Seeking an Ally

Pokémon were the cornerstone of this world. Humans and Pokémon grew and evolved together as two different species. There's references and theories on how humans used to be Pokémon or how the creation Pokémon made everyone in his image, but if that were true, none of the power that's associated with Pokémon follow into humanity.

Humans are smart. They're resourceful. They can help a Pokémon reach its full potential just by bonding and training.

Pokémon are powerful. They hold the ability to destroy regions, raze towns and annihilate civilizations. They can be rabid dogs, intent on mad killing, or they can be benevolent, graceful in their nature. They can become strong under guidance of a trainer, and become beholden to them.

With the creation of the pokeball and the storage system came a power over Pokémon that humanity perfected. By creating a prison for them, whether called that or not, they have started their first step to dominating Pokémon. And Pokémon let them.

Nowhere does Sabo find evidence of humans with strength that rivals his own. No human here can learn Haki, or eat devil fruits, and become strong enough to tear down mountains. The power that Sabo has, like many others in his world, is only found in Pokémon.

From the videos he watches, Sabo can only guess that he could grow to par with the elite here. He watches a swampert, some weird mudfish Pokémon, stop a mudslide about to destroy a town. A strange blue and red dragon, a salamance, launches a beam into a mountain, destroying the top.

He's limited by what the rotom phone can show him, only seeing entertainment and science media. The phone comes with a guide, and the small creature inside of it, probably called a rotom, assists Sabo with searching for information on Pokémon. The feature to learn more about the pokemon inhabiting this strange device is locked, explained as a mechanism to ward off stealing the pokemon within, which makes sense. He has a suspicion that the phones are a new commodity, and that it's not rare to acquire one.

The blonde remembers, almost too late, that this is a loaner. It wouldn't do for him to ask for suspicious topics, like dimensions or the like. However, the device is useful and Sabo quickly decides he'll acquire a new one when he has money.

Money is called pokedollars here, a currency like belli except it can be electronic or paper bills. Money can be earned with working at jobs, or by battling other trainers and winning it, among other things. It'll be hard to steal money, as the world is slowly but steadily moving towards electronic currency.

The quickest, and most probably the avenue Sabo will take, way to make money is to battle your peers, or to take the gym challenge. Sabo learns that gyms are like a security force and government in one. The one with the strongest Pokémon is at the top, and those who train to be like them are part of their clique.

Each region, because the map has continents, not small islands, has a league that governs. The league is led by the champion, a strong Pokémon trainer that has won the title through battle. Below them is a council of elite, a table of four who help govern the region and protect those who do not wish to fight. They lead the towns and cities. Most towns have a gym leader, who is appointed by the league and keeps the peace. They protect the towns and surrounding areas from gangs and villains, terrorists and outraged Pokémon. They have with them a following of trainers, who are employed by the league and the leaders to help protect people.

Officer Jenny, which is actually a title and a family name, takes care of town business, making sure small crimes and issues are handled. They lead a police force and are the ones who decide if the gyms need to help them.

Nurse Joy, another family of women, are all entrusted with the Pokémon centers, always helping Pokémon and humans alike. They are a healing force, and a network of information and hospitality. They're open to the public and report to the police and gyms as needed.

The cohesion in each town is dependent on this trio. They keep the checks and balances to sway against corruption, and it's worked for hundreds of years.

The way this world does it's business is astounding, and something Sabo can't wrap his head around. Here, the world is at a peace that he doesn't understand, with some uprising here or there. There are groups in each region that try to take and the league in each one stops them.

There is bloodshed, but there is no thousand year war for power.

Sabo stops his research for the night, noticing the rotoms sleepy noise and how it's almost one in the morning. He has a thriving headache behind his eyes, and knows that if he doesn't stop now, he will regret it in the morning. He hasn't recovered, the constant aches from a sea tearing into him present, and a fever that presents his memories in a turbulent hum. The information he's gathered is enough for now, he can spend time to recover.

If he's to gather money, the way he wants to, he will need a Pokémon. He won't be able to leave the town otherwise, as it's one of the well known laws in, at least, this region. Too many stories found of children and adults found dead in the wild, wandering too far out. Stories of humans who venture too far into the wild, their Pokémon becoming overwhelmed.

Setting the phone on the bedside table, Sabo sets in for the night. He hopes to dream good dreams, of strawhats and cowboys, of treehouses and tigers, of happier and peaceful times.

His brothers.

The next morning finds Sabo awake and satisfyingly full, as Nurse Joy has taken into account his monstrous appetite and fed him accordingly. He surfs the apps on his charged rotom phone, wanting to learn more but also curious about the other features. A knock sounds on his door, and it opens to reveal Officer Jenny and two new women.

The first was a dark-skinned woman, with black hair and blue highlights. She wore, what looks to be, a swimsuit with little floaties attached to her shoes. The next woman was a brown-haired woman, wearing a similar color style as the other, but with a tracksuit mostly covering the suit.

"Sabo," the officer says while they file in, "I would like to introduce you to some people. This woman," she gestures to the dark-skinned woman, "Is the gym leader in charge of this city, Nessa. This next person," she points to the other woman, who waves with a grin, "is Leah, also a part of the gym here. They'll be in charge of getting you acquainted with what you've forgotten."

Nessa steps forward, nodding to the officer, "Thank you, Jen. We'll take it from here."

Jenny stands at attention, smiling to Sabo before turning on her heels and walking out. Leah bounces forward, shooting out her hand to give Sabo a vigorous handshake.

"It's nice ta meet 'cha, Sabo!" The bubbly woman says, "I hope we get along well!"

Sabo smiles uncertainly at the woman, "It's nice to meet you too? I didn't think I was important enough for the gym leader herself to come talk to me?"

Nessa crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "You shipwrecked into my town, and thought we wouldn't care?"

Sabo could only guess that this sort of thing didn't happen often for them, "I kinda figured gym leaders would be busy?"

"Not that busy."

Sabo sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. At least them knowing he's amnesiatic gives him leeway to say stupid stuff like that.

"Anyways!" Leah grabbed a chair nearby and dragged it to the bed, sitting down in it and leaning forward, "You should already know about the gym assigning you a mentor to get you resituated with living on your own."

The blond nodded in acknowledgement.

"That'd be me!" Leah said, "I'll be your mentor and helpin' you catch your first Pokémon. We're gonna make sure that you can try to reclaim your old life independently, and all that."

Nessa nodded along, "We'll also be evaluating your personality and abilities separately. While we want you to be on your own feet and find yourself, we also have to make sure that the Pokémon you'll have will be easily taken care of. Some pokemon are too unruly for beginners to handle off the bat, and some are too pacified for some people's personalities. It'll be a journey, but we'll get there."

"Yea, but for right now, we're gonna make sure you have essential things!" Leah rocked on her heels while she said this, making a show of twirling and pointing at the door, "So let's go shopping!"

"The gym will be covering your expenses until you get a pokemon. It's covered by the league for certain emergency situations, like this," Nessa explained, "Joy said you should be good to get up and move around, so come on."

Sabo made his way out of the bed, making sure to grab his hat and coat from the table. He followed them out of the center, discreetly watching as they passed by different pokemon. He reached out with his observation haki, taking in the strength differences between the humans and the pokemon that followed them. He could tell that if the little sprout pokemon wanted to, it could cause havoc among the kids it was playing with. He deigned to ignore it, but kept his guard up as the trio traveled.

The shopping trip lasted all day, and overwhelmed Sabo with the new variances to items he could find in his world. The food was vastly different, as the meats and vegetables of the world were different. Leah was adamant that he get a trainer bag, a bag provided for traveling trainers with storage much like the Pokemon PC storage. The bags could store large items, like tents and sleeping bags. It was very interesting technology for Sabo, who is used to what the Grand Line offers in leather bags and storage sheds on ships.

His trainer bag is a brown leather side satchel bag, big but small enough to be hidden under his coat. It's got a dark blue pokeball logo on the flap, and the metal hinges accented it nicely. Sabo also purchased some "essentials", as Leah called it, like a red sleeping bag, some camping sets, a small packaged tent and some extra clothes. Sabo tended to stick to what he knew, white button ups and dark traveling pants that were durable. He couldn't find any coats like his, and apparently his boots were durable enough to survive the trip here, only being a little waterlogged. He also picked up some notebooks and writing utensils, intent on jotting down any notes he can, and to journal every experience while he's here.

Now, as he heads back to the pokemon center with his mentor, he thinks he's ready to start his journey to getting home.

Shadows quiver as something other uses them to travel. They're close, they can feel it. This ominous void that they could feel from their home, from the ruins in the wild. They weren't the only one that felt this presence, the others could feel it as well. However, they were the only one to escape from the storm that attacked them, the only one quick enough to escape to the human city nearby.

And now, they are so close. They can feel the void closer now, in this dwelling of water. Where the ocean beats down on the coast, causing the coastline to become rocky and unforgiving.

They'll find this tantalizing distortion that has crossed into this plane. They must find it. They can feel it down to the ends of their atoms, to the gastly apparitions that they pass as they travel.

This is important.

The next week is exhausting for Sabo, as the mental strain of learning all the topics that Leah deemed necessary start to blend together. Everything from pokemon types to battle strategies to pokemon breeding to care, she made sure to cram it into his head. He had so many notes on the lessons he learned about, he had to buy more notebooks to write down notes to himself. When he could, he would wander off to give his brain a break, only for Leah to find him again and drag him back to the gym. She was almost as tenacious as Koala, and that's saying something.

Leah had mentioned that what she's teaching him are things that normal trainers would learn later on in their career, as they challenged more gyms and such. However, since he's starting so late, she wanted to make sure he got all the knowledge he needed to succeed after leaving Hulberry. Sabo's pretty sure she's just trying to slowly kill him with information.

Soon enough, he was allowed to interact with more pokemon. He did mock battle and care routines for the pokemon at the pokemon center. He found that pokemon battles were cool, tasting the thrill of victory that came when he won a match the first time. And caring for pokemon of different types was interesting, as different pokemon required different routines. He found water pokemon to be playful and sweet, and great battlers in the water. The ice pokemon were cuddly and cool most times, allowing him to groom them when their icicles got too thick for them. And they were vicious in battle, much like the fire types that he'd seen. Fire types required special considerations, as some of them could become seriously ill if anything to do with their flames were threatened.

Sabo learned a lot, and he's kinda grateful for Leah. She was able to help him with anything he needed, and answered any and every question he asked. And made sure he kept on task.

Now, he's taking a sanctioned break from studying, with his boots off and feet in the water near the docks. It was a nice, closed off area that he found, perfect for relaxation. The ocean breeze was nice, and the sun wasn't too blazing. It reminded him of some of the ports on the Grand Line that he liked, and like Goa Island. It was nice and peaceful, a break from the overwhelming reality of his situation that he would revisit at a later time.

Suddenly, his senses flared, like an alarm. Something pinged on his haki, quick and full of intent. Darting in and out of alleyways, using shadows to come to a certain spot in the town. Coming straight to him.

Sabo leapt to his feet, body ready to fight off this presence that darts around the corner, haki at the ready to defend against-

Nothing.

Nothing turns the corner, like Sabo's haki is telling him, and he's on guard. He's spent enough time as a revolutionary to know to trust his haki more than his eyes, that no matter what world, things are not as they seem. He senses the presence dart to the shadow before creeping closer to him.

"Show yourself, before you come closer," Sabo commands, "I can sense you, so don't think that being invisible will help you here."

The presence pauses as it hears him, before moving to and fro, thinking. It must come to a decision, because the next moment, where the presence is, a being appears. It looks like a mini grim reaper, with a grey robe on it, and a bone mask on its face. One eye darts between the two holes on the mask, studying Sabo. He recognizes this as a pokemon, a type of pokemon that he's been warned of.

A ghost pokemon.

Leah had described ghost pokemon as specters that no one knows much about. They appear in certain circumstances, some as violent appartations and others as mischievous revenants. They're dangerous, they're sadistic, they prey on children, on women, on men, on the wanders, on the lost. Only some experienced trainers could handle ghosts, as having one opens a person up to the horrors and dissonance that they resonate.

Sabo is on guard instantly. He's unsure that he'll be able to fight this pokemon, unsure that his haki will be able to assist him here. He's confused, as ghosts usually stay away from populated towns, preferring to wander old ruins, graveyards, old forests, as such.

The ghost starts to bob in the air, floating closer to the blonde. Sabo watches warily as it looks him up and down before twirling in the air and croons out. It stops in the air in front of him, giving out a questioning sound. Sabo hesitantly reaches out a hand, and is rewarded with the robe-like hand poking his outstretched hand and crooning in delight. Sabo starts to feel confusion as the pokemon starts darting around him, looking at something on him and poking him and his shadow.

"I guess you're a friendly ghost?" Sabo questions.

The pokemon looks up at him when he speaks before nodding at him, delighted that Sabo is talking to him. Sabo laughs awkwardly as the ghost darts into his bag. He opens it, and watches as the ghost pulls out a premier ball that he got as a bonus for the pokeballs he bought. Leah said it was an event pokeball that some people get at watches dumbfoundedly as the ghost pokes the button on the front of the pokeball and captures itself. The ball dings twice before it stops and signals a capture.

"What the fuck was that?" Sabo questions as he picks the ball up. It minimizes as he picks it up, and Sabo spends a good few minutes going over what the hell just happened before deciding that it was time to go.

He quickly grabs his boots, rolling on his socks and putting the shoes on and starts briskly walking to the gym. At this time, Leah should be training at the Hulbury Gym. Hopefully, this encounter could be explained by her, or Nessa.

"This is strange," mused Leah, eyeing the white pokeball on the counter.

Sabo had just finished explaining the encounter, making sure to leave out the bits about his haki. Leah had taken a moment to process what he said before answering. A tan muscled man, a few good inches taller than Sabo hummed in thought. Sabo had caught Leah training with another gym trainer, Brendon.

"I don't really know a lot about ghost pokemon," he lamented, "But I do know some are strange with trainers they deem as their companions."

"Companions?"

"M'yea," Leah answered, "It's why ghost pokemon are kind of hit or miss. They have to find their trainer worthy, up to their standards," She pointed at the pokeball, "This ghost must have seen you as someone who would either entertain it or as someone worthy to follow."

Sabo wonders what he could've done to possibly give this ghost that impression when he'd never seen it before. He hadn't had time to prove himself to anyone but the gym, and the ghost definitely wasn't in the city before now.

"Doesn't matter which it is," Brendon tacked on, "You now have a ghost pokemon. Even if you release it in the wild, ghost pokemon are pretty persistent. They'd hunt you down until you say yes to them being with you."

"Or kill you for the audacity to deny them," Leah finished.

"Well, one thing is certainly clear," Nessa, who had been listening from the doorway, said, "You'll probably want to talk to Allister at some point if you're going to train it."

Allister, the ghost gym leader. Sabo had heard that he was a young boy, who specialized in ghosts, as he found them easier to deal with than people. His higher ranked pokemon, which he uses during champion battles, are known to be terrible beasts in a fight.

"What pokemon is it, anyways?" Brendon asked, looking back at Sabo.

The blonde shrugged, "It looked like some grim reaper pokemon."

Nessa looked sharply at Leah, who guiltily giggled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Whoops, I guess I forgot to show you how the pokedex works. If you point your rotom phone at a pokemon, or pokeball in this case, with the pokedex app on, it'll tell you the pokemon you're looking at. If it's a captured pokemon, it'll give you more detailed information."

Sabo stared at her with wide eyes before pulling out said device. He quickly pointed it at the pokeball and it chimed back with an answer.

"Duskull, the Requiem Pokemon.Duskull can pass through any wall no matter how thick it may be. Once this Pokémon chooses a target, it will doggedly pursue the intended victim until the break of dawn. This pokemon is male, with the ability Levitate. This pokemon knows the moves Astonish, Leer, Disable, Shadow Sneak and Confuse Ray."

Nessa whistled after, "Duskull are some of the more docile ghosts you're gonna find. It's strange that one found you in the middle of the city, as they tend to stick to the Watchtower Ruins. You're lucky that it's a duskull and not a gastly, or god forbid a shuppet."

Sabo guessed those pokemon were the ones to give ghosts a bad reputation. He admittedly didn't know much about them, but would probably look more up about them after this. Wait-

"You're letting me keep him?"

"Well, you were at the end of what I could cram into your head," Leah shrugged, "We were gonna start talking about what pokemon starters we could start looking into tomorrow, but since one found you, I guess we don't need to do that."

Sabo found some boyish part of him becoming excited. This must be what kids felt like when they received their starters. He looked at the pokeball that now held his new friend, who apparently went outside his usual haunts to find him.

"Well, I guess now's a good a time as any to meet your new pokemon," Brendon said, tossing the pokeball to Sabo, "Since we're here, hopefully we can subdue him if he turns out to be aggressive."

Sabo caught the pokeball, eyeing the strange blue blob that joined Nessa. It let out a long drawl of its name before saluting at him.

"Quagsire is just here in case," Nessa answered the unspoken question, "Go ahead and release your pokemon."

Sabo relented, pressing the release on the ball and watching the rainbow light that released the duskull. The ghost pokemon shook his head, as if to get rid of the brightness, before looking around the room. He curiously looked at the ensemble of people and pokemon in front of him before catching Sabo's eyes. The red eye became a slit as he threw his arms up and cooed in happiness. The pokemon floated around Sabo before stopping in front of him and tapping his forehead. Sabo went cross eyed, startled, before doing the same to the pokemon. The duskull was even more delighted by the reciprocation, dancing happily in the air.

"I guess he likes you?" Leah observed with wonder. Brendon nodded along with her, both dumbfounded by the cheery nature of this ghost.

"So, you really like me?" Asked Sabo. The ghost nodded. He pointed at Sabo and then at himself before pointing at the ceiling. Sabo smiled at the display, "I have no idea what you're trying to say."

The duskull looked sad at that, before perking up and cooing at Sabo. Then he looked at the only other pokemon there and started speaking to it. The quagsire listened to the other, nodding along and smiling widely.

"Quaaaaaag," the water pokemon happily let out.

Nessa chuckled, "I guess duskull's convinced Quagsire that he really wants to stay with you."

Sabo looked, wide-eyed, at the ghost in front of him before smiling, "I'd love to have you as my first pokemon, duskull!"

The small ghost cheered out, circling it's new trainer in joy. Sabo laughed a little at the display, enjoying the cheer from his new companion. Hopefully, he thought, this'll put me closer.

"Well, you're not ready to leave juust yet," Leah sang out, "I still want you to stay for a couple of days so we can get a feel for you and your new buddy's temperaments. And so I'm sure you won't leave and immediately lose a battle."

Sabo felt an ominous feeling as he looked at Leah's grin. There went his relaxing day.

That night, Leah felt comfortable enough to allow duskull and Sabo to spend the night together. As Sabo got ready for bed, he had a sudden thought.

"Ya know," He started, turning to the ghost, "I heard some trainers give their pokemon nicknames. It must be weird for me to be calling you by your species name all the time. Do you want one?"

The little ghost took a minute to process this and then bounced excitedly before hugging Sabo's face. Sabo laughed at the sight, peeling his pokemon off his face.

"I guess that's a yes?"

Sabo and duskull sat on the bed, both deep in thought.

"Hmmmmm," Sabo thought long and hard, "Names are hard. Koala would be better at giving you a good name. I just need to channel her and not Ace or Luffy."

Duskull looked curiously at Sabo, wondering about the names he was learning. He watched as Sabo frowned in thought, forehead turning red before he came to a conclusion.

"Ghostie!" he said, pointing at the ghost.

Duskull crossed his arms in front of himself, making an x and making a noise of disagreement. No way was that going to be his name. It kept going like that, as Sabo kept coming up with more outrageous names and duskull denying it.

"Well, what do you want? You want to be named something dark and ominous, like Diablo or something?" Sabo said, exasperated.

Duskull perked up at the comment, pointing at Sabo and nodding.

"You... like the name Diablo?"

The newly named Diablo nods in agreement, twirling in delight. Sabo guessed that was a good name, and if he liked it, then that's fine.

"Diablo is another way to say devil where I'm from," Sabo tells him, "If you're alright with being a devil, then I think we'll get along just right."

Diablo looks at him curiously. Sabo chuckles, noticing the look. He thinks about how this is his first pokemon, the one who he's supposed to trust to fight for him. While Sabo doubts he really needs Diablo to fight for him, he does want to make sure his pokemon knows what to expect while they're with him. To make sure they understand before they commit. Plus, Diablo came looking for him. While in humans, that may be quite suspicious, Sabo didn't see any reason to be wary of a ghost that danced all the time.

"Well, two of my brothers are known to be children of devils," He explains, "Even though they didn't do anything, because of who their fathers are, everyone thinks they're evil incarnate. When that couldn't be further from the truth! Luffy is a bundle of sunshine, wrapped in stupidity. And Ace is so loyal and protective, hotblooded and reliable- but, god, is he stubborn."

Sabo grins as he talks, happy to be talking about his brothers, before he frowns, "I miss them."

He thinks about Ace, the older boy who was spiteful about other's views to his existence, who carried with him a darkness that he shouldn't have. The hasty and temperamental boy who was kind to himself and his baby brother, who's only sin was being born to a man who was hated by the world. He thinks about Luffy, his precious dumb baby brother, so oblivious to the world but perceptive when it came down to it. Who, he now realizes, is related to Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army.

Diablo pokes him gently on his arm with a questioning coo. Sabo stares at him for a moment with faraway eyes before focusing on the ghost in front of him. Something tells him it's important that Diablo knows; that normally where he is wary, he shouldn't be now.

"I may as well tell you about me, since being with me means you'll have to know eventually," Sabo wipes his face before beginning his explanation, "I don't plan to tell anyone but the pokemon that choose to travel with me, but I don't have amnesia...not anymore at least."

Diablo looks at him in surprise. When he came to the pokemon center, the other center pokemon told him that his trainer was found at the beach with amnesia. He said not anymore, so did he have amnesia when he first got here?

"I left my parent's place when I was really young. It felt suffocating and oppressing to live with them and their kind. They were the highest class you could get on the island and they were horrible people for it. After I left, I found two brothers. I already mentioned them; Ace and Luffy. We lived together, before my accident," Sabo waved towards his scar, "A boating accident where someone shot my boat and I got badly burned and suffered head trauma. I was picked up by a ship and when I woke up, I didn't remember anything."

Sabo thinks back to his time after his accident, when he was confused and felt alone. Remembered having to pick up the pieces of his identity, with no idea if that's who he truly was or not. With only the feeling of never wanting to go back as his only guiding star, he pushed himself into his studies under the revolutionaries. It was only after meeting Koala, he felt like he had truly made a connection, something to move his whitewashed life forward.

"For a long time, I lived with the dream of liberating the world of people like my parents, nobles who don't care about anyone but themselves. I met my best friend, and together, we did any mission we were sent out on. Until I went on a solo mission, to find out what weapon the government had created to further control people. And that weapon was your world.

"I came from a different world than this one. There, Pokemon don't exist. My world has people who are as strong as pokemon are here, and my government wanted to use pokemon to subdue people they didn't like. When I found out what they were planning, I destroyed the device that they were making. In doing so, I found myself here."

Diablo looks down at the bed for a moment before letting out a questioning noise, pointing at Sabo's head. Sabo smiled, understanding the question.

"When I woke up here, I suddenly remembered everything I forgot. I remembered my brothers and decided that I needed to find a way home. Which is why I'm telling you this. You chose me for some reason, and I want to make sure you understand what it would mean to be my pokemon. I'm not aiming to be the best or to compete, I'm going to find a way home. And if you still want to travel with me, until we part ways, I'll do my best to train you."

While he spoke, Diablo tilted his head in thought. He could sense it, the dark aura that surrounded the human in front of him. Now he knows how he got it, and that made it all the more attractive to the ghost. That, along with the unusual circumstance of Sabo's existence was enough for the ghost to nod in agreement. He would stay with the blonde until he got home. It sounded like it would be an adventure. Diablo pointed towards himself and then to Sabo, trying to convey his meaning.

"Are you saying you'll help me get home?"

Diablo nodded enthusiastically and then pointed out the window. He was insistent, making exaggerated motions towards the outside of town.

"You want to take me somewhere?" Sabo questioned, wary.

Diablo nodded, before pointing at himself and waving his arms widely.

"But not until you're...bigger? Stronger?"

Pointing at Sabo, Diablo nodded, pleased. It wouldn't do if he took his new human to where he intended and Diablo couldn't protect him. After all, he was the blonde's only protection.

Sabo laughed at the ghost, "To be honest, I'm pretty strong myself. We can fight later if you want, see how I fare against pokemon and vice versa. How about it?"

Diablo gave an interested noise before nodding with enthusiasm. Sabo laughed at his new friend before breaking off into a yawn. Looking at the time, he realized it was quite late and decided it was time to tuck in for the night, wondering what adventures awaited the pair in the future.

The next couple days, Leah runs the pair through their paces. She makes sure that Sabo has all he needs to be able to train Diablo, and that Diablo has what he needs to grow. The two grow more used to one another, and Sabo can feel something pulling himself towards the ghost. It was an indescribable feeling, that gave him a satisfied feeling as the time grew on.

Once the week was up, Sabo and Diablo were finally ready to begin their journey. Sabo made sure his bag was packed well before departing the Pokemon Center, thanking Nurse Joy for all she did for him. He met the gym leader and Leah on the outskirts of the city.

"Off to Motostoke City then?" Leah questioned, grinning big.

Sabo nodded, "It'd be a good place to research things."

"Well don't be too head in the clouds to forget about training. That ghostie of yours definitely needs the attention."

Sabo nodded, planning out training plans for Diablo. The ghost had expressed a desire to become stronger, after being thoroughly trounced in a fight with Sabo. The teen planned to train the ghost on different strategies, as well as experimenting with haki.

"Just because you're going out into Galar doesn't mean you need to forget about us, either," Nessa started, smiling softly, "Come back later down the road. I definitely want to see how you've progressed."

Sabo nodded at the leader. He'd definitely come back and battle her when he got stronger.

"I'll see you guys around then!" Sabo called out before running down the path towards the mountains.

Feeling Diablo hovering in his shadow, Sabo couldn't help thinking about what this world could possibly offer him, and how he could use it to get home. One thing was for sure…

This would be an adventure.