaza towards an ornate fountain situated right in the middle of the small island. Towards the north rests a cerulean lighthouse, paint faded from years of fluctuating weather. Towards the east of the island stands an immense, brick-red mansion.

Cheren suggests an informational tour throughout the estate, but Hilbert and Andrea quickly shut him down. Bianca cannot help but agree that a tour would be boring.

"We should just go on our own!"

Before anyone can agree or disagree with Andrea, a man nearby them loudly asks his friend, "Yo! What's going on over there?!"

The teens follow the man's pointed finger. In the distance, a crowd of people hop out of a grey sailboat. The ship's sail has an unmistakable design emblazoned on it: A black and white shield with a lightning bolt and P on it.

"Dude, that's Team Plasma!" The man's friend says. "No doubt about it."

"Well what are they doing here?"

The teens turn to each other, exchanging glances full of nervous energy. The crowd of Plasma members had already begun to disperse, and a large remainder of them are making their way towards the plaza. They invade the space, worming their way in front of the fountain to create a makeshift stage, even if it means nudging people out of the way. One of the grunts stands on the edge of the fountain and clears his throat.

"Oh no."

"Hear ye, hear ye!"

Hilbert ducks, barely concealing a hearty snort. Cheren nudges him in his ribcage, urging him to be quiet so as not to stand out.

"Today we, Team Plasma, loyal members of the King and Seven Sages, will free a powerful pokémon that has been trapped against its will."

"Trapped?" Andrea whispers. "What…"

Screams erupt from the east as frenzied tourists push past each other to sprint out of the large mansion.

The speaking grunt sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. He mutters something under his breath.

"What'd he say?"

"Something about "they weren't supposed to do that yet?"" Bianca gingerly offers. Her friends stare at her in shock.

"What?" She giggles. "You guys should know by now I have great ears…"

The grunt smoothly continues, ignoring the erupting chaos. "As we free this pokémon from captivity, we shall remain here to aid you in releasing your pokémon!"

"You mean force?"

The crowd turns towards the source of the voice. Andrea stands resolutely, glaring at the crowd of Team Plasma members standing in front of the fountain. Cheren sighs at his friend's impulsivity.

The Plasma grunt turns to his comrades, seemingly at a loss as to how to respond. Some of them shrug at him, while others try say something along the lines of "well, I suppose."

"If need be," the man finally speaks, "we were commanded to use force."

Andrea is about to speak when Hilbert interrupts her, longing to share (or take) the spotlight. "You're gonna have to get through me first!"

The Plasma members grab their poké balls, ready to challenge Hilbert.

"Uh-oh," Bianca whispers. "There's a lot of them…"

"Don't worry," Cheren asserts, stepping forward and standing next to Hilbert. "We'll take care of it. You and Andi go see what's going on in the mansion."

"Hey! Don't boss me around!"

"Andi, now is not the time."

"But we can help!" Bianca exclaims.

"I'm aware. However, there is something going on at the mansion. Remember what you said about a strange voice in the mansion?"

Bianca nods.

"I think there's a link between that and the trapped pokémon Team Plasma is referring to."

Bianca and Andrea's eyes widen in understanding.

"Hurry up and go!"

Cheren's hypothesis is enough to send Andrea and Bianca dashing through the island towards the mansion. Andrea twists around a couple of times, surprised to see some of the tourists helping Hilbert and Cheren battle Team Plasma. Andrea turns back around, focusing on what lies ahead. The ajar gate leading to the mansion's vibrant garden grows closer and closer with each stride. Andrea slows before they reach the gate and diverts her steps. She grabs Bianca's wrist and pulls her away from their path towards the mansion.

"There's probably going to be a lot of Team Plasma guys inside," she whispers. "Are you ready to battle them?"

Bianca stares at the ground intensely, seemingly wondering if she is capable. After a few moments of silence, she looks up and grins victoriously at Andrea.

"Why battle them if we can sneak past them?"

Andrea turns to her friend, mouth limply hanging open.

"Bianca, you're a genius."


Two Plasma grunts stand at the front door of the mansion. Bianca and Andrea hide behind a nearby souvenir shop.

"Alright, Chou," Bianca gives her cottonee a thumbs up. "Do your thing!"

The cottonee chirps and hops away, making his way towards the side of the mansion. The girls peer around the corner of the shop, ready to intervene if need be.

Chou shoots bits of cotton from his body. They float in the air momentarily, before the breeze carries it towards one of the Team Plasma members. It hovers tauntingly in front of his eyes. He reaches out and swiftly grabs it, carefully running his fingers through it. He drops it nonchalantly, but within a few seconds other bits of cotton fly by him and swirl around his head. Bewildered and confused, he exchanges a word with his partner before wandering away from the door and towards the side of the mansion Chou is on.

"Now what?" Andrea asks.

"Oh shoot. I didn't think of that."

Suddenly the ring of a cross-transceiver blares through the air. Andrea curses, fumbling through her bag. The remaining Plasma grunt jumps, head whipping in the direction of the souvenir shop. Andrea peeks out from the back corner, seeing the grunt's feet in the distance advancing towards them.

"Shit. Shit. Shit."

"Drea, what do we do?!"

Andrea's mind swirls with anticipation. "We...we battle him! It's a waste of time but—"

"Wait!" Bianca whispers.

Andrea remains quiet, waiting for the girl's reply. Bianca says nothing, her face scrunched up in concentration. A few moments pass before her face lights up.

"Now!"

"Huh?!"

Bianca grabs Andrea's wrist and sprints from behind the store. Andrea resists slightly. Bianca turns around, eyes bulging in panic.

"We have to go now!"

"Wha—wait—why?!"

"You didn't hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"The bell!"

Andrea squints at Bianca, clearly confused, so she clarifies.

"I think the souvenir shop's door has a bell. The Plasma guy thought the noise came from inside!"

Andrea grins. "What an idiot."

"Come on, let's go before either of them return!"

Andrea nods, and she and Bianca sprint past the gates of the mansion. They arrive at the front door, where Chou patiently awaits them. Bianca hastily reaches for Chou and picks him up while Andrea opens the front door. They rush inside and shut it behind them, breathing out large sighs of relief as soon as they're safely inside the mansion.

"Wow," Bianca breathes, eyes shining with awe. "It's beautiful…"

"I know," Andrea agrees. "But we have to focus."

"Right!" Bianca exclaims, then covers her mouth. Andrea stiffly looks around and pulls Bianca away from the main foyer and towards a dark hall. They find a slightly ajar door and, without thinking, duck into a large maze-like room filled to the brim with bookshelves. A poké ball hanging from Andrea's belt shakes; it's the one that holds Bernie. Andrea grasps onto it, effectively stilling it. She breathes out a sigh of relief, for now is not the time to deal with Bernie's odd behavior.

"Ok...what now?"

Andrea winces. "That's...a good question."

Before they can think for long, the shelves shake, and a loud rumble reverberates through the room. Andrea walks up to a nearby bookshelf and peeks out from its side, trying to get a glimpse further into the room. Bianca mimics her, eyes landing on the largest bookshelf centered in the back wall of the room. It slides away from the wall, slowly revealing a secret opening.

"What is it with bookshelves and secret passages?" Andrea whispers. Before Bianca can reply, two Plasma members rise up from seemingly underneath the floorboards. Bernie's poké ball shakes again, stronger this time. Andrea grabs it from her belt and holds it to her chest. Reluctantly, it stills. She focuses back on the events that are unfolding before her very eyes.

One of the grunts holds a capsule containing a strange pokémon. Andrea and Bianca simultaneously gasp, for trapped inside the capsule is a pokémon only spoken of in legends, a pokémon everyone in the Unova region knows of.

"Victini?" Bianca whispers. "What does Team Plasma want with Victini?!"

"More importantly," Andrea replies, "What do we do now?"

"We could take them by surprise," Bianca offers. "Surprise them with our pokémon when they walk by and—"

Bernie's poké ball breaks open. Andrea cannot stop herself from gasping, loudly, and scrambling to grab Bernie. Bernie escapes her hands and runs between the bookshelves, towards the Team Plasma members, who jump at the noise of a poké ball being opened.

"Or that," Andrea groans, running after her unruly pokémon. Bianca follows, legs quaking with fear.

When the girls reach the back of the room, they freeze at the sight that lies before them: Bernie, affectionately latched on to the leg of one of the Plasma grunts. The grunt holding Victini stares at his comrade in shock. Andrea forces her gaze to break away from Bernie. They travel up the body of the grunt he is currently latched onto, whose dark eyes are overflowing, tears spilling down her dark cheeks.

Bianca gasps, and suddenly it all clicks. The curly haired grunt that stands before them, next to a man who has trapped a pokémon of legends, is Quiana, the same girl who had gifted Bernie to Andrea.

"Ediva, we have to go," The grunt hisses.

"You mean Quiana?" Bianca inquires curiously.

The grunt stays silent for a moment, then turns to the girl. "I don't know. That's up to Ediva."

She tears her eyes away from Bernie, glancing up nervously at Bianca and Andrea, who stare back at her with curiosity. Her gaze flits back to her comrade. "I...I—"

The sound of a poké ball opening interrupts Quiana. Bianca's mouth drops as she watches Fern walk up to his former partner and smile at her.

"If the pokémon are the problem you can just take them. We have to go; they're waiting for us!"

"Why does Team Plasma need Victini?" Andrea presses.

The man scowls. "That's none of your business. Now, we—"

Andrea grabs a poké ball from her belt and throws it towards the grunt. He instinctively backs away. A dewott appears before him.

"You might wanna put down Victini for this."

"Try all you want," The grunt counters. "This capsule is unbreakable; it can only be opened by our head scientist."

"Kai, razor shell!"

The grunt drops the capsule and jumps out of the dewott's path. The capsule bounces on the floor, causing the startled Victini to squeak. Kai slashes at the glass with its shell, but his attack doesn't even scratch the capsule's surface.

"Kai!"

Understanding his partner's intentions, the otter pokémon grabs the capsule and tosses it to Andrea. The grunt scowls, pulling a poké ball out of his pocket. "Go, Watchog!"

"Drea, run! I've got this!"

Andrea turns to Bianca, eyes wide, heart pounding against her ribcage. "Bianca—"

"Hurry!"

"Watchog, hypnosis!"

Andrea scarcely dodges the attack. "Kai! Bernie! Let's go!"

Kai eagerly runs to his partner. Bernie opens his eyes and looks at Andrea. His gaze roams to the floor. He does not separate himself from Quiana.

"Bernie?!"

"Watchog, again!"

This time Andrea cannot dodge the attack Team Plasma's pokémon sends her way. Her vision blurs and her knees buckle inwards. The last thing she sees before darkness closes in is Bernie's face pressed up against Quiana's calf.