Chapter Fourteen – Whispers in the Dark OR The Dark Side of the Moon
"My girl, I think it is time I tell you a little more about things to come. There is legend of a Pokemon with incredible powers, able to come and go as it pleases between time and space. It has taken the balance of life as its true purpose. When things seem out of balance, it'll use its power to tip the scales. Unfortunately, it doesn't always clearly think through its actions. As you have noticed, wild Pokemon from across the world are beginning to appear." The mysterious voice was once again overtaking Heidi's dreams.
"The scales have tipped too far in the human races favor, so it decided it was time to fix the balance. Tomorrow will be the beginning of your quest. When you awake, you will depart to the east. I will not give you the exact location, you'll know when you get there. The path will be long and dangerous, you will prevail. Soon you will meet a Pokemon that will help you on your path. If you try to ignore fate, a stronger nudge may be sent in your direction. Please do not tempt fate." The disembodied voice finally concluded its long monologue, but didn't immediately depart.
"How will I know I'm heading in the right direction? And why can't Riley join me? Surely having another trainer along would speed up the process, right?" Heidi paled at the thought of undertaking a mysterious quest from an unknown being alone.
"Riley has her own part to play in this story. She has been watched closely by both sides of the conflict for many years, bringing her along would only bring unwanted attention to you as well. Along your journey, you'll need to trust your instincts, they've treated you well so far. Your new friend I mentioned knows his role in this, and will be sure you arrive when and where you need to be."
"OK, one last question then. If you answer me truthfully, I will not resist my fate. Who are you?" Heidi needed to know who was pulling the strings, how did she know she wasn't being led down a terrible path?
"You will know my identity soon enough, for now, you may call me Polly. I am no legendary Pokemon, and I assure you we will meet when the time is right. Until that time I will continue to inhabit your dreams, helping you as I can."
As "Polly" faded from her mind, Heidi awoke. This time, instead of feeling dread and uncertainty, she felt a resolve and confidence she didn't know she had. She peaked at the clock, 5:15. It was too early to wake Riley yet, but she could definitely run down to grab breakfast and begin her preparations.
Heidi quietly made her way down the stairs and past the front desk. As she smiled to Nurse Joy, the friendly caretaker called her name. "Heidi – we received a message from the Pokemon League for you."
Heidi grabbed the envelope and thanked the nurse, tucking it in her pocket and heading to the cafeteria. As she sat down to eat her eggs and bacon, she opened the letter.
"Greetings Heidi. We have reviewed your application to acquire a League Pokemon. We appreciated your desire to be safe on your journey, and the reassurance you would not be using this Pokemon to battle. After reviewing with Tate & Liza, we've found it appropriate to assign this Pokemon to your care. As such, you will be responsible for its well being. It had been assigned to your league profile along with your Pokedex. Seeing as it won't be fighting, its been given a special classification as 'guide' which allows you to carry your team of six along with this Pokemon. It may also remain outside of its ball bypassing any threat level warnings. Please take care of this wonderful Pokemon, he'll tell you most of his story eventually, but he has saved Mossdeep City on more than one occasion."
Respectfully,
Steven Stone – League Champion
Heidi grinned as she read who issued the Pokemon. The League Champion – and inside member of their secret band of rebels. She quickly dispatched her tray and dishes to the counter and made her way to Nurse Joy.
Nurse Joy stood smiling, holding a beautiful black, yellow, white and orange Luxury Ball. She knew it was for her, but she didn't know what was inside. "I believe this is for you Hun. They told me to wait until you'd read the letter, Champion himself sent you a Pokemon... you must be something special!" Nurse Joy gave the girl a wink, handing her the sphere.
Heidi quickly ran outside and around back. Without a moments hesitation, she released her Guardian. "Claydol the ground and psychic type. An ancient clay figurine that came to life as a Pokemon from exposure to a mysterious light."
She couldn't believe it. There was one place in Hoenn a Baltoy could be caught, and how to evolve the elusive Pokemon was a secret shared by the few who have succeeded in doing so. Evolved as a Claydol, she now had one of the most powerful psychics in existence at her side. As she prepared to greet the psychic, a tingle set in her mind.
"Hello young one, I am Cayce. You may address me as you see fit, I am able to read minds of any in my proximity. I can serve as translator, teleport and conversationalist if you see fit, but I no longer wish to battle. Your Champion tells me you are seeking a guardian, not for battle, but for shepherding through life's trials. I eagerly signed up for the duty, I've taken too much part in battle." His head began to rotate slowly, but it seemed as though he never took his eyes of the young girl.
"First thing first, I believe you have a second companion with you yet escaping your identification. Shall you release it and enjoy the surprise, or would you like me to tell you? This Pokemon is rare, but will need immediate attention, its quite 'unstable'..." Heidi tried to determine the cryptic message, but decided she'd hold off for now.
"I will wait a little longer before releasing it. It was a gift from the top Coordinator in Hoenn. I'm going to begin a journey and am unsure if I am prepared to train a baby Pokemon if that's what was given." She knew it was unwise to battle with an infant on the road, it needed weeks of bonding and friendship before it would be strong enough to handle the rigors of battle.
"That is no infant, it is a strong and able Pokemon. I suggest releasing it now, just be sure it remains at a distance from your backpack." Cayce again with the shadowy dialogue.
Heidi decided trust was important, and drew the pokeball from her belt. She pointed, and with a slight pause, released her gift. "Eevee, the Aeon Pokemon. Eevee are able to evolve into many of the known elements. Trainers Tip : Keep away from evolutionary stones until you've decided you know which Eevolution you'd like!"
Wow, she truly was blessed by fate. Eevee were one of the rarest Pokemon alive. Their unstable DNA made them susceptible to any strong influence of elements, and if exposed to them the DNA shifted to match the source. She knew instantly what she'd like this Eevee to evolve into, but it would take time.
Heidi bent down to the adorable kit Pokemon's level. "Hello sweet thing, my name is Heidi. You've been entrusted to me by Liz, she believes that you and I can do great things together. As such, I'll need a name to call you by. I really like Oberon, I think it suits my handsome little fellow quite well." The Eevee quickly ran to the lap of the girl, curling up on her lap and nuzzling for affection.
Heidi sat with her new companions for an hour, reflecting on how truly lucky she was. As the sun began to break the horizon, she decided it was time to face the inevitable. She returned her Eevee and Claydol to their balls and made her way back to the room.
Riley had just finished showering and getting dressed, the timing was perfect. "I think its time for me to head out. I know we'd talked about camping out together and training for a while, but something inside is telling me I need to head off on my own." She had been dreading this moment, she idolized her slightly older cousin and loved her company. Now she was somewhat voluntarily casting her aside for an unknown purpose.
"I think that is a wise decision, Crixus and I had been talking about that this morning actually. My team and I are going to head north of town and camp in the wilds. If there really are rare and strong Pokemon appearing, Hoenn will need help keeping them at bay. If I'm lucky, I may even be able to add some to my team. We are going to head to the mart and refill on supplies. No reason for us to drag this out, I love you Heidi, you are my family. If you need anything just send me a message and Crixus will bring us together." Riley hated goodbyes, but dragging them out made the feelings that much stronger.
The two girls hugged in the middle of their room, grabbed their things and left. As they recovered their teams from Nurse Joy, Heidi bid her farewell and left the Poke Center. Riley watched her friend leave and made her way to grab a quick breakfast. The next couple of weeks would be difficult, best to grab one last decent meal.
Riley checked her belt, 6 pokeballs. Kek, Joy, Asher, Crash, Cole, True. She needed to find a way to carry at least one more, as Alala would need to begin her training with Crixus as well. That's when she had the best idea she'd ever conceived.
"Nurse Joy, can you scan this Pokedex for me please?" Riley handed the damaged Pokedex she'd found at the abandoned campsite to the nurse. "I found this in my travels, and wanted to return it to its trainer."
"There is no data on this Pokedex. It appears to have had its memory card removed. They are $20 at the Poke Mart, then you'll just need the league to update it. This appears to have been used, do you mind if I ask how you came across it?" Nurse Joy was always on her game, and knew there was no reason for a trainer to have a second Pokedex.
Riley explained most of what she'd seen, minus the brutally murdered Vulpix. Nurse Joy seemed to buy the story, and helped point her in the right direction for the memory card. As Riley departed the Poke Center, she pulled out her Pokedex. "Need a favor, call me."
"That'll be $20, thank you and have a great day." The young man behind the counter rung up the transaction and handed her the card.
Riley sat at the nearby park, waiting for her phone call. After twenty minutes of waiting, an unknown number flashed on the screen. "Hello Riley, your Dad is unavailable right now, so I figured I'd see if I can help. This is Steven Stone." The Champion. Riley tried not to freak out.
"I've got a crazy idea, and I need a Pokedex issued a trainer ID if possible. I know Nick used to be able to do so, he registered me before I'd even filed the league paperwork..." Riley wasn't sure how willing Steven was to actually assist with their less than legal actions.
"Message me the serial number and make sure it has an internet connection, I'll get that squared away for you in a flash! While you do that, where are you right now? I would like to stop by and see you quickly before I'm unavailable for the foreseeable future."
"I'm in Slateport right now, sitting at the park. I just messaged the serial number and I'm on the wifi of the coffee shop across the street."
"Excellent, I'll meet you on the second floor of the coffee shop in five minutes, see you soon!" The Champion quickly ended the phone call.
"Hello, I'm Dexter your Artificial Intelligence and Pokedex." Riley saw the secondary Pokedex power itself on, and quickly called for Crixus. "This is yours, sit through the tutorial, enter any information. IF you have questions, ask me. Steven Stone is creating a league ID for you so you can carry Pokemon along with you, making our lives much easier. You'll need to keep it with you at all times. Now go." Riley sent the Gallade to learn more of his new freedom as she made her way to the coffee shop.
After ordering a small coffee and some cookies, she made her way to the second floor. As she finished walking up the steps, she saw the man she was waiting for.
"Hello Riley, I believe you know who I am?" The Champion had a smug way about him. Maybe that was a prerequisite for the job.. "I know you, your Dad and Uncle have had conversations about the state of Hoenn currently. And we both know that Nick isn't really dead. I wanted to meet you face to face so I could assure you that you have a friend in the League if things get rough for you. God forbid anything were to happen, I can be there for you in an instant. That's actually the precise reason I'm here."
"I know you've got Nick's Gallade, but he is not yours. Technically he is your mother's now. Scanning through your League Profile, I noticed you recently bought a Meditite, are you planning to use it as your primary psychic? I must warn you, it doesn't have the best of fighting or psychic capabilities, you may desire something with a little more 'oomph' in that department." The Champion smiled, and handed a Pokeball to the young girl.
Riley smiled, Steven was world renown for his breeding and raising of Beldum. Having a Beldum on her team would be a huge boon. Riley pointed the pokeball to the clearing under the window and excitedly released her new friend.
"Oh... I sort of thought it'd be a Beldum seeing as you raise them and all." Riley tried her best to hide her disappointment, but she was not doing a good job.
"I can sense your displeasure, but I can assure you this is a top flight Pokemon. I raised his parents and bred him myself. How about you give him a quick scan, and see if there's anything that stands out to you." The Champion smiled, every time he gave a Pokemon to someone they assumed it'd be a Beldum. Metagross are essentially legendaries, why would he hand out weapons of mass destruction to anyone that asked? She needed to earn one.
"Exeggcute, the grass and psychic Pokemon. Using telepathy to communicate, they always form a cluster of six. This Pokemon is three years old, its move set includes Psychic, Hypnosis, Mega Drain, Shadow Ball, Psybeam, Solar Beam and Dream Eater." The Pokedex continued to list off moves, but Riley couldn't keep up with the ridiculous list.
"Clearly he's been well trained, he knows every possible move an Exeggcute can learn whether by TM or breeding. I've put years into training he and his sister. He's a bit further along, and seeing as I have Metagross, I'm not in an immediate need. One last thing, this Exeggcute has bonded with my Metagross, it can communicate from anywhere, at any time. If you are ever in danger, he can call to us at any time." The Champion stood as smug as ever, he knew this was no ordinary gift.
"Wow. Three years and he learned all of this? How's that possible? Everything I've heard about them is they are slow to learn and stubborn. How does it know all of these advanced psychic attacks if it has such a weak psychic disposition until it evolves?" Riley couldn't believe what she was reading.
"Here's the thing about Pokemon that you should already know, but I'll tell you anyway. The Pokedex is the aggregate of thousands of data points. As people upload their info, it goes into a pool that the Pokedex averages out. If people catch a wild Exeggcute, and it is young, it will be weak. Hence the Pokedex stating the weak psychic capabilities."
"This Pokemon has been properly trained, is bred from a world class set of parents and been given free reign to better itself. I don't say this lightly, his father is my second strongest psychic. My Metagross is clearly first, but the Exeggutor is stronger than even the league Alakazam's used for tracking and interrogation." Steven was not bluffing, he'd seen what the goofy psychic tree was capable of, and it was brutally efficient.
"I apologize for my shallow opinion of this gift. Thank you Steven, I'll raise him to the best of my ability, I assure you I'll give him everything I've got." Riley hugged the Champion as she stared at the goofy eggs on the ground.
"There's one last thing. The widely known way to evolve an Exeggcute is to expose it to a leaf stone. You are free to do so, but may I suggest an alternate option? When a psychic type is powerful enough to overtake another psychics mind, it enacts a sort of reaction, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the results. I'll leave the decision to you, both are viable ways to improve your new friend."
"Oh, his name is Taro, he has an inherit ability to seamlessly connect multiple minds together, making a group conversation between you and your team much easier. You never know when that'll come in handy, I've used it to break up smuggling rings in silence more times than I can count." The Champion flashed his signature smile and excused himself from the table.
As Riley endlessly thanked the man, he slowly made his exit. Riley stared at Taro, trying to get a read on the goofy cluster of eggs rolling around in front of her. "We've been instructed to obey your commands, and treat you as our own mother. We would like you to know, until Steven decided to entrust us to you, he'd been contemplating evolving us. We believe we are ready, and look forward to proving it to you when possible." 'Taro' rolled together to its familiar cluster and came to a stop.
Riley decided to keep the Exeggcute out with her as she made her way to the park. She found Crixus, who appeared to have mastered his Pokedex. She grabbed the Gallade and made their way back to the Poke Center. Now that he had his Pokedex, she needed to trade his "team" to him.
"Trade complete" Riley stared at the screen, somehow this had all worked out. Crixus gathered True that Charmander and Alala, his Meditite. As he began to get up from his seat, another trade went through.
"You promised you'd take this one and train him for me. There's no escaping it. I have not released it from its ball since capture, you will be free to name it as you please. He is yours until I need him. He's naturally effective against you, and I know that makes you uncomfortable, but I've got a good feeling about him." Riley handed Crixus the Pokeball.
"You went to the cave and survived the Steelix situation for this Pokemon, and you are handing it over to me, I trust your judgment even if I don't understand it." Crixus looked at his Pokedex. "Mawile, the steel and fairy type. A cunning and terrifying Pokemon, its cuteness makes opponents let down their guard, and then it swallows them whole with its big jaws."
Riley prepared the last piece of their objective before they were to depart. "I've transferred 4,000 to your account. Buy any supplies and tools you think you'll need. For the next week, you'll be on your own in the wild, as will I. I'll message you when I'm ready to make my way further north, and we can make a plan from there. Take these pokeballs, and have a good time Crixus. I'm happy to provide you with this freedom, live your life to its fullest. I'll see you soon." Riley quickly made her way out of the Poke Center. Twenty Four hours ago she, Heidi and Crixus were a team. Now it was her and her alone.
Riley looked at her team, sprawled out on the hillside enjoying the sun. They'd slowly made their way north on Route 110, infrequently battling their way to the vast woods covering the western side of the path and past it until they'd reached her desired space. A series of rolling hills with a river weaving its way through them and the thick woods close by. An ideal spot to camp and train, which they'd be doing in full force for the next week.
As Riley set up camp, her team got back into their routine. Asher laid about lazily in the sun, Kek dug his border trench, Joy slowly waddled around behind Riley, Crash took the charge of knocking over trees for fire wood, and Taro sat idly besides the newly erected tent.
"OK Taro, let's give this a try." Riley was nervously excited. She'd never been able to communicate with her team all at once before. If this worked, they just created their own party line to talk whenever they'd like. "I've been able to link with everyone, minus the crocodile. I can not yet force my connection onto him, but soon..."
"Team, please come sit around the fire" Riley thought her command, and her team quickly gathered. Kek looked on blankly and followed the crowd. "To start with, I only want us to use Taro in an emergency. If Taro is out of his ball, he and I are linked. If you are out of your ball, you are essentially added to our link allowing us to communicate. Kek, until you decide to allow Taro to enter your mind, you'll be out of luck."
"The remainder of the time, I'll be talking as I normally would. If any of you have objections or issues, you and Taro can communicate and he'll relay any pertinent info to me. I want to keep my mind as clear as possible, I'm not nearly good enough in battle to be able to handle the distractions. For the rest of the night, get your rest. Taro and Kek will be on guard duty, tomorrow we train." She finished up her dinner and made her way to bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.
"Kek, sand tomb now!" Riley stared down her opponent, a newly evolved Mightyena that got a little to close to their camp. Kek quickly summoned his signature sandy coffin on the wolf Pokemon, rendering it unable to continue battling.
Riley was impressed with Kek, one attack and he defeated an evolved Pokemon. As she looked on as Kek chased off the beaten wolf, he began to glow. Riley's adrenaline sky rocketed, she knew Kek was getting close as his legs began to get awkwardly long.
The Sandile began to elongate, snapping its jaws and growling as he struggled through this physiological change. With a loud roar, the energy burst from the croc. Where the small crocodile once stood, now a bi-pedal crocodile five times its size had replaced it. Kek had evolved into Krokorok, easily doubling his raw power and opening up quite a bit of mobility.
Riley cautiously approached her friend, ready to congratulate him but wary of the rage Pokemon sometimes had after evolving. Her fears were soon put to rest as Kek awkwardly ran towards Riley. The goofy crocodile tripped multiple times on his way to his trainer, nevertheless determined to celebrate with his friend.
The remainder of that day was spent training, most of the team on technique. Kek worked on walking and running. He knew how to use his attacks, and his mind for strategy was sharp. His walking skills were currently at the level of a drunk toddler. He proved a quick study, as by dinner time he'd proficiently mastered his ability to run.
That evening, and the day that followed were quite similar. On the fourth day of their excursion, things changed.
"I sense something different approaching, be on your ready." Taro was frantically scanning the area, trying to identify the unknown presence. He could sense it, but he couldn't find it no matter how hard he concentrated.
"Cole!" Riley quickly broke her concentration from instructing the training and ran towards the small candle. "Thank Arceus you are back! They said it'd only be a few days before you returned, it took you much longer!" Riley was happy to see her little ghost. Her team was now once again complete.
"Taro, this is Cole. He's my Litwick and a very important part of our team. Please communicate directly with Cole, introduce yourself and give him a rundown of what has happened these past few days." Riley smiled as the little ghost flicked around the camp, playfully tormenting his teammates.
Hours later, as the team was again running drills, Taro spoke to Riley. "The ghost is not everything it appears. It has a dark side to his psyche, I suggest treading carefully around him. There's something that has warped his view on humans, he has thoughts of murder and revenge on his mind."
"He has not told me the whole story, but when we first met, we found the severely desecrated body of a Vulpix. My guess is either a trainer went bad and murdered his Pokemon, or the Vulpix was set on by a poacher and didn't survive. Either way, I'm aware of his quest for revenge, and I hope to help him claim it." Riley didn't know the whole story, or if Cole could even remember all the details of his previous life. She did know that Cole was damaged, and she would help fix him if she could.
As the team took their afternoon break by the river, Riley broached her hopes for the remainder of their stay in the wilderness. "I've been giving this a lot of thought. Taro is by far the best at training and strategy out of any of us. He's been on missions for the league, and he's battled incredibly strong foes in the field. We should be prepared for any situation, and currently we are not." Riley knew the ominous way her Dad and Nick spoke meant she wouldn't be having simple trainer battles forever.
"So I think we should split into groups. We need to be able to split up if necessary and competently and safely take care of our selves. I'm going to make three groups, and we are going to split in different directions in search of a new Pokemon to capture. Crash and Asher will be a fire team, Joy and Kek another, and Taro, Cole and I will be the last group."
"We will all be 'linked' with Taro, so we can easily communicate if danger arises or a suitable target is found. If you come across something that may be too strong to defeat on your own, don't pursue the Pokemon, call for us and we can battle as a team." Riley finished with her commands and the teams split up.
They'd be meeting back at the camp at sundown, which gave them about four hours to complete their mission. Riley's group made their way southwest into the thickest part of the woods. They walked for over an hour and didn't see a single Pokemon.
Riley began to grow suspicious, you couldn't walk anywhere in Hoenn that she knew of for an hour without at least seeing a Surskit or Zigzagoon. This thick into the woods their should have been something.. Riley had Taro begin probing the area for signs of life, but nothing was found.
As Riley was searching for anything, Crash and Asher had been battling anything in sight. They'd come across the normal sorts so far. Zigzagoon, Poliwag and Poliwhirl in the river and even some Bellsprout as they roamed the hills. Nothing they felt warranted capturing, but it was a fun exercise to establish their dominance.
Kek and Joy were headed north along the river, Joy in the water and Kek mostly digging just under the surface. As they slowly battled through a few wild encounters, Joy suddenly disappeared from Kek's sight. He began searching the banks and staring into the water trying to find his friend. After a few moments, he found her. Bloodied, battered and out cold. Kek quickly took to her side, still unable to identify the mysterious attacker.
"The dark one seems distressed. I can't communicate with him, but I can feel a much stronger surge of dark energy than normal. We should go at once." Taro quickly stopped in his tracks as Cole and Riley took to his side. The egg Pokemon and his comrades vanished, reappearing a few yards from Kek and the injured Joy.
"Taro, go find the other two and bring them here. Anything that can do that to Joy without Kek noticing is nothing we should battle unless we are at full strength." Riley looked towards the Exeggcute, but he had already gone. Moments later he was back, Asher and Crash in tow.
"Stick together everyone, we still don't know what did this, but its here somewhere and we can be taken unaware. Taro, I need you to start searching for signs of life, or an unfamiliar aura. We need to find out what this was and take care of it now." Riley was scared, she hadn't seen anything with this kind of power since the smuggler's camp.
"I have located a strong source of energy. I recommend we retreat, it has a strong psychic aura and I'm unsure whether I can keep us safe. If I'm overpowered, you'll be helpless." Riley was uncaring for her own safety. Someone had hurt her starter, badly. They were going to pay. "Lead us to it. Kek, underground, you should be relatively invisible to a psychic underground."
Riley administered a super potion to her Sealeo and recalled her to her ball. She'd be fine, but she wasn't going to be able to help tonight. As they made their way down the river bank, a bright flash of light appeared twenty yards in front of them. Riley's jaw dropped, maybe she should have listened to Taro.
In front of the group stood a Kadabra. One of the most powerful psychic Pokemon known, and rarely seen in the wild. As she began to try and formulate a game plan, Taro moved in front of the group.
The egg's eyes were glowing, as were the Kadabra's. She wasn't sure if they were communicating, battling or preparing for a fight. Minutes felt like hours, she knew if any of her team tried to launch an attack it'd be detected easily. She had to wait and hope whatever Taro was doing was successful.
At the four minute mark of this silent showdown, Taro began to shake. They weren't like a tremor or a seizure, the shakes were hard to see if you weren't intently staring at the Pokemon. As Riley watched helplessly, Taro began to shake more. One of the eggs from its body began to slowly separate from the group, and then another. A third began to drift away, apparently struggling to try and remain with the group.
Riley looked at the Kadabra and noticed a similar shaking. The spoon it held was completely doubled over, its eyes beginning to glaze over. With a violent snap, the Kadabra fell to the ground lifeless. Taro began shaking violently, heads pulling away from each other and then back again. This went on for several minutes, and then they fell motionless.
Riley looked on in agony, the Exeggcute looked to be dying. She grabbed a potion from her bag and went to spray it on the battered egg Pokemon. As she approached and began to spray, the eggs were encased in a brown armor. Seconds ticked by, nothing happened. Riley moved towards the eggs again, hoping to administer her potion. As she finished spraying the four remaining eggs, they erupted upwards.
Blinding light filled their eyes, Riley couldn't see what was happening. As she desperately squinted at her Exeggcute, another flash of light erupted. Seconds later, a third flash and then a fourth. A fifth flash of light bursted outwards, knocking Riley off of her feet. As she regained her footing, she saw her friend. He was not dying, he was building and releasing the energy needed to evolve.
In front of her stood a six foot tall coconut tree, three heads bobbing towards the top of its leafy green canopy. Riley looked on in disbelief, she knew he was ready to evolve, but she hadn't given it a leaf stone...
"Do not be alarmed young master, I knew I was prepared. The Kadabra put up a formidable resistance, but in the end I was able to over take its mind. As I worked on destroying its mind, I was able to parse some of its memories. It had been orphaned due to poachers stealing its parents. When it evolved recently it came upon humans and ended their lives. This Pokemon was broken, no amount of care would heal it. I gave it an honorable ending, and in doing so fulfilled my goal of defeating a strong psychic."
"One thing I don't know is why I didn't recognize the area of the memories. None of them looked to be in Hoenn until the memory of the humans. I surmise this was a Pokemon brought here in the 'mysterious' event you'd mentioned. We should tread carefully, if Pokemon as powerful as this have been brought here, you can be assured there are more."
Riley quickly gathered her team and made her way to Taro. Taro teleported everyone back to camp, including Kek, much to his surprise. "It appears I am now sufficient in my psychic abilities, the crocodile will need to continue to grow before he can resist me. Worry not, I won't force my telepathy on him, it'll be his choosing."
The group slowly relaxed around the fire, Riley deep in thought. The sudden evolution of Kek and Taro added some unexpected twists to her plan. She now had a final evolution psychic and grass type of untold power and a second evolution of her ground/dark type. Her team was quickly growing in strength, far faster than she'd expected.
"So Taro evolved today. A Kadabra attacked Joy and Taro did some sort of Jedi mind trick and killed the Kadabra responsible. When you said he was ready, I didn't think four days was your meaning... either way, I'm going to need some guidance on how to best hone his abilities." Riley set her Pokedex down next to her, compared to previous problems these were welcome.
Riley went to bed absent Joy for the first time in her training career. She felt better knowing she was healing and resting safely inside her ball. In Joy's place was Asher, the abused electric type that'd quickly become her fierce defender. Asher, Crash and Cole. The last three on her team awaiting evolution, half had already evolved once. In less than a month, she'd evolved three Pokemon. This didn't make sense.
The last three days in the wild were relatively uneventful. One major event happened, or two that were connected depending how you looked at it.
On the sixth day, Riley and her team were running another set of recon. This time it was just Riley and Taro. Cole joined Asher and Crash as they went out looking for trouble.
As Riley and her psychic Pokemon made their way through the fields, they heard a faint cry. As Riley scanned the horizon, Taro scanned for signs of life. Quickly he placed the noise. "This creature is no threat to us, it is safe to proceed." Taro led the way towards the tiny Pokemon.
As Riley approached, she noticed a small metal Pokemon curled up on the ground. "It is quite weak. Your intent to capture will be easily achieved." Riley nodded at her companion and effortlessly tossed a poke ball at the little creature. The ball made half a shake and clicked. An instant capture, the poor creature had no fight left in it.
"This world is truly devolving to chaos. He's not native to this region, nor Kanto. Every Pokemon reported was either misplaced from around Hoenn or Kanto so far, why is he here? Regardless, we just got incredibly lucky." Riley smiled as she scanned the motionless poke ball.
"Pawniard, the steel and dark type Pokemon. After shredding its prey, it sharpens its blades on a stone by the river. Every Pawniard has their own favorite sharpening stone." As Riley picked up the ball, the light went dead. She'd completely forgotten, she had a full team of six with her. Until she made it to a Poke Center to transfer or deposit it into the PC, it'd be held in stasis in the inoperable poke ball.
Taro called out to the team at Riley's request, ordering them to meet back at the campsite. As Riley sat thinking about why a Pawniard would be there, she decided to update her Dad. "I've been spending some time in the wilderness and ran across some weird stuff, call me." By the time she hit send and set her Pokedex down, it rang.
"Hey Kiddo, hope everything is OK. What's going on?" She missed her Dad's voice.
"Well I've been spending time off route, and have come across a few Pokemon that don't belong anywhere near the area. I'm sure you've seen the news reports, I can confirm they are real. I battled a Kadabra off of Route 110, and today I captured a baby Pawniard. I know neither are native to the area, and with everything else going on, something seems off. I just wanted you to know, and to make sure you two were OK." The feeling of home sickness hit Riley hard.
"Things are getting a bit weird out here as well. We are preparing to leave and head to the house to recuperate and make our next plan, I'll have your Mom reach out to you when we get there. Stay safe and remember, I love you very much." She could hear his voice break a little, he was out of his element and missed his little girl.
"OK, I love you Dad. Make sure you two don't do anything stupid. I know how you guys are when you get together." Riley hung up the phone and looked at her team.
"Cole and Taro, you have guard duty. We are going to rest up tonight and meet up with Crixus in the morning. We'll head up to Mauville from there." With that, she turned and made her way to the tent. Asher and Joy cuddled up beside her.
Running, that's all she could do. Just keep running. As she ran for her life, she quickly glanced behind her. Mightyena and Houndoom on her heels, chomping and toying with the young girl. There was no escaping them, she needed to fight. She reached for her belt, but no Pokemon were to be found.
Riley was running out of ground in front of her. She could hear the water rushing somewhere in the distance. If she could make it, maybe she'd survive the swim across. Shots of fire flew past the young girl, she knew when they'd been shot. She could feel the heat quickly on her cheek, and as it passed by, the air again cooled her as she ran for her life. She could see the river bank, she was going to make it. She closed her eyes and ran harder. When she could feel the soft sand beneath her feet, she jumped.
Riley didn't feel the shock of cold water immediately, so she opened her eyes. She was falling, hundreds of feet below were rocks and water, and she was headed right for them. She closed her eyes again, thinking of her parents. This was it, too high up to survive, and even if she did the rocks would end her.
The helpless feeling of falling, weightless and at the same time the crushing pressure she felt in her chest. What a weird sensation, completely contradictory. Riley opened her eyes again, finding herself floating freely above a beautiful grass field. What was going on?
"My child, I believe your friend has told you about visions and dreams she's been having. I've been hoping to speak with you for a while, but due to necessity my timeline was sped up. The balance between humans and Pokemon has shifted. There is an entity working on the side of Pokemon, trying furiously to even the scales. I'm sure you've noticed the increase in aggressive Pokemon attacks?" The disembodied voice paused.
"There are but a few humans that have the power to stop it, and return the world to a semblance of normalcy. You are one of those trainers, and so is your friend. You are called Affinity's. You have a deeper physiological bond with Pokemon than most. You bond easier, grow stronger, and adapt to your affinity type. You young lady are a special type of affinity. Most people have a small adaptation to a small piece of an element. Your friend is an Alpha, she is drawn to a specific gene in powerful Pokemon." Another oddly timed pause from the mysterious voice.
"But you are the only of your kind. There hasn't been one of your kind in generations. So long ago in fact, we don't have a name for it. You'll come to understand your true abilities in time, but for now, know that you are destined for great and terrible things. You have the ability to forge your destiny, but you must steel your resolve and stay true to yourself."
"I don't understand. Heidi and I are Affinity's? What does that even mean?" Riley was just as confused as Heidi had initially been.
The ethereal voice explained it all, just as he had to Heidi. As he was preparing to finish, he made one final statement. "Be careful what kind of Pokemon you surround yourself with. When you look at the evil groups of history, they all have something in common."
"They all favored dark and poison types. There is nothing inherently wrong with each type, but surrounding yourself with them can darken your spirit and poison your mind. The great heroes of time have had well balanced teams, a Pokemon to strengthen each part of a persons character. Keep this in mind."
Riley woke up in a cold sweat, she now knew why Heidi decided to take off without much notice. She had a role to play, and now Riley knew she did as well.