Attached

by ThreeBlackNoises

When Elizabeth; a resident of the velvet room; wishes for a chance to learn more about bonds of friendship, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that effects the Pokémon world in profound ways. Drawing a blind human from the real world to the Pokémon world is just the beginning... Pokémon original AU. Rated T just in case.

9. Chapter 9

Attached

A Pokémon Persona Crossover Fanfiction

by Three Black Noises

Chapter 9

"What is that!" Hope exclaimed; pointing at the screen.

"That madam, would be a Scolipede." bella answered matter-of-factly; also pointing a claw at the screen.

"Isn't it to early for that?" Liz asked quietly.

"Is it within eight levels?" Chris asked as he climbed up into the front to join the others.

"Definitely." Liz and bella answered together.

"So we should be in there right?" Christina asked.

"What could we do, besides tell him what he already knows." Bella asked.

"Support our friends! Duh." christina said.

"Sarah's going to need a friend." Hope said.

"Wait you two." bella commanded.

"What!" they both said.

"Have any of you thought about the possibility of Michael forfiting?" she continued.

Liz had, but didn't voice it.

"Can't Feara do something?" Christina asked.

"Girl that bug is over eight feet tall!" Hope said.

"What's the flight limit again?" Christina asked.

"Eight feet." Liz answered.

"Feara's tost." Christina sobbed.

"Feara? What about Sora, and, sarah." Hope asked.

"Girls. Let's not get all bent out of shape until Michael makes his choice." Bella said.

"Hay?" Chris asked.

He'd been lookking at something out of the window instead of at the screen.

Everyone lookked at him briefly.

"isn't Maria the name of that vary large smoochum responsible for helping Sarah catch sora?" he asked.

"Ahuh? Why?" Hope asked.

"Because I just saw her enter the gym after winking at us." Chris said quietly.

and that was all it took for everyone to forget about the match for a few seconds.

Michael's POV

The monster let out a loud shreak, and I knew we were definitely in for a rough ride.

Sora tried to defend himself against the giant creature, but it took him down easily with a swipe; or maybe rapid swipes; of one of its claws.

"Sora is unable to battle!" the ref called.

"One shot?" I asked.

"Yep. It's in a whole other league than Whirlipede!" Rotom called.

"Well yeah that's why it's an evolution." I said.

"Michael?" Bethany asked quietly.

"What's up Bethany." I responded.

"Um, I know that as your support I need to always be on your side, but we should probably forfit." she suggested.

"I don't do that at the first sign of trouble." I countered.

"You can't see that scolipede over there, we can." Bethany insisted.

"It's no problem. feara can take it." I persisted.

I let feara out of her ball, and she took flight without comment regarding the giant bug we were facing.

"I got this." feara said as she came in for an attack, but scolipede just swotted her out of the air wit no effort at all.

"Iron Defence!" Roxie called as feara came back to her talons.

She climbed back into the air without complaint and proceeded to charge her Heat wave again.

"That's not going to work! scolipede, Rollout!" Roxie called.

"Protect and Detect now!" I called in desperation.

feara did as she was asked, but it didn't seem to have any effect as the monstrocity of a bug that was scolipede literally roled Feara over and over on the ground.

After the attack was over, Feara showed everyone what a trooper she really was by climbing to her tallons; despite the pain, and delivering a Heat wave attack directly into scolipede's face.

The poison she was still under must have kicked in at that point, because she fell to the groun and didn't get up.

"Feara is unable to Battle!" the ref called.

"No kidding!" Bethany said sarcastically.

"That thing weighs half a ton. Maybe we should check on her?" Rotom asked.

He needn't have, because I was already on the ground feeling around for Feara so I could place her head in my hands.

"I'm sorry." she groaned.

"You were a real trooper. No need to be sorry at all. In fact it's me who should be apologizing for sending you in to face that thing." I said quietly as she sat up.

I gave her a big hug, started to return her to her ball, thought better of it, then reached for sarah's ball and released her onto the field.

"Let's" sarah began before seeing Scolipede and screaming her little head off.

"Hay Sarah don't" I began before Scolipede let out an enormously loud roar that sent her into the fetal position.

"Feara! she called as she went down.

"Already out." Feara said calmly.

"Sora?" she asked slowly.

"I'm out to." he said quietly.

"Then..." Sarah began as she climbed to her feet.

"I have to at least try?" she asked, more than said.

I weighed my options, then called for the referee.

"I'm sorry everyone," I began.

(LET ME OUT!) a voice cried inside my head that I quickly identified as Prinplup's.

(We can't.) Sarah reasoned.

(I want to help you!) Prinplup said; much calmer now.

(We don't have the moves to fight that, thing!) Sarah argued.

(If you let us evolve we might have enough ice power to)

(Prinplup? That's a big might. If it doesn't work, then what?) Sarah asked.

Prinplup didn't have an answer to Sarah's argument; at least that's what I took from her silence.

(You're not me until I say you are, so until then, I make the calls.) sarah said.

"But I feel the best course of action for me and my team at this point is to" An icey hand landed on my shoulder, and I stopped talking to the referee.

"send me in now." the voice belonging to the icey hand whispered in my ear.

"I can't. You aren't on my team." I said as I reached out to feel what was talking to me.

She took my hands and guided them around a few places on her body.

She was cold; I mean really cold, and ssemed to be waring what felt like a dress under a fleece jacket that was almost as cold as shee was.

I wasn't allowed to see all her feetures, but what I did get to see matched up with what I'd imagined a smoochum that had been allowed to mature without evolving into a Jinx might look like.

That is to say she looked like a little girl of about ten years or so, but I had a feeling she was much older than that.

"You're Maria, the one who helped sarah out with sora, aren't you?" I asked.

"Gilty." she answered.

"I wanted to thank you for that, but had no way of seeking you out, so, thank you." I said.

"No problem, so are we good to go?" she asked.

"Why are you helping him." Sora asked.

"Let's just say I finally found a partner that's not a total jirk." She answered.

"That's all well and good, but I kind of promissed sarah she could battle in the match." I told her.

bethany was trying to get my attention by getting into a position to whisper in my ear, so I let her tell me that subbing Maria in for sarah was a good move.

"I've never even heard of subbing in a Pikémon battle." I told her.

"That's because it's rarely done. My Whirlipede evolved into a Scolipede in the match today, and as such, that gives you the right to sub out one of the Pokémon you put into the match for another of your choosing, either from your own team or failing that, one you trust or just choose on blind faith." Roxie explained.

"Well, none of my remaining Pokémon are ones I can actually battle with, so, assuming Maria is allowed to battle, I guess it's fine, provided you can convince Sarah to give up her spot." I finally said; more worried about convincing Prinplup to give up than sarah.

So Maria nelt down in front of Sarah; who was still scared to death of Scolipede, and asked her if she'd mind letting someone else step in on her behalf.

To her credit, Sarah; or Prinplup; wasn't one to just let another Pokémon; or person; just take her place.

"Can you win?"" she asked.

"Possibly." Maria responded confidently.

Feara had climbed to her talons by then and chose that moment to get directly up in Maria's face.

"How high do you rate your chances at victory?" she asked loud enough for all to hear.

Maria didn't take to long to answer.

"I'd say I have at least a seventy percent chance at being victorious." she said.

"Those are pretty good odds so" Rotom was trying to get my attention before I finished talking.

"What?" I asked him.

"Hay, Michael? You should know that if you do this, you won't actually be able to give her any commands, seeing as she's, technically wild." he told me.

"He's correct. I'm afraid I'd have to end the match as a forfit on your part if you give a single command to Maria." the ref told me.

"So it's either stick with Sarah, trust Maria, or forfit." I confirmed.

"Pretty much." Roxie afirmed.

At that point, all my other friends arived.

"sorry we didn't come in with you. I kind of convinced the others to give you a shot on your own." Liz said out of breath.

"Yeah you would have wun if that thing hadn't evolved." Chris added.

"It's highly possible. His strategy was sound, and all of his preplanning seems to have been right on the money. To bad he didn't plan for Scolipede." Roxie said from her position.

"It's to early for that." I said calmly.

"Don't always go by the Pokédex. All those figures for levels and evolution are just ballpark after all." Roxie said, then added, "Sorry rotom."

"It's fine." Rotom said to her, then to me, he asked, "so what are you goin to do?"

"Maria?" I said in reply.

"I've got a Fero in my face." she stated.

"Hay Feara. you probably need to back off now." I suggested.

Instead of backing away however, Feara moved to Maria's side, and seemed to lean in close.

"Okay. I'll keep that in mind." Maria said slowly after a few seconds.

Feara then moved to stand beside me; allowing Maria to take the field.

as she did, she asked me not to be to mad if she did lose.

I asked her to just do her best, and the ref asked me to confirm that I was indeed subbing Maria in for Sarah.

I confirmed I was, and the battle got back under way.

I hated not being able to give my new partner any commands, but I hated wasting this chance to finally get on my way as a trainer even more.

Before the ref could properly start the battle, both Roxie and Sarah called for him to wait.

Sarah gave Maria her poison recovery item, and Roxie felt obliged to inform me that, due to its evolution, Scolipede was no longer seeded.

I thanked both for their generocity and information respectively, and the ref called for the battle to begin.

Maria threw her jacket at me, and; seeing as I couldn't really do anything else for her; I decided to hold on to it during the match.

Maria used Fake Out to get in a little bit of damage, then used the time Scolipede needed to recover to cast Calm mind.

Roxie's first move was Pursuit, which was no surprise as Maria was part psychick type.

She avoided it easily enough and countered with confusion.

I didn't yet know what all the different moves sounded like in this version of Pokémon battling, but Bethany was the one who mostly helped me out.

Rotom did correct her a few times, though she was still in the ballpark with regard to what each move was.

Roxie tried to use Poison Sting on Maria a few times, but gave that up as a bad job pretty quick as it left Scolipede open to take direct hits from Maria's Icey Wind attacks; or so Feara whispered into my ear.

Then Roxie tried to use Bug Bite and; after a few attempts; managed to land a hit.

Maria used her bary to get wrid of the poison status, and Bethany threw her the Oran bary Feara managed to pluck from Koffing.

Roxie kept her cool and finally managed to use Poison Tail to get Maria poisoned again.

Maria; for her part; held her ground exceedingly well; even managing to thwart Roxie's Pursuit and protect moves with some vary clever choices of her own, like starting to use a move, hearing Roxie call for a Protect, and using a vary; shal we say; mundane move like Pound, or; failing that; a standard punch to get around the Protect before using the move she'd started using in the first place.

She landed several Confusion attacks on Scolipede as well as using Powder Snow to keep the giant bug at bay.

This back and forth exchange went on for several minutes as Maria chipped away at Scolipede's health.

She even found a way to work in a wish technique to recover some of her health as a means of wasting one of Scolipede's Protects.

Roxie's poison strategy came through for her in the end though, but; just like Feara; Maria used her last bit of strength to hit scolipede directly in the face with a fully powered Ice Beam attack which did massive damage and almost gave us the win.

The attack also froze Scolipede in a solid block of ice, so we had to wait for that to thaw before the ref could issue a verdict.

"Why didn't you use that Ice Beam attack earlier?" Rotom asked Maria in the interim.

I had a feeling about why she'd stuck with Icy Wind, but decided to let her answer for herself.

"Can't, aim, vary, well, while, moving." Maria said haltingly.

Unfortunately , that was the time when Scolipede's poison chose to finish Maria off.

"I'm so vary sorry I couldn't" She moaned as she went down.

"It's all right. we'll get you back to Crystal's and get you a good rest and you'll be good as new." I said.

"Maria is un"

Scolipede broke out of the ice and crashed to the ground with a noise so loud the ref couldn't finish his declaration.

"Okay? Both Pokémon are unable to battle, so it's a draw!" he finally finished.

"Oh man that's two for two!" Rotom, sort of shouted.

"It's still better than two losses." Feara said as Maria came to her feet.

"That was fast." I said to her.

"I'm an, just unable to battle, not unable to function, thaa, but I could use something for this poison." she said quietly.

"Gotcha covered their." I said as I pulled out the antidotes I got from Theodore.

"Hay those are mine!" Bethany cried.

"Well I guess we're in good hands then." I said as I cracked one open.

"I don't remember seeing these at the Poké Marts?" Maria said before drinking it.

"That's because it's an as yet unreleased product." Bethany said pointedly in my direction.

"The people who sold these to me just wanted to help." I said quietly; wondering why Bethany didn't bring this issue up yesterday at the ranch.

"Oh. Those people huh?" Bethany asked, and I knew she understood what I was getting at.

"Wow this is really good!" Maria exclaimed after she finished it.

"feara needs one." she added as she handed me the bottle.

"I know. I haven't forgotten about our valiant bird or intrepid flower." I said as I freshened each of them up.

"So... Now what?" sora asked.

"Well, first, we eat. I'm starving." I said as we left the Gym.

Maria, more or less; took over our evening plans.

First, she made me check Sora, Feara, and herself into the Virbank Pokémon center for a quick examination, just to make sure everything was okay.

I would have done that anyway, but Maria's recommendation came with the perk that I didn't have to pay for said examination.

After we checked out of the Pokémon center, Maria changed our dinner venue from one that was sort of rowdy and rambunctious, to one that was most defanitly quiet and relaxed.

She knew the manager, and he agreed to oblige us with a holsome; if not overly extravagant; meal in exchange for an extremely small sum of cash for what we ended up getting.

To make up for the lack of cash however, we had to agree to befriend Maria to the best of our ability; which we were going to do anyway, though he didn't need to know that.

Every Pokémon orderd food appropriate to his or her unique needs, and so did I; for that matter.

Surprisingly, Liz, Bella and Maria ate human food like me, though Maria had to eat slightly coold-down food on account of her being an ice Pokémon.

As a former ghost, Rotom ran into a slight problem; seeing as he'd never had the need to eat any material food before, and thus had no idea what to order.

After a few minutes, it was decided that we'd all order slightly larger portions than usual, and Rotom could just try a bit of everything until he found something he liked.

The waiter did give us a free appetizer sampler out of pity for Rotom, and none of us saw the need to object.

Just as we completed our orders, Ruby and Trey showed up out of nowhere, though I suspected they'd been transported to the Virbank City Pokémon center by Jade, and from their; somehow; tracked us down.

They; or rather; Ruby; knew exactly what to order for herself and Trey. We didn't get any more freebees, but Bella assured us that all would be taken care of, and it was.

As they then consoled me regarding the results of the gym battle, Bella began setting up a rather strange contraption she'd brought in with her.

It was a kind of bole-shaped device, with a separate, smaller bole that rose from a depression at one end.

Bella filled each bole with different liquids, then proceeded to set Bethany inside the apparatus and bring yet another peace down over her face.

She inserted a strange cartridge into the top of this final peace and pressed a button on the device.

What's that?" Ruby asked.

"It's how we feed Bethany." Bella explained quickly.

"Is she sick?" Trey asked.

"No. Her body just needs, special nutrients." Bella explained as our food arived.

To my surprise, the waiter had brought a similar apparatus for Sora, though it didn't close up like Bethany's did.

Sora seemed to enjoy his, 'food' immensely, and indicated to us that his previous trainer didn't feed him the same way.

"He probably didn't know any better." Bella said as quietly as she was able.

The rest of dinner time wasn't spent discussing battle strategies, as Maria felt we'd all had enough of battling for one day.

She did; however; make sure we had plenty of time for that tomorrow before making her suggestion.

So we all got to know each other a little better; Maria being the stand-out subject; as all of us had lots of questions regarding her day-to-day life for however long she'd ben around.

She couldn't be captured; I mean, befriended, so she basically lived sort of like a homeless person, all be it an extremely respectfull and responsible one.

as she was still a Pokémon, she wasn't allowed to receive any kind of monetary compensation for any work she did, though she found ways to still get paied for her helpfull efforts; mostly in things she needed, IE clothing and the like.

I pointed out that, as far as I understood it, Smoochum came with clothing built-in, but Maria laughed that off saying that Smoochum could make clothing out of ice, but only in icy climates.

Christina wanted to know if Maria had ever considered being a trained Pokémon until now, and Maria seemed like she needed to be vary carefull with her answer.

At least, that's what I thought until Maria slammed her hand down on the table saying, "I'm special. Why would anybody want me?"

"What do you think I am?" Bella countered.

"A super-powered killing machine." Maria answered bluntly.

Bella let out a vary loud huff before replying, "Yeah okay. Believe what you read why don't you. No, I mean, what do I look like, as in, what Pokémon species would you classify me as."

Maria didn't quite know what to say to that.

"Everyone else, don't answer yet." Bella prompted.

Maria stood up and walked around to get a better view of Bella before walking back to her seat and sitting down again.

"I have no clue." she finally said quietly.

"Corsola, for the most part." Bethany answered after removing her, umm, food machine thingy.

"Corsola? Really?" Maria asked.

"Mostly. Along with DNA from Octillery, Kingdra, Golem and some others? I'm sorry, the reports I was able to decrypt were a little vague, to say the least." Bella explained.

"I see. I guess, you look great, for what you, are." Maria said haltingly.

"So do you." Bella complimented.

"at least I resemble something, recognizable. You, well." Maria began.

"It's okay. I know what I am." Bella said quietly.

"Yeah, Pokémon assassination weapon system 3855239." Rotom responded.

bella reached over an grabbed Rotom so fast he let out a squeak that almost sounded like it had an electric hiss behind it.

"Where have you been snooping." she hissed in his ear.

"Nowhere. It's publicly available as your Pokédex entry." rotom explained.

bella took some time with this info.

"what? Else, does. It. Say, about. Me." she finally asked.

"you want the entire entry?" Rotom asked.

after a pause, he just read it anyway.

Bella, First known member of the Pokémon assassination weapon system, (PAWS).

Most notable for being the predecessor to the genetic atrocity Mewtwo, Bella has become a world-wide simble of perseverance, and a role model to struggling people and Pokémon everywhere.

Her current ocupation is shared with her only friend, bethany Porter, Founder of Porter Potions LTD.

Together, they help to make the world a better place while listening to heavy metal bands.

"Oookay, I think I know who wrote this." Bella said quietly.

"Are they in trouble?" Sarah laughed.

"They're fine, but only because I approve this entry." Bella said.

"You're only saying that because we're never apart." Bethany added with a laugh of her own.

"So what happens if you do get separated." Hope asked.

"We'll just remove the part about working together." Bella said smoothly.

"Won't you have to pay someone to do that?" sarah asked.

"No. I can do it if need be." Rotom replied brightly.

While Sarah was thinking about money, she apparently decided to ask if Maria expected to be paid for her assistance in the gym battle, to which, Maria simply told us that she'd only ask for payment if the rest of the evening and first part of tomorrow didn't go as she'd planned.

I didn't know what that ment, but decided not to worry about it until I had to.

"So, were you born here in Virbank?" Liz asked.

"No, but I couldn't tell you exactly where if my life depended on it. My best guess would have to be somewhere within the colder regions of Johto, though I could be wrong." Maria explained.

"So, how'd a lolly smoochum get from somewhere in Johto to all the way out here in Unova?" Chris asked.

"I walked, mostly, except for the parts where I needed to travel by ship." Maria began.

"Kind of like us." Chris cut in. I had no idea if he pointed at Liz, but he probably did seeing as Maria turned in her direction.

"Strange we never ran into one another." Maria said.

"We might have been on the same ship once or twice, but we'd never run into each other unless one of us knew the other existed." Liz explained.

"That seems logical. You mind if I ask a question?" I asked before anyone else could.

"Shoot!" Maria invited.

"What made you want to help us out?"

I expected Maria to need to think on this question, but she had an answer ready.

"I saw Sarah battling with Sora and thought, 'hmm, what would become of that Pokémon if it was in that blind trainers party?',

and so I made sure Sarah at least had a chance to make it happen.

After she was successfull, I simply let time give me my answer.

I didn't know you were competing in a gym battle today, or that you'd be so quick to use your new Pokémon in it,

but once I saw how well you'd trained him in just under a day, I started entertaining the notion of possibly traveling with all of you.

I still had no idea how I'd approach this issue with any of you until that bug evolved mid match, but when it did,

I knew your current team would be no match for an over-sized Scolipede, so I rushed to help, and decided to let fate take over." Maria explained.

"and now we're eating dinner together." Feara finished; not quite, finnished, with the bit of food she was currently working on.

"Yes, and please finish with your food first." Maria said as she gestured at Feara."

"Sorry." Feara said after finishing her food.

"You're still learning manners." I said to Feara before asking Maria my next question.

"So what do you want me to do for you? I can't really see me teaching you any new techniques or anything, seing as you held your own pretty well in the battle today."

"She's stil got a lot to learn." Rotom replied.

Maria didn't say anything to Rotom, but she must have looked at him in some way, because he apologized extremely quickly.

"So you want me to just train you like all of my other friends?" I asked.

"That is correct, however, I'd like to spend a bit of time with you before I make up my mind on weather I'm staying or not." Maria explained.

"And that time is what you indicated previously." Liz confirmed.

"It is." Maria answered smoothly.

"And what if your status becomes an issue?" Trey asked.

"I don't see that becoming a problem, but if it does, I'll just leave." Maria answered.

"And what if you're needed on the team?" Sora asked.

"We'll just find another Pokémon friend to do my job. Next question." Maria answered.

Feara made to ask something, but just blew out her breath reall slowly instead.

She tried again several more times with the same result before Maria said, "Feara, just asked your question. we're all friends here."

feara seemd like she was unable to get the question into a word form that pleased her.

"Just ask it in your own language." Ruby suggested.

Feara made a strange sound that seemed to say, "If only I could.

Liz got up from her position and moved to stand next to Feara.

"Just think" she began as she placed one of her hands on feara, but then gasped before telling Feara to "turn down the volume!"

"Sorry." Feara said quietly as Liz took her place at the table again.

"She wants to know if you have any political enemies." Liz said in Maria's direction.

"No I don't have any of those people who go after people they hate." Maria responded, then asked, "Was that what you were trying to ask?"

"Yes it was." Fear answered greatfully.

Feara didn't elaborate on her speech impediment, and Maria didn't ask about it, so I gathered that they'd both come to an understanding in regards to it.

"Any other questions about me?" Maria asked; picking up something that smelled vary sweet.

Their were none, so we made small talk through the rest of the meal.

After we finished; and Bella paied, we left the establishment with full stomachs and hearts that; while still heavy with the day's loss, were considerably lightened by Maria's presence.

With the added company of both Wigglytuff; I'd new I'd need to put some of my friends into their Poké balls in order to fit most of us into Crystal's car for the journey to her house, but Liz stopped me as I reached for them.

"Hay Feara?" she asked.

Feara didn't answer vocally, but Liz continued all the same.

"Do you think you could take me along?"

Feara must have nodded, because Liz; vary unceremoniously; climbed onto her back in readiness to take flight.

I didn't have to wait long to find out the reason.

"Bella?" Liz said easily as she settled herself on Feara's back.

"Just drive like you always do. I'll control Feara's flight and stay within bond range."

"You got it." Bella said as she gave something to Liz before feara took off.

"She's testing how far apart you to can be before side effects happen." Bella explained to me as we all got into the car.

I sat up front in between Bella and Maria. I held Bethany in my lap while Maria held Sora in hers.

as grass types week to psychic energy, Sora and Bethany would know before anyone else if my bond with Liz was reaching its breaking point.

Bella turned the key, said something about tracking, then proceeded to store Bethany's feeding apparatus in the trunk before dropping back in beside me once more.

After we all got buckled in, Bella just sat their.

"Go Bella." Sarah said.

"Liz is conducting a range test. Us moving would defeat the point of said test." Bella explained as she typed on the car's computer.

"Huh?" was Sarah's response.

"We're already at one end of an island. Crystal's house is, more or less, at the other end. If Liz can make it all the way there without any side effects between her and Michael, they'll have valuable data as to the range of their bond." Ruby explained.

"How long?" I asked; refering to the time it would take for feara to reach Crystal's.

"About one minute more." Rotom answered from the back.

"It'll be more than that Rotom. The tracker I gave to Liz shows at least five." Bella explained.

"You must be thinking of robin's speeds." christina said.

"google earth, really?" Maria asked.

"It's just an overlay." Bella said.

"So what, we can see where they are right now?" Sora asked.

"More or less. They're just leaving Virbank city." Bella explained as the car made an e-mail notification sound, and Bella seemed to open said e-mail.

"Okay, crystal is awake, and knows that Liz is headed her way." she said.

"Can I see that map thing?" Sora asked.

I heard Bella nodd, and then he and Bethany switched places so Sora could lean over and look at what Bella was looking at.

"huuh." he said as he looked.

"So, this is us?" he asked. A nodd from Bella.

"And, is this, where you found me?" he asked a few seconds later.

"It is." Bella replied.

"So, if this is Feara and Liz, then, they, should be almost at Crystal's, if that's what, this, is." he finished.

"Wow you catch on fast." Bella said; her amazement at Sora's intelligence only masked by her inability for her voice to show it.

Just then, I got a mental message from Liz that they'd almost reached Crystal's, and that her and Feara were going to circle above the house and see how high they could get before side effects showed themselves.

I relayed this to Bella, and she immediately turned the engine over saying, "You let me know as soon as things start feeling unusual and we'll close the distance."

They didn't; even after Feara flew half a mile off shore, so Liz headed back to Crystal's, and so did we.

Upon arival, Crystal was waiting for us outside.

"I heard about today." she said quietly to me as I passed her.

"At least we didn't lose." I said; matching her volume as the others headed past me.

"So, are you still challenging Burgh tomorrow?" she asked after the others were safely inside.

"I don't have a choice." I told her; knowing that if I didn't challenge Burgh now, It could be a long time before I'd get another chance at a bug badge.

"Yes you do." Crystal said sternly; putting a hand on my arm.

"Look, you don't even have an effective team yet. You might want to step back and build one first." she suggested.

"They need this chance"

"To prove themselves?" crystal countered.

I nodded.

"Who, Sarah and Hope?" she asked; sounding just a tad angry.

"You know as well as I do that they haven't got a chance against a bug gym leader." she persuaded.

"Actually, more like Maria and Feara." I said quietly.

Crystal didn't say anything immediately, so I continued.

"I've only got Maria for one more day, and Feara almost wun against Roxie and needs another chance."

Crystal thought for a moment, then blew out an extremely long breath as in resignation.

"Okay. I'll take you, if you really won't change your mind." she finally said, but I could tell she was against the idea.

"I couldn't really blame her either, as both of us knew that if I really wanted to go through with the challenge, their wasn't anything she could do to stop me, as I'd just go on my own.

She probably could have made Bella hold me down until I agreed to stay, but we both knew that wasn't happening.

"It's not just about my team. I know this is going to sound stark, but I also need the money for after you and I part ways." I explained.

"That's not going to be a problem." she said before leaning down and putting her face directly in line with my ear.

Her whisper was so soft, I actually had to make an effort to hear it through her breath that left watter residue in my ear.

"The league understands that both your draws were direct results of things beyond your control, so they've just deposited 3960 Poké dollors into your account, and both gym leaders agreed to this as well."

I started to reply, but she put her hand over my mouth, then turned vary slightly in the direction of the door.

I got her meaning, and we both joined the others inside.

Once everyone was assimbled, I broke it down for them.

After I'd laied out all the information and left the floor open, feara spoke up.

"Is this a Va, va." she then blew out her breath before raising her wing and putting it down again, but Maria was their for her.

"Vote?" she finished.

"Yes that." feara said in relief

"It is." I assured her.

She took her time responding.

"I'd like to challenge, but I'd alsa."

"Also." Liz filled in.

"Like to train more to." Feara continued as if she'd said 'also' herself.

"So what do you want to do more." Rotom asked.

Feara thought about it for a long time; talking under her breath.

"If we wun we'd have money, but not as much knowledge and we might get hurt to." she sighed, but in annoyance at the problem rather than frustration due to her speech impediment.

"Maria? You're leaving tomorrow. What's your call?" she finally asked.

Maria was ready with her answer.

"I say we wait."
Sarah sprang to her feet with a yell of rage.

"Sarah!" feara admonished.

Sarah shut up, but Feara wasn't done.

"We'll have chances before you leave to prove ourselves. Right now, we all need to collect, regroup and train." she explained.

Sarah wasn't happy with the advice, but Hope stepped in to explain that we'd all be a lot stronger if we took time to train first, and she'd personally make sure that Sarah would have at least one chance to prove herself before they both left.

It was at this point that Ruby spoke up.

"Trey and I are heading home. The both of us are completely useless to you right now, and each of us have things that need attending to at home."

Trey picked up the explanation.

"I can continue my education at home while Ruby catches up on matters there."

Ruby took over again.

"We'd also like to make a request of you."

she left the air open, so I nodded for her to continue, but it was Trey who spoke.

"You remember Tina?" he asked.

"Your little sister. How could I forget that nice Wigglytuff?" I replied with a small laugh.

"If she is up to it, we would like you to train her instead of me, as she is much better at gathering information than I." trey finished.

"She's also much closer to your trainer level, so she'd be able to aid you in combat to." Ruby added.

"I," here trey paused in his delivery before sighing in a vary theatrical manner.

"I am only here because I messed up." he finished.

at this point, I'd figured out that this entire pitch had been rehearsed beforehand

"So," Trey began.

"Please help our little sister?" they finished together.

"No need to get all theatrical or anything. The answer is yes, but only if she agrees to it." I explained.

"That is good news." Tina said before they both hugged me.

"Are you leaving now?" Bella asked.

"We are." Trey confirmed.

"Then I'll walk along at a distance and shadow both of you, and Tina to, just so you make it where you're going." Bella offered.

I had no issues with the arangement, so they all left vary quickly.

as soon as they were gone, I decided to talk with the others to see how each of them really felt about the idea of training first and passing up tomorrows gym battle in order to do so.

"sora?" I asked, then waited for him to approach.

"I can't fight insects." he said quietly; standing just outside of the inhibition range of the translation bug.

"I know. That's why I figured you stayed quiet until now." I replied at the same volume.

"And you're okay with training for a few days?" I asked.

"What ever you feel is best is fine with me." sora replied.

"Rotom?" I asked.

"We really need to train, and I'll do what I can to speed up the process. What do I need to start researching?" he asked.

"Where we should be heading, for starters." I said.

Rotom was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"Translation, what gym leaders are available?" he finally asked.

"We need to know that so we can plan what region we're going to." I explained.

"Is their one I can win against?" Sarah asked quietly.

"I don't know." I answered in Rotom's direction.

Rotom blew out a vary long breath as a reply before asking, "You 'wunna go to Kanto?"

"Sure if Brock and at least one other gym leader are staying out of the PWT." I responded.

"Can we even get to this, place?" Sarah asked.

"Good question. Hay Rotom, do you have a list of the ports of call Hope's ship is visiting?" I asked.

"No but I'm already looking it up." he replied before going silent.

"IS rock all I'm good against?" Sarah asked in the interim.

"No you're also good against ground, fire, and if we get your ice skills up to snuf, flying, bug and dragon." I replied.

"Okay so fire and ground gym leaders. Any of those around?" Sarah asked.

"Not here in Unova, but I'm still checking stuf." Rotom replied.

"Clay's here." Sarah said.

"I'm surprised you even remember that conversation." I laughed.

"Of course I do"

sarah trailed off before speaking again.

"Oh, he's busy right?" she asked.

"You'd be correct." I answered.

"Hyyah! Got it!" Rotom exclaimed; jumping into the air.

"What?" Sarah and I asked together.

"Okay, Hoenn's the first stop on the S.S. Miracle's itinerary, that's in fifteen days. I've just sent off e-mails to Roxanne and Flannery, and Roxanne for sure says she'll battle us before she departs for Unova. Even if Flannery can't, Norman and Wattson can be battled as they're staying out of the PWT at least until next month, So you can get a makeup shot at the normal badge and maybe an electric badge to." Rotom said in a rush.

"If memory sirves, that'd be the Dynamo, Balance, Stone, and maybe Heat badges right?" I asked.

"Wow! Yes!" Rotom responded.

"The ship's called Miracle?" Sarah asked incredulously.

"Well it's actually the S.S. Anne, but it's been temporarily christened Miracle for this voyage. besides, Miracle's a perfect name for what Hope brings with her." rotom replied.

Hope sighed at Rotom's remark, and I suddenly remembered the conversation we'd been putting off.

"sarah? Has it ever occured to you that I might not always be successfull?" she asked.

"Of course you will! You're Hope." Sarah cried.

"Oh really?" Hope asked as she walked over and placed her hands on my face.

"Come on Hope, you can fix him!" Sarah encouraged.

"I wish that were true, but he'll be fine with his blindness. He's more than used to it by now." Hope explained.

"She's right Sarah. I'm not sure having sight would help all that much at this stage." I added.

Sarah didn't take to long to process this information.

"If he's fine with it, than you're okay to." she finally said.

"No I'm not." Hope said; still with her hannds on my face.

"Their might be times, where my power won't be able to help or save someone." Hope finally said quietly.

sarah didn't say anything for a while, so Hope released me and picked her up.

"I'd love to have you along on my journey, but I want you to understand what you're getting in to, okay?" she explained.

Sarah acted like she wanted to object, but none was forth coming, as bella burst through the door with Tina in her arms.

"Put me down you weird thing!" Tina screamed as the door slammbed behind them.

"Best complement I've ever had." Bella said calmly as she released tina.

"I need to get" Tina began again but stopped suddenly before starting again.

"Michael? Where is Trey?"

"he and Ruby are back home. why?" I asked as she made her way over to me.

"What? So." Tina began again.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you. They disappeared, and almost at the same time, you came flying out of the same spot directly into my arms." Bella calmly explained.

"Of course I did. seeing as I was flung out of my home by at least three unidentifiable wigglytuff." Tina said in a clipped way.

"That's impossible." Bella growled.

"Seeing as I am here now? No, I amquite afraid it is." Tina corrected.

"I don't see how three wigglytuf mannaged to throw you more than twenty feet." Bella said; her voice rising slightly.

"Twenty feet? are you sure?" tina asked.

"Of course I'm sure! Ruby told me to stand at least that far away so as not to be caught by the effects of the portal when her and Trey went through." Bella exclaimed as best as she was able.

"Then others must have been helping with psychic powers." I suggested.

"That sounds plausible." Liz said; standing to shake Tina's hand.

"Liz?" Tina asked.

"That's correct." Liz confirmed before Sarah made to speak.

"Hay Tina? Did you even manage to obtain guidance from the nice Gengar before you came here?"

"We do not host any Gengar where I come from. Wait, from whom did any of my people ever obtain guidance from said Gengar?" Tina asked.

"Your brother Trey." Sara replied promptly.

"We do not commune with evil spirits from the world of shadows." Tina afirmed.

"Trey did, just before he was banished." Sarah said.

"I beg your pardon little Piplup, but I believe I know my home better than you do, and we would never open talks with representatives of evil from the realm of shadows, even on any of our death beds." tina said calmly.

Sara walked right up to tina before speaking vary quietly.

"What about the psynet."

"All of my people use it, and I asure you, it only allows us to commune with our departed ancestors, and also some of those wigglytuff who have been captured by humans." Tina replied; matching Sara's volume level.

"Do you have any prouf to back of your claim?" Liz asked.

"I do, and so does Robin, but he's not here, and neither is the prouf." Sara answered promptly.

It didn't take me to long to deduce where said prouf was.

"I don't think Tina can go to where the prouf is." I pointed out.

"If Sara can produce said prouf, I can make a mental record of it and play it back." Liz offered.

"I didn't know you could do that!" Sara exclaimed.

"I can to." Rotom said as he came up behind us.

"Two heads are better than one." Liz said.

I knew where the door to the velvet room was, and promptly lead the others to it.

Tina tagged along; not that I could really blame her, and showed no surprised reaction when I opened the door and stepped through it.

To my surprise however, she was still with us on the other side.

"Aah Tina. We've been expecting you." Igore said cheerfully.

"Really? Why so?" Tina asked.

Igore just chuckled playfully in reply before walking away.

"He means you'll see." Liz explained.

Sara Wasted no time in showing us to the house and its; somewhat' strange metaphor of a car.

"This is one of those traveling machines humans use." Tina said as sara opened the driver's door and they both got in.

"Do we need to travel somewhere else?" Tina asked after Liz and I got in the back and Rotom climbed up front.

"No, we don't, we just need to find the CD because this car is the only source of power here." Sara explained while rummaging through the console

"Hmm? It's not here?" Sara asked to herself.

"Perhaps I can help if you could be so kind as to tell me exactly what we are looking for?" Tina offered.

"It's not here!" Sarah said exasperatedly.

"Just the same, I shal take a look." Tina said as she took her turn rummaging through the console.

Not to surprisingly, her sirch yielded results.

"Selected moments from the life of Tina wigglytuff." She read from a CD's case after pulling it out of the console with some effort.

"Huh? Why do we need that?" Rotom asked.

"You'll see, as long as I can find the" Sara began; right before something landed near tina.

Judging from the somewhat metallic sound, I guessed correctly that it was Clefki, who deftly activated all the systems before Sarah slid the CD into the player.

A loud argument in Wigglytuf language filled the car, and tina sighed in triumph.

"This shal work nicely." she said as she navigated the tracklist on the CD.

"Who were you arguing with?" Clefki asked.

"daniel, who else?" tina answered as if to say, 'need you ask?'

"Friend of yours? Rotom asked.

"No, half brother, if we are being technical." Tina explained.

"That doesn't sound like him." I observed.

"Younger, three years ago." tina explained shortly, as she seemed to have found what she was looking for.

In the recording, a vary frustrated Tina was speaking to the empty air in what I guessed was her house.

"What are we going to do with him?" she asked.

"Teach him, what else?" a vary monstrous voice replied.

The real Tina gasped as the Tina in the recording spoke again.

"But he acts so"

"privileged? Of course he does. and he will keep acting that way unless a person he respects shows him otherwise. the other voice responded.

Tina stopped the recording at that point, and seemed to be about to cry.

"It's not your fault." Rotom soothed.

"How so?" Tina asked; getting back in control of her emotions.

"You called this thing a Psynet correct?" Rotom confirmed.

"So show me your psychic powers please." Rotom asked after a few seconds; probably because Tina nodded to his previous question.

She must have, because their were utterances of, "Oh no." and "I see." from Rotom and Liz.

"With powers that week, a Gengar would have no choice but to draw on imagery from your mind in order to make contact." Rotom explained.

"And just because it's a Gengar, doesn't automatically make it evil. I mean, look at Hope. She's never supposed to leave her home, or be helpfull to anyone other than herself, but she's done both. Feara's supposed to be a smelly mean jirk, but so far she hasn't been. And Bella's supposed to think of nothing but killing, but she's found friends in Crystal and Bethany, and helps them out everyday, and don't even get me started on Crystal, so, yeah, a nice Gengar isn't out of the question." Sara explained.

"So we just leave things alone?" Tina asked.

"You could, or you might decide to at the vary least let your brother know, just in case." Liz offered.

"I cannot go back home." Tina pointed out.

"You don't need to, I don't think." sara said before showing Tina how the radeo could be used to listen in on events in progress elsewhere in the world.

She tuned into Robin beeing extremely bord, then crystal typing away at her computer, then Bella and Bethany mixing some kind of wickedly complex potion.

"See? All you have to do is want it badly enough." Sara said.

"Okay?" Tina said before pressing a button that caused Trey's voice to come out of the speakers.

"How long until they come back?" he was asking.

"No telling, so we better move now." Daniel replied.

"That could take weeks." Ruby exclaimed.

"Then we leave everything behind and only move ourselves." Daniel added.

"What is going on?" tina asked.

"Tina? Where are you?" daniel asked; sounding more than a little surprised.

"That is not important right now. Who has found you?" she asked.

"Humans. two of them stumbled upon the village half an hour ago. I got word from the centuries just after you left, and we have been trying to figure out what to do, as more are probably coming." Daniel explained.

"Daniel, you do remember the moving plans right?" Tina asked slowly.

He only sighed deeply before saying; vary quietly, "I slept through dad's lecture on that."

"Well I, didn't." Ruby said, just as quietly.

several Wigglytuff gasped at her use of a contraction.

"Yeah I use contractions now, sue me!" she said to them before going into detailed plans to move the village in the event of human discovery.

"Tina you're okay where you are?" she asked once she was done.

Tina said she was, so Ruby told her to stay put and get some world experience while she and Trey took care of the move.

"We'll be in touch soon. they gave you coins yes?" she asked.

"No they did not!" Tina exclaimed.

"Then we will find you through crystal." Daniel said before the, umm connection? went dead.

"Great." Tina sarcastically said after static had issued from the speakers for about half a minute.

"Looks like you're stuck with us." Liz quietly observed.

"Tina sighed in agreement before making to remove Clefki.

No wait!" Sara called; sirching through the stations until she found Robin again.

"Robin?" she whispered.

When a response wasn't forthcomming, she tried again to no avail before angrily blowing out her breath; and a little bit of ice to.

"This sucks. We can hear, but can't speak to him." Sara said

"Speak to whom?" Maria's voice asked from just outside the car before she climbed in; politely displacing Sarah and tina in the process.

"Robin, the Pidgeot who was with us at the ranch." Sara explained as Tina put the CD of her day with Daniel back in the console.

"What all's in their?" Maria asked.

"I suppose, what ever you wish." Rotom offered.

"So if I were to wish to know if Robin left a message?" Maria asked before sticking her hand in and coming up with a CD.

"Wow!" she whispered as she insirted the CD.

Robin's breathing filled the speakers before he spoke.

"Okay guies, I'm not that great at dictating messages, but here goes.

First of all, my condolences on your gym loss. though I wasn't their in person, I was in spiret through my persona, and saw everything. sorry things went badly for you, but it wasn't all bad, as you seemed to have found a loophole that allowed Maria to befriend you.

That being said, try to make her a part of the team as much as possible, as This will most likely be her only chance to be a part of any team in her life."

From what I witnessed through my persona, it seems like you've; once again; stumbled upon an incredible friend, two of them, if Feara decides to stay."

Here, robin paused for a time; as if gathering his thoughts.

"Listen everyone," he began slowly, "I've excepted an assignment for the velvet crew that could keep me tied up for a considerable time, but I'll end up finding my bird self much quicker this way than any other, so it's worth the wrisk I'm taking.

I can't say what that assignment is here, but I'll be vary careful, and see you when I see you.

If I can't leave another message like this one," here he paused again, sighed, then made to speak again.

"I don't want to think like that, so I'll see you all later!" he said before falling silent again.

I thought he was done, but no effort was made to remove the cd.

After a time, robin sighed in resignation.

"Tell feara" he began, but couldn't seem to get the words out.

He seemed to be trying to work up the courage to say something, but eventually just sighed the words, Just forge" before the recording ended.

"Tell her what!" Sara cried, pressing play several times.

"That's sweet, he loves her." Maria said; removing the CD that vanished before it could be put back into its case.

"I didn't think bird affection worked that way." I said as we began to exit the strange car.

"He lived with humans most of his life yes?" Maria asked, folowing us after putting everything back where it belonged.

"He did, why?" Sara asked.

"It's simple. He's just feeling things the way humans do, and expressing them the same way as well." Maria explained as we headed to the exit back to Crystal's.

As we reached the velvet Pokémon center, I realized Liz wasn't with us.

I pointed this out, and Maria told me that Liz had ducked back into the car after we'd left.

She showed up a little breathless about a minute later, and asked Margaret if it was possible for her to drop Liz in and out of a specified location in a seven second interval; without any way for an observer to discern the method of entry or exit.

It's possible, provided you know the exact location, and if a door is nearby." Margaret confirmed; sounding more than a little cuirious.

Liz gave Margaret said location along with another she needed to be warped to afterword before talking kind of fast.

"One of you go back to Crystal's and bring Chris here. This place might be able to help him find his mom. I have something I need to finish regarding my previous trainer, so I'll see you guies later."

She then turned to Margaret and indicated she was ready.

I then saw how Margaret and Elizabeth got around as quickly as they did as Margaret made a door in thin air that Liz walked through.

Seven seconds later, a cupple of doors appeared; one that Liz came out of, and the other she went through; all at the exact same time.

As she did, a strange screaming sound echoed in the air, but only for about a second or so.

"Oh my." was Margaret's only response.

I realized that Liz had found a way to liborate her previous trainer from his vary controling Gardevoir by ariving and leaving without said Gardevoir being able to know about it.

I had a theory as to how this was done, but decided to let Liz fill us in later.

As to the other place Liz went, I thought it might be related, but again wanted Liz to tell us in her own time.

"Okay, so who's getting chris?" Sara asked.

"I will." Rotom said Happily before leaving to do just that.

Rotom returned a few minutes later with not just Chris, but Christina as well.

"Sorry, they're kind of joined at the hip." Rotom said as an apology.

"If it has to do with Chris, it has to do with me." Christina added.

Several minutes later, we were all in the car again with chris at the wheel and Christina beside him.

Sara explained to Chris how the radeo could link to things the operator wanted to hear, and Christina happily showed Chris how to work it.

soon enough, we were listening to a vary frustrated Pikachu arguing with some kind of official about how its size didn't immediately disqualify it from participating in some kind of tournament.

"Ms. Norma." the official began pointedly, and I knew our hunch was right.

"We at the Ferrum league respect your many years of service, and understand your need to keep participating in the sport you love. However, for reasons we can't understand, you've suddenly grown to large to be counted as a Pikachu worthy of participation in the Ferrum compatition.

We understand this is all you know, and deeply regret having to let you go, but rules are rules, and if we bend them to let you participate, things could get, complicated vary quickly, as we'll then have to let every abnormally-sized Pokémon participate, regardless of species."

Here he paused to collect his thoughts.

"We know you pine for your son Chris, and have wun many battles here in order to raise the necessary funds to find him."

Their was a pause before norma responded vary slowly.

"Let me guess. I have them?"

"You have more than you need, and we've issued you an account card that'll let you withdraw them anywhere in the world. That card is now in your room, so please go pack up, and good luck."

Norma turned to leave, but before she could open the door, the official spoke up again.

"Norma, we'll still help you out if we can, and if Chris wants to take part in the Ferrum league, he's got an open spot when ever he's ready."

Norma thanked the official, then left and began a vary long walk that ended in her sitting in a room softly crying.

"Poor girl lost everything." I said.

"No joke." Maria said solemly.

We then heard Norma find her bank card, exclaim at its monetary value, then make to leave.

Things got, more than a little weird, when she opened her bed room door.

Instead of the hallway she walked down to reach it, the door to her room now lead to a naborhood at night.

Norma exclaimed at the occurance, but walked through the door anyway.

As it closed, it must have disappeared, because Norma uttered a small "Huh?" before possibly looking around.

I heard a small female chuckle from Margaret, but couldn't place its source, and knew she'd arranged for Norma's transportation.

I didn't have long to wonder where Norma had been sent, because she was soon knocking on a door and speaking to Bella before the audio ended in static.

At this point, Christina turned the radeo off with an agrovated sigh, and I had a pretty good idea why.

"Bella not good with strangers?" Chris asked quietly.

"Depends on the stranger." Christina answered; reaching past him to open his door.

He and Christina jumped out of the car with the rest of us following behind soon after.

as we walked back through the Pokémon center, Margaret told us that she'd only given Norma a chance at finding us, and that we shouldn't expect many more favors like this.

We all thanked her, then walked through the velvet door back to Crystal's.

We arived just in time to hear Norma explaining her situation to Bella and Crystal as she was lead to the room where we'd just ended up.

Their; understandably; was a long pause as mother and son saw each other for the first time in years.

"Wow you're bigger!" they both said together.

"You're big like me." Crystal said at the same time, but to Norma.

"Ahuh, most likely do to the fact that I'm a threshholder." Norma responded as she nelt to get a better look at her son.

"Speaking of," she reflected.

"I'm Alolan, and you might be to." Chris explained.

"Huh. Maybe." Norma reflected.

"What do you mean?" Chris and I asked.

"See, I was taken from my original home, not to long after I was boarn, so I could be raised in the Ferrum traditions of, well, hand-to-hand fighting, so for all I know that place could have been Alola." Norma explained.

"So my dad?" Chris asked.

"Umm, your dad, is, not of our species." Norma said slowly.

"Oh? What is he then?" Chris asked.

"A Buneary." Norma whispered without inflection.

"What! That actually works?" Sara exclaimed.

"In this case, yes. Pikachu and Buneary are both rodents, so the pairing works." Rotom explained.

"Okay? So why didn't you stop him?" Chris asked.

"I didn't know any better. At that time I figured if we didn't look alike their wasn't an issue, and he was just playing around, well both of us were. By the time you popped out, it was a little to late to stop you, and I kind of wanted a child anyway so..." she trailed off, but Chris had more questions.

"So why did you leave me?" Chris asked; unsure if he should feel hurt or not.

"That's where things get, really weird." Norma began.

"You see both of us were playing in an open field as mother and child are want to do, when you suddenly disappeared. You didn't jump into bushes or run away from me you were just gone. I can't explain it in any other way other than to say that I was looking right at you. One second you were their, the next you were gone. Poof!" Norma explained before sitting down.

"No sound or anything?" Hope asked.

"That's right. After that the island was sirched, and I did keep an eye on all the trainer news outlets for several years for anything about a really fast Pikachu, but nothing." Norma finished.

We then filled her in on what had happened after she'd lost track of her son, his being taken in by a group of Pikachu, Liz's taking Chris under her wing and trying to repair the damage to his electric sacks, the both of them meating up with me, all that stuff.

"That, explains a lot." Norma finally concluded once we were done.

"It sure does." Crystal said.

"Excuse me, ms. Norma?" Sara asked.

"Yes Sara?" Norma offered as she nelt to be on Sara's level.

"What's, a, thresholder?" Sara asked

Norma; for some reason; didn't answer right away.

"It's a Pokémon that's past the threshold, of evolution." Crystal replied after waiting for norma to give one.

"That means I could be big like you? Oh boy oh boy!" Sara exclaimed; jumping up and down while letting out small blasts of water; almost in Norma's face.

Norma playfully blew the water back at Sarah before continuing.

"No, little Piplup... You'd, probably get to... maybe, one foot ten?"

"What? Really?" Sara asked; outraged.

"That's about right. Sorry." Rotom added.

"darn it! If I got big like both of you I'd be able to protect Hope." sara complained.

"Trust me. Being big, is not all it's cracked up to be." Hope said; also nealing down.

"Seconded." Norma and Crystal said together.

"So while we're on the subject, what's with you Crystal? You eluded to a transformation when we first met, but you seemed like you weren't willing to elaborate to much on it." I offered.

"I thresholded, but didn't know it. Once I found out what had happened, I tried the usual method of gaining experience through battling, but that didn't seem to help.

So, I left home and tried to find some older and wizer Marill that could at least shed light on my problem, though I didn't get to far when I heard about stone induced evolution for Pokémon like Pikachu.

I of course already knew that wouldn't work on me, but I got word of a study some human scientists were doing to see if evolution could be induced in thresholders like myself, and naturally applied.

To my surprise, I was excepted, and, well, to make a long story short, the results were, not exactly what was promised, but I made peace with my situation, and here I am."

"And you?" I asked in Norma's direction.

"It's much simpler. Ferum isn't near any thunder stone radiation, so naturally i wasn't exposed to it. To much time passed, I was fighting much bigger Pokémon than myself on a dayly basis, the dormant cells in my body activated and boom!"

At this point, she stood up, walked over to me, stood up straight, and said, "Pikachu." as if she were introducing herself in a somewhat bord way.

"So, the same thing happend to me?" Hope asked.

"Sort of. That Transform technique you used sped up the multiplication rate of the cells in your body, so you grew up so fast that you overshot your max height by a bit." Crystal explained.

"It's just as well. I'll be dead in six to eight months anyway." Hope replied.

At this, sara broke down into tears right their on the spot, and it was Norma that picked her up.

"So, seeing as I did find you..." Norma said in Chris' direction before handing something to Crystal.

"Huh? Why?" Crystal asked.

"You're his care-taker, so the money on that card is yours now." Norma explained.

"I'm not his care-taker." Crystal laughed as she handed the card back to Norma; who handed it to Bella.

"I'm not either." she said before handing the card back to its owner.

"Okay, Piplup? Where'd you come from?" Norma asked.

Sara told her, but I jumped in to say that Juniper wasn't my care-taker, just the person I got my starter Pokémon from.

I then let her know that she could give the money to me, as I'd most likely need it soon.

She thought about it, then asked if I'd mind her tagging along for a bit.

"Why not." I agreed before Crystal made to speak.

"Seeing as everyone is here right now, this is as good a time as any to make an anouncement.

She took a seat at this point, and we all did to.

"I've decided, that, my computing enterprise, has reached the point where I can just handle small things like OS updates and such and outsource most parts to other people."

She paused at this point; probably for objections.

"What happend to 'my OS,' 'My code." Bella asked.

"The OS and code are still mine, but realistically speaking, I can't afford to travel all around the world doing tech support stuff as I'd like."

"But what about training these people you'll be hiring?" Bethany asked.

"Bethany, even you could do tech support." Crystal suggested.

Before Bethany could object, Crystal continued.

"I'm not saying you should, just that Jule is so simple to use that even you could if you wanted to."

"So it'll be easy to teach people, but how are you going to screne these people?" Norma asked.

"I'm not, others are, and I'll just, kind of, filter them to get the best candidates. We've already had some success." Crystal offered.

"And you'll just supervise repairs and such remotely?" I asked.

"Ahuh. i've already made, and tested an app for that, and I can still do local support if need be." Crystal replied; with just a small bit of pride.

"Well, if you're okay with all this, I don't guess Bella and I have room to object." Bethany concluded after some thought.

Crystal seemed to process this, then made to speak again.

"So, all that out of the way, here are my thoughts.

This section of Unova is a simmi-remote island, and this 'house' we've managed to aquire has lots of unused space.

That being said, I'd like to try and use it to raise and protect Pokémon that trainers might consider raising as starter Pokémon, as we could do a service to endangered Pokémon this way."

"Like a professor!" Bethany exclaimed.

"No, not really, just a care-taker, but not focused on any specific region, so we could even take in Pokémon like Sara and Hope that have unique situations." Crystal explained.

"And we'd still keep our business?" Bella asked.

"Of course. We'll need lots of natural potions and the like for all those endangered Pokémon." Crystal answered.

"So double the volume huh?" Bethany asked in a low voice.

"Not exactly, but their will be an increase. Can the two of you handle that?" Crystal asked.

"If it helps Pokémon like Sara? Sure!" Bethany replied.

"All right, I'll get the paper work started." Crystal said before turning to me.

"Once we start our new life, I'm not sure how much time, or space, we'll have for you and your friends, but it'll take at least two weeks to get everything finalized, so you're welcome to stay until then." she said before going back into her office.

"Well, you know where we'll be for the next two weeks." I said in Norma's direction

"In reply, she handed me her card.

"So, how much is on here anyway?" I asked.

I cried aloud when she whispered it's amount in my ear.

"And you're just giving this much money to me?" I asked once I'd composed myself.

"I wun it fair and square, so it's mine to do with as I please. As long as you use it responsibly, I have no problem giving it to you." she afirmed.

I went over some of the things we'd most likely need the money for, food for myself and all the Pokémon, healing items for said Pokémon; curtacy of Bethany, training supplies and travel expenses.

I also explained Hope's situation and the first transportation arangements we had stimming from it.

Norma informed me that she'd given me more than enough money to arange transportation folowing our departure from the Mirical to wherever we needed to go, and I let her know that the help was vary much appreciated; provided that their wasn't a huge catch to all of it.

Her only quibble was that she be allowed to come along for a bit and get to know her son a little better, and I had absolutely no problem with that.

She let me know that; once she'd gotten what she wanted; she might even consider staying with a professor for a bit and use her gift of gab to help advance research on her species.

I told her that she was her own keeper, and; as such; she could do whatever she wanted with her life.

She thanked me for my understanding of her situation, but as she was doing that, she walked up to me and held out her hand.

She laughed as I shook it; telling me that she needed me to capture her so everything would be "legal with the league."

I was hesitant to comply with her request right away; seeing as Margaret had obviously intervened in Norma's search procedure, and a quick capture might raise questions in places where they shouldn't be raised.

I was trying to figure out how to explain this to Norma; and what to leave in and out, when Liz came through the front door.

Introductions were quickly exchanged, and Liz let us know that she had liborated her previous trainer from his vary controling Gardevoir; as I'd suspected.

"Is that why we heard screaming?" Sara asked

"Yes. That was the time shock taking effect." Liz replied.

"Time shock!" we all asked; except Norma.

"That's where a psychic Pokémon like Gardevoir becomes so reliant on its abilitty to see the future that in a sence, that's all it sees. If that state persists for long enough, it becomes possible for the Pokémon in question to be, essentially paralyzed if anything unexpected interrupts it, like Liz here." Norma explained; to our shock.

Our faces must have asked how she knew that information, because she quickly explained that she'd had a rivalry with a Gardevoir that had quicly turned to friendship when her unnatural size made itself known, and it was that Gardevoir who was originally going to help her escape before the officials intervened earlier that day.

"And durring your friendship, she told you about time shock?" Liz asked.

"Our conversations, got, a little off topic, okay a lot off topic, but we were both vary curious about each other, so, yeah." Norma finished laimly.

"So, what'd you do with the Gardevoir?" Sora asked.

"Dropped her off with her, umm, I guess you'd sort of call it her extended family? who have, basically grounded her for the foreseeable future." Liz explained.

"Sirves her right." I said quietly before adding, "And your previous trainer?"

"Back to normal." liz answered quickly.

"So you're free now?" Bella asked.

"As a bird." Liz answered happily.

"Speaking of..." Feara added.

"Don't worry. I haven't forgotten. As soon as Crystal gets the list ready we'll work on instaling your suggester." Liz replied.

We filled Norma in on everything that had happened to Chris, as well as my, umm, ups and downs; mostly downs.

She wasn't to hard on me; mearly pointing out that time moved just a little to fast for me to properly form and train a team, and by the time we were all done, Crystal made an appearance and informed Liz that she'd finally gotten the program ready for Feara.

I decided to let Liz work on Feara's problem as promised, while I tended to the rest of the team.

However, Norma; more or less; took charge at that point.

She seemed to have several connections with the Ferrum league that could get us a few good training partners for the next two weeks; as the league was currently in its off season.

I didn't see any problem with that; provided the Ferrum league was okay with it as well.

She then spoke with each member of the team, and; generally; figured out all stringths and weeknesses; battle related and otherwise.

After she did that, she took me aside, went over her plans, then asked me if it was okay if I'd let them go forward.

I told her that her plans were exactly the ones I would have made, only that she'd managed to take care of a lot of the backend work much faster than I could have.

She then got really close to me and whispered in my ear that she'd only go forward with said plans if I came clean regarding how she gotten their as fast as she did.

That wasn't a problem; seeing as I wanted to ask Margaret if we could somehow convert the velvet town into the velvet gym and use it for training purposes.

The Problem; it turned out, was that Margaret had broken a few, rules, in getting Norma to us as fast as she'd done it, and Igore; understandably; was, kind of mad.

"I was only trying to help." Margaret was saying as Norma and I enterd the velvet center.

"I know. You're heart is definatly in the right place, but think of the problems this will cause.

Norma never left the island through normal means, and, as far as I have come to understand it, the psychic Pokémon of this world couldn't have transported her so far in such a short time.

So you need to send her back."

Igore must have noticed us at that point, because he called us over to him.

After explaining to Norma about the velvet room and why he and his assistants were their in the first place, he drropped the bombshell.

"I know you were just looking for your son, and through Margaret's intervention you found him. Could you possibly look him up from Ferrum and arrange trabel acomidations to reach Crystal's? he asked.

Norma exhaled a thoughtfull breath before speaking.

"It might be possible, as I have a Gardevoir friend that was going to give me an escape route off the island, provided I knew where I was headed. If you get me back before I'm missed..."

She left the air open, and Igore went into action.

"Margaret, could you do that?" he asked.

"Defanatly." Margaret answered before a door appeared out of thin air.

I quickly gave Norma's card back to her, as she'd most likely need to use it to get back to us.

"I will find you again!" norma declared before stepping through and disappearing.

"Well, that's just great. She was going to arange for some of her friends to help out with training." I said quietly.

"And she still can, once she finds you again." Igore said.

"You really have that much faith in her?" I asked.

"I have faith in the glimps we gave her." Igore replied before turning away.

"So, what did you come here for." Margaret asked once Igore had gone.

"To see if we could convert the velvet room into some kind of training center.

Margaret laughed. "I don't see why not. Just say when." she teased.

"I'm not sure when that'll be, but I'll see you all later." I said before taking my leave.

A scream greeted Norma as she practically fell into her room.

(Where have you been!) her Gardevoir friend blasted into her mind.

Like most Gardevoir, she floated a few inches above the ground and didn't have the ability to speak directly using her vocal cords, though her mouth did move slightly as unintelligible sounds issued from her lyrics as if she was trying to figure out how speaking worked.

(I came back here to aquire about the escape plan and)

Gardevoir stopped talking and gave Norma a vary focused look.

(You really have been displaced!)

"Yes, I have. Though the being that did the displacing wasn't supposed to, so now I have to track Chris down somehow." Norma said with a defeated tone in her voice.

(You actually found your son!) Gardevoir almost shouted in Norma's head while simultaneously laughing out loud.

At the same time these two things were going on, she levitated even higher before settling back to her original orientation, almost like she was jumping into the air; or at least the gardevoir equivalent of it.

"Yeah but now i actually have to find him using real world methods." Norma said quietly.

Gardevoir blew out a vary long breath, while at the same time thinking, (I guess you'll have to use the computer.)

Norma blew out an equilly long breath while giving the computer in the room the evil eye.

She then sat herself down and; after a vary long time; found the power button and pressed it.

"I don't trust you." she growled at the machine as it booted up.

As if to underscore her mistrust, the screen soon displayed an error message indicating that a Juel OS upgrade had failed.

Norma wanted to scream, but settled for an electrical display instead.

Gardevoir hummed low in her throat.

"The upgrade for Juel OS, v62.55.6377.34336 has failed. Please press enter to start the troubleshooter or contact Crystal Brightstar LTD." Norma readb before letting out a scream of triumph.

"This is it, a way to reach the company!" she nearly screamed before seeing something and letting her face fall.

(What?) Gardevoir questioned.

"There's no phone number or anything."

(Well, I might not know about computers, but it would stand to reason that she'd have information somewhere. perhaps if we finished the upgrade?) Gardevoir suggested.

In response to Gardevoir's suggestion, Norma nervously pressed enter.

"Internet, connection settings?" Norma asked.

(Don't look at me.)

"I wasn't." Norma laughed.

"It's got a bunch of weird stuff here. Maybe I just press ok and see what happens?" Norma asked before doing it.

The screen whent black for a moment before saying that the connection was successfull, and an upgrade progress bar started at 79 percent complete.

"Down load?" Norma asked.

(Isn't that Crystal's number?)

Norma gasped, then ran across the room and retrieved paper and pen from her desc.

After she wrote down the number, she picked up the nearby phone and diled it in.

"Juel tec support." A glum Crystal answered.

"Crystal! It's Norma!"

"Maa, rill, Norma? So soon? Why are you calling on the tec support line?"

"I actually have a Juel issue here, and it was also the fastest way to reach you."

Norma and Crystal then worked out the issue, and soon the computer was working perfectly.

"So, how are you getting back here." Crystal asked quietly aftre the issue was solved.

"I'm still working on it, but I'll see you all soon." Norma said before hanging up.

(So, how are you getting there?) Gardevoir asked.

"I wish I knew." Norma asked; blushing a little.

(Well I know of a way, but you aren't going to like it.)

Michael's POV

"I don't understand the point of this." Sarah said; addressing Christina.

The three of us were sitting together on one of Crystal's couches, and I had the duty of holding a cup.

"We, need, to make sure, your water, is pure." Christina explained.

"That's a problem?" Sarah asked, and I couldn't tell if she was upset or just plain dumstruck.

"Yeah it could be, downl the line."

Sarah sighed. "I can't believe I'm using watergun into a cup."

But she did anyway; charging up just like I'd heard her do in battle.

A loud banging sound startled all of us, and Sarah's watergun attack filled the cup to the brim as a result.

"Wow all the way to the brim!" I said just as the door bell rang.

"How do you know?" Sarah asked.

"The pitch of the sound of liquid filling a cup or glass rizes as the container gets fuller." Christina and I explained in perfect sync.

"I got it!" Hope yelled; in regards to the door bell.

"Okay, time to taste it?" Sarah offered.

"Might as well." Christina said; taking the cup.

"Norma? What happend!" Hope's voice called, and the cup was forgotten; for the moment.

"Norma." I muttered; dumstruck; as I followed Hope's voice to the front door.

"Mom?" Chris asked; ariving shortly before us.

"How'd you, oh boy, come sit down." Maria sort of exclaimed.

She and Hope then guided Norma back to the same couch I'd just vacated, and Sarah opted to sit in my lap in order that Norma might sit in comfort.

"Here, drink this." Christina offered, and I heard Norma take the cup and drink.

"Wow! So refreshing. Any of you know what water survice Crystal subscribes to?" Norma asked.

"Uh, me!" Sarah said indignantly.

"Oh! You must be well on your way to ice beam status then." Norma observed.

"Sure, I guess." Sarah remarked, and I could tell that she'd been caught off gard by Norma's praze.

"How'd you get here so fast?" chris inquired.

Norma took her time finishing the water before she made to speak.

"Everyone? If you're ever in a situation where you're offered a spiret chain, say no most infatically as many times as it takes until the offer is rescinded."

"You're okay right?" Chris asked; just before their was a loud bang from outside.

"Oh no." Norma groaned; trying to rize but not appearing able to.

"Oh no Mom you're staying put." Chris ordered as Hope and Maria ran for the door again.

It wasn't long before Maria was running back and banging on Crystal's door calling for Liz.

"What!" Liz cried; slamming out of the room.

"There's a Gardevoir in a bad way on the front porch." Maria breathed.

"She's my friend remember?" Norma called.

"How'd you two get here?" Liz asked; making her way to the front door.

"Spiret chain." Hope supplied.

Liz said something colorful as she supposedly laid eyes on the new arival.

A short pause later, she swore again before; sort of bruskly; asking for help getting the other Gardevoir in the house before she woke up.

Needless to say, we did it, but it wasn't easy, as I'd never carried a person before.

Maria seemingly had, because; with Liz's help, we got the other gardevoir settled.

Liz?" I asked as we tucked Gardevoir in.

"Hmmm?" she answered in a distracted way.

I thought Gardevoir didn't have functioning hands."

"Yes that's true,, but only because most of us never attempt to use our hands, or legs for that matter." Liz explained.

Just then, the Gardevoir awoke, and started sobbing.

"Sobbing? That is, good, right? Tina asked.

"Well? I'm not actually sure." Liz said; throwing herself down on the couch where I'd been sitting with sarah.

"She's experiencing sensory depravation like I did back at Alder's, remember?" Liz explained.

"Yes but it didn't effect you other than disabling your powers as I recall." I replied; settling in next to her.

"That's because I've trained myself to deal with it." Liz added as Norma came over and stood over gardevoir.

"So she'll, reactivate? eventually?"

"Eventually being the operative word." Liz said as Feara came to join in the proceedings.

"She looks," She began; coming to stand by me.

Feara moved one of her wings around with a sigh before continuing, "Kind of like you."

I noticed she was pointing in Liz's direction as she spoke.

"She's a regular gardevoir, and I, chose to follow the non-psychic path." was Liz's response.

Non, Psychic?" Tina asked.

Liz brought Tina up to speed on everything she'd already told us.

Tina seemed; for the most part; to understand what Liz was saying, though she did ask if her own psychic powers could be improved with Liz's help.

Liz agreed to attempt to teach her along with Chris, but made both of them promise that she couldn't be held responsible if results were less than favorable.

Both of them agreed rather enthusiastically, and it was at that point that gardevoir decided it was time to really come awake.

Several things happened at once.

Norma was; of course; relieved, but I expected that.

Gardevoir sat up with a start and an audibel kind of loud scream/gasp, while at the same time she asked us how long she'd been out, and if she'd missed anything, with her mind.

After we asured her she'd only ben out a few minutes, and that nothing of note happend during them, she first turned her attention to liz; criticizing her improper dress and lack of psychic output.

Liz must have explained everything psychicly, because Gardevoir next turned to Feara and asked what Liz was preparing to do to her.

This time, Liz explained Feara's problem; and her planned solution; aloud so all of us could hear.

I thought it was a vary logically thought out plan, but Gardevoir had other ideas.

She first explained that bird minds opporated vary differently from human minds, and that Liz's plan, while well thought out; was doomed to failure.

She also explained that the forced insertion of human ideas wouldn't work out well for Feara in the long term, and that the true solution was to fix Feara's problem rather than try to circumvent it.

Aftore all of that, she proposed the idea of a mind walk; something I'd never heard of, but Liz objected to the idea of me going inside Feara's brane.

Gardevoir explained that she'd need another Gardevoir to help her, so liz needed to stay behind, but that it didn't really matter who went, so long as Feara trusted them.

Feara asked if two people could come, and Gardevoir explained that the recommended number was two, and that was also the maximum due to how the procedure operated.

"Two people that I trust." feara said quietly.

Liz came over to stand by me and let me know in no uncertain terms that she wasn't okay with the arangement, but that if I wanted to go through with it, she had no power to stop me.

Gardevoir explained that Liz had already prepared Feara's mind to except input from her, so Liz would be the one carying out the procedure.

That made all of us feel better, but Liz became vary nurvous.

(Don't worry. I'll be directing you.) gardevoir added.

"You mean controling me." Liz said darkly.

(No. You'll be doing everything with your considerable powers. I'll just be nudging you in the proper direction, and providing support with my powers should the need arise)

This made Liz feel better, though she still gave a nurvous sigh.

"Are we doing this then?" Feara asked.

"Looks like it." Liz said; sitting down next to me.

"Then I choose Raa, Rah, YOU!" feara finally shouted.

"I see why you need to get that fixed." Norma joked as Rotom came to stand by me as well.

"Why me?" he asked quietly.

"I have reasons." was Feara's terse response.

"I'll need a little more than that." Rotom said gently.

Feara threw up her wings before responding.

"Just come! If things are like I think, then you'll knaa, understand."

(You aren't in any danger. If things have even a remote chance of going wrong we'll have you out of there in a flash.) Gardevoir told us.

I could tell Rotom still had reservations, but he just sighed in Gardevoir's derection before asking for details.

"Basically, Bethany and I are going to put both of you to sleep, and when you wake up, you'll be in Feara's mind." Bella explained.

(You've done this before?)

"No gardevoir, not this exact procedure, but one kind of like it." Bella explained before leaving the room.

"Will I be asleep to?" Feara asked.

(No. We'll need you awake so you don't dream.)

"Gardevoir, why would that matter?"

(Feara, the dreaming mind is an extremely unpredictable place. Who knows what'll manifest, and it'll be enough of an ordeal for Michael and Rotom to traverse your waking mind as it is.)

"I see." Feara agreed as Bella returned with something that sounded sort of heavy.

"Sleep powder." Was Bella's only explanation as she set the jar down on a table.

"My, sleep powder." Bethany emphasized.

"Should I be honored?" I asked with a grin as Crystal came behind me and slipped something over my head.

"If you want." Bethany responded.

"All right." Crystal began.

"Here's how things are 'gunna work. Rotom, go ahead and sit in Michael's lap."

He did so without any argument, and Bella put something over his head as well.

"We'll start pumping sleep powder into those masks. We won't stop until it's time for you two to wake up.

Feara, you get a mask as well, but you're 'gunna be kept awake rather than asleep." Crystal explained.

Bella was hooking some kind of machine up to our masks as Crystal spoke.

"This'll be vary sudden." Bella said as she took her place next to Liz.

"I'll be helping out to, so please relax." bella added before everything got vary quiet.

"Night night." Bethany sang.

Their was a click, a soft woosh, and I knew no more.