Pokémon Insighter: Platinum

by Espeon804

They were forced into world to alternate from their own: The world of Pokémon. They were told one thing: "Find The Insight". They have to journey through the Sinnoh Region to seek answers. They aren't the chosen ones, "The Inisghter" is. The twins are just disposable tools for the gods. However, they are kids with dreams, and EVERYONE has dreams.

7. A glance into reality

A/N: Trying to describe Pokémon at the minimum isn't always easy. Writing their battles is pretty fun, on the other hand.

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- Chapter 7: A glance into reality -

Before, Mia assumed Team Galactic was just a bunch of people causing trouble here and there. Sure, she should have been a little more cautious if people like Looker are investigating them. If this organization is the reason why power is so limited, then they are a far bigger threat than assumed before.

Looker did warn her that their grunts are the low-threats… right?

Their commander is here. She has Officer Jenny trapped. She has them completely outnumbered. The windworks clerk, and Lalinda's mother appear even more frightened. Lalinda herself appears lost and frustrated on what to do.

Mia can't bring herself to speak. What the commander just said has her frozen. What is she supposed to do? A big part of her wants to have Razorleaf standing by her at this moment.

What if she sends him out? Will she be seen as a threat? What if the commander completely wipes her team out without breaking a sweat?

Commander Mars takes a few steps forward, and Mia steps away quickly. "You… you match the description they gave me. It seems you're an annoying bug buzzing around us."

Knowing she is quite famous among the organization worries Mia even more.

"Do you know what your interference is doing to us?" Mars asks. "This world is terrible as is, and you're making it a bit difficult for us to make progress. We could have a nice rare Pokémon, we could have the information we need about said creature…" She frowns now. "The honey would have been a nice addition, but that wasn't exactly required. It still annoys me you're behind that failure too."

Those three events were linked? Mia can't see how. They have nothing to do with each other. She just thought those grunts were bullying for the fun of it.

"That boy you helped… are you his friend or something?" Mars keeps staring, but seeing she is getting no answer, she shrugs. "Alright. So you don't know him. You just like to butt your nose into business. You shouldn't do that."

Is that a threat? She hopes it's not.

"Listen, kid. Don't help him again."

Oh, it's a threat. Mia can only look at her, trying to figure out what this could all mean.

"That is the quickest way you'll get hurt," Mars says. "We are already dealing with one problem. He has something that we want, and you sabotaged our chance to get it. I understand you wanted to stand up for him, but you're too young to play hero, kid. See where it led you? You wouldn't be here if you minded your own business."

The commander doesn't know the real reason why she ended up here in the first place. It isn't going to change anything if she does tell her, anyway. However, what Mars said… as much as Mia doesn't want to, she speaks up anyway. It's quite, and slow.

"You're… a Pokémon Hunter, aren't you?"

"A what?" Mars didn't pick it up. "Speak up. What did you say I was?"

"A… Pokémon Hunter…?"

"Us? No. Not at all. Team Galactic doesn't waste time trying to catch and sell Pokémon all day. I can see why you would assume that. But no." Mars frowns. "We are trying to reform this world into a better one. But, I doubt a kid like you would understand. You're so young and naive."

"Trying to make a better world?" Officer Jenny asks, thinking they are insane. "By terrorizing people?"

"Plead ignorance, won't you? You're an officer for crying out loud. You out of all people should know how twisted the world is. Unfortunately, to make a better place, sacrifices will have to be made. Boundaries will be crossed… and people might get hurt trying to defend something stupid. We try not to resort to hurting anyone, but ignorance alone can hurt, right?"

"Is that why are you holding my mother hostage?!" Lalinda asks, looking at the commander with a mix of anger and confusion. "She hasn't done anything!"

The old man behind Mars cracks a laugh at this. "Ms. Linda was quick to pull a dagger before we could explain ourselves!"

The mentioned mother shoots him a glare.

"Don't get the wrong idea," Mars says. "If the dagger was coded green, I wouldn't be holding her like this. But no. It was yellow. She has the intent to hurt us when we weren't going to bring harm at all. We were just trying to ask nicely…" Mars crosses her arms. "I'm not letting her out of my sight until we are done. Of course, you know why we need the operator. Also, I don't really like children. They are noisy and bring too much attention. Kicking you out was a bad play on my part…"

"Please… we just want them released…" Mia says.

Mars gives Mia a look of annoyance. She starts to walk around her as the grunts chuckle at the child's plead. "You're obviously a trainer. People like you seem to always try to get in our way. Do you not understand that collecting the windworks' energy makes a huge difference between this world and the new world?! But of course, you won't understand." Her red eyes dart to Lalinda's direction. "You came here to save this kid's mother, but how can you? Your officer friend is no help."

Mia glances at the mentioned officer before looking back at Mars.

Seeing the child remaining still, Mars asks a new question. "You came here to save these people?"

"Well… y-yeah…" Mia answers.

"You must be assuming I'll what? Kill them when I'm done with them? Or do the same with you? No. That's the least of your worries. To kill a person with the power of a Pokémon? Tch. It's the most dishonorable and disrespectful way to end a life. I have standards too, you know. I'll just knock you out."

Mia so badly wants to leave… but she can't do that. At least she knows she won't die or anything. She didn't think Team Galactic had any standards…

After a while, Mars speaks up. "Alright. We'll make a deal."

Those words has Mia's full attention. What deal is she offering? She isn't sure if she wants to know.

"Since you caused trouble before… I want to settle things here. It will be fair for both sides," Mars explains. "If I win, you leave. If you win, we, Team Galactic, will leave! Doesn't that sound fair?"

Mia nods quickly.

Wait.

What did she just get herself into?

"Good. Let's see just how good you are," Mars reaches behind her back. She pulls out a single Pokéball, holding it close to her chest as she waits.

Mia takes a deep breath, and she unclips one capsule, ready to fight.

If only her brother was here.

Mars quickly tosses a Pokéball high in the air, and Mia follows. Both capsules open, and Aqua comes out. Mars has her Zubat.

"It's been a while since I had a proper battle. I hope you're aware I won't be holding back," Mars warns Mia.

Mia glances at Lalinda, and the girl gives her a nod. It's enough for her to not completely panic. She has to win this, somehow.

"Zubat! Use Astonish!" Mars orders.

"Water Gun!" Mia commands in time. Aqua dodges the Zubat's attack, and she shoots a stream of high pressured water from her bill. It strikes the Zubat out the air, but the bat Pokemon manages to regain its flight.

Mars takes a look at her Zubat, who looks like it's about to pass out already. This slightly surprises her. "What do you think you're doing to my Pokemon?!"

Battling it?

Mia feels a little more confident now that she is handling this fine. "Scratch!"

Aqua quickly runs to her opponent. Raising a webbed hand with outstretched claws, she slashes the pest, and it falls to the ground, defeated.

Mia is in a bit of disbelief at first. Seeing the Zubat on the ground brings a bit of excitement. Maybe she can handle the commander. "Good job Aqua! You showed them!"

Mara huffs as she recalls the defeated Pokemon back into its pokeball. "Don't get so cocky kid. That was just a warm-up."

Mia doesn't like the sound of that.

Mars swaps Pokéballs, and she holds it up with confidence. She tosses the capsule while shouting; "Purugly! Fake Out!"

Wait a second... Did she just gave an order even though this 'Purugly' is not present? Mia finds it rather strange, since she used to seeing trainers give out orders when they are out and about.

The Pokéball opens, revealing a giant, ugly, large, fat, and grey cat. The best way Mia can describe it is an overgrown Glameow. It has the same purple tips on its wars. It has the same eyes. Where is its tail? Is it resting on its back?

Purugly springs to its back legs, and it's in front of Aqua a lot sooner than expected.

Its fast!

It claps its paws together, and a sudden shockwave blows Aqua back.

"Aqua!" Mia steps back as the Psyduck hits the ground near her feet. What just happened? It didn't even touch her!

"Now, Faint Attack!" Mars shouts.

Seeing the Purugly rushing for Aqua is not a pleasant sight. "Aqua! Get up! You have to get up!" Mia tries to encourage her, but she remains on the ground, turning her body away and trying to crawl. Is she scared?

Purugly springs forward, and it disappears like a ghost.

"What the?!" Mia quickly looks around. "Where did it go?! How did it do that?!"

"Mia, watch out!" Lalinda screams.

The Psyduck gets attacked by an unseen force, sent flying across the room and crashing on the white tiles.

"Wha-?!" Mia steps back. She couldn't have seen that coming!

Aqua is frightened by this as soon as she's back to her feet. She looks around constantly, jumping back as soon as the Purugly reveals itself in front of its trainer.

"Careful, Mia!" Officer Jenny warns her. "Faint Attack is a technique that can't be avoided!"

"It can't?!" Mia doesn't like this one bit!

She quickly uses her Pokédex, hoping to hear something that could help. The device does a quick scan, and the information pops on the screen as the pokedex starts to explain in its robot AI voice.

Commander Mars seem surprised to see such a device.

(Sinnoh Number 077.

Purugly, the Tiger Cat Pokemon, and the evolved form of Glameow.

Its typing is: Normal. It binds its body with its tails to make itself look bigger. If it locks eyes, it will glare ceaselessly.)

That is what Glameow evolves into? Mia hopes Johanna never considers allowing that to happen. She has a feeling the Glameow would sit on her if she ever does. The thought of it isn't so pleasant.

She is disappointed that the Pokédex didn't tell her anything useful about the Pokémon, aside from the fact that it tries to be intimidating.

Faint Attack is one tricky move to look out for…

"Aqua!" Mia calls. "Are you alright?! Can you still fight?!"

The Psyduck looks back at her trainer sheepishly. She doesn't try to run, but it's clear she is afraid of the crafty feline.

"We'll just have to be careful…"

Since the feline is a normal-type, a couple of Rock Smash attacks should knock it out without a problem. But, Mia wonders if she can feel pain under all that fat…

"You kid… you have a Pokédex," Mars notes. "But the voice I heard coming from it wasn't Sinnohan at all."

Mia doesn't say anything. Truthfully, she doesn't really know what to say.

"You speak another language. I heard it from the commands you give your Pokémon. Not a bad strategy at all. But it can only do well for you so far."

Is she praising her? Why would the enemy do that?

How does she know about the Pokédex?

Mars frowns, apparently not pleased at the same time. "It's bringing back a bad memory. That annoying kid pulled off the same technique. Are you sure you two don't know each other? It seems you both speak the same language."

What? They do? Mia can't see how, but he did recognize what she was speaking… so maybe…

Mia shakes her head as soon as she realized that she was going off topic. "Rock Smash!"

Aqua responds immediately. Mia keeps an eye on her as she runs towards the Purugly with a ready fist. She makes a swing, but the cat moves back in time to avoid it. Purugly is faster than it looks. "Try again!" Mia hopes that it'll hit.

"Faint Attack!"

Purugly disappears, just as before. Mia is on the constant lookout, until the feline arrives behind Aqua. "Behind you!" She warns.

Aqua turns around, and her face is met with a heavy paw strike that knocks her to the ground. The Purugly allows itself to fall on top of Aqua, crushing her body under her weight. Aqua flails under her body, kicking her webbed feet. Her pained cries are muffled, but they are well heard.

Mia feels a wave of panic hit her. Aqua is suffocating under there! "No! Stop! Let her go!"

Mars sighs and waves a hand. "Don't kill the Psyduck, Purugly."

Purugly slowly stands, and she steps away, returning to her trainer. Aqua lies motionless on the ground, but at least she is breathing again.

Within seconds, her body glows a light blue before being pulled back through the button of the Pokéball as a pulsing ribbon of light.

To see Aqua out cold like that… Mia feels terrible. To be crushed like that has to be one of the worst ways to pass out. She lowers Aqua's Pokéball, glancing at Lalinda, who was watching the whole thing. If she loses, then she will only let her down. It'll be her fault if she'll never see her mother again. Mia can't let that happen.

After tucking the Pokéball away, she sends out her next choice. Batty is summoned, already on high alert.

"Batty! Wing Attack!"

Batty quickly soars towards the Purugly, screeching out an angry cry.

"Pah, child's play," Mars says with disappointment. "This one's no entertainment. Faint Attack!"

Batty misses attacking the disappearing Purugly. It flies a circle, trying to locate it.

This is getting stressful. "How can a big cat be so darn fast?!" Mia asks with a frightened tone.

Purugly appears right above the Zubat, batting her down with a harsh paw swipe. Batty slams on the ground with a pained screech.

"Batty!"

The Zubat bats her wings against the ground until she is lifted off the ground. She spins to face the Purugly, slapping its head with a heavy wing strike. The Purugly shakes its head as Zubat retreats back.

"Now, use Scratch!" Mars shouts.

Mia has to slow this feline down somehow. "Supersonic!"

The Purugly jumps at Batty, just as she begins her screeching technique. It raises a paw and knocks her to the ground. It extends its claws, and it presses her paw against Batty's back. Her other paw pins Batty's legs. The Purugly rakes her claws across Batty's body, and it is done so slowly. Batty's screeches drag on, and all Mia can do is watch helplessly.

After several seconds, Mia can't take it. She immediately calls Batty back inside her Pokéball, and she guards it close to her chest. "Why are you hurting them so much?!"

The old man behind Mars laughs at the child's frustration. This causes Mars to roll her eyes at him, probably bothered by the hysterical laugh he has.

"Kid, it's about time you learn Pokémon battles aren't rays of sunshine," Mars replies as she extends a hand towards her returning Purugly. She strokes the feline behind its ears. "Don't you know who you are battling against? Who did you fight so far? A few trainers… maybe a gym leader? Of course they'll be nicer with how they fight. Most of their challengers are a bunch of little kids."

"I'm not-" Mia would try to correct her that she's not as young as she thinks, but the commander goes on.

"You never had a real battle before. And, unlike that other kid, you really don't know how to handle it. That brat gave me quite the thrashing. But you? You're hilarious. I almost feel sorry for you."

Mia looks at her feet.

"Welcome to the real world," Mars says. "It's not pretty is it? It really shows just how cruel it can be, even to children."

Could it be true that Roark was truly holding back? Well… of course he was. He himself said his Rampardos would be too much for her. But Mars? She doesn't have to follow any rules. She's going all out…

The way she battles is nothing like her grunts at all.

"What are you standing there for? I know you have another Pokémon. I'm going to assume that one is your best?" Mars lets out a small laugh before she continues. "Go on. Let me see what you have there."

Now it's all up to Razorleaf. He has somehow pulled through a rough battle against Roark, so Mia hopes he can at least stand a good chance against Purugly. Mia sends his Pokéball into the air, and he comes out, crashing his heavy body on the ground. He lets loose a huffing roar that lasts for several seconds. It seems he knows how bleak things are going.

"A Grotle?" Mars looks at Mia's Grotle, then the Pokedex. She finally puts the pieces together. She appears impressed, folding her arms. "I see. Professor Rowan sent you out, didn't he?" Before Mia could even think, Mars continues. "Don't lie. Only a few chosen trainers are given such a valuable item. It is said that those who possess one have a potential. Consider yourself lucky kido. Without it, you would be clueless on who you're facing. So now I wonder, how well you can do in the future without it?"

What does that mean?

Lalinda shrieks, and Mia spins around in time to see a grunt snatching the device! Mia grabs his hand in an attempt to pull it away. "No! Let go! Razorleaf!"

Razorleaf responds to his trainer's cry, rushing over to her to help. However, his head is attacked by sharp claws, and it is painfully pulled back. Purugly is on his back, digging deep into his skull. Razorleaf roars out as he tries to shake her off.

"Hey! Let her go!" Officer Jenny moves forward, but she is knocked back by a few Zubat from the surrounding crowd. Her Stunky immediately checks on her.

Lalinda reaches for her waist quickly. This sight angers her quickly.

"Hey!" Mars calls Mia. "You out of all people should know to never send a Pokémon to attack a person! You should be more worried about this battle than some replaceable device!"

Mia begins to kick at the grunt, but another grabs her from behind and restrains her arms. Mia begins to thrash as she screams. "Let go of me! Let me go! Razorleaf! Razor Leaf!"

Hearing the order makes him stop moving thrashing. He focuses his energy towards his back. Leaves are fired from the groves, and Purugly yowls, springing from his back.

Mia continues to thrash, trying to grab her Pokédex back. She is released and nearly falls to the ground. She immediately makes a run for the grunt that took her Pokédex, but a thick string of silk wraps around her ankles. The world around her feels like it was yanked from her feet before she hits the floor.

The silk continues pouring over her body, leaving her trapped like a bug in a web. Mia turns her head, realizing she can't even move her arms anymore. She spots the culprit.

It's a pink worm-like creature, with a cream-colored underside, a single yellow horn on its head, and a pair at the end of its tail. It continues to fire silk from its mouth. The grunt behind it appears accomplished.

"Ah, String Shot. Lowers the foe's speed. On humans, they are immobilized." Mars chuckles as the thieving grunt drops the electronic Pokémon Encyclopedia on to her hand. She holds it up, amused. "I could make good use of this, but I'm not into gadgets like Saturn is. Maybe he'll do something good with it."

Who the heck is Saturn? Is he another one of their commanders?!

Mars hands the device back to the grunt. "Hold on to this for me."

The grunt takes the device back, staring at it in awe.

"Commander Mars, we have enough energy to make a move on if you'll like," The old man announces, looking up from his computer.

"Thank you, Charon. I think we're done here. Let's move out."

"What about the witnesses, Mars?" Charon asks.

Mia freezes.

"Oh. Right. Them. We have too many of them. I don't like the idea of hurting anyone." Mars seems to be deep in her thoughts for a moment. "You know what? Drop them off in the deepest part of Eterna Forest."

"What?!" Officer Jenny exclaims.

The grunts begin to surround them all.

"No!" The windworks' operator shouts.

"You don't put your hands on those children!" Linda exclaims, trying to stand. Grunts rush past Charon to grab her. She kicks at them even as they restrain her arms. "Leave my daughter out of this!"

"She shouldn't had came back in the first place," Mars reminds her. "Hurry them out. I don't want to hear anymore ranting."

"NO!" Mia tries to move, but it's impossible. "Razorleaf! Stop them! Save Linda!"

Razorleaf does not hesitate. He charges towards the grunts, but Purugly attacks with its claws, pulling him back and jabbing his eyes. The Grotle roars and thrashs as it continues to slash his body. Razorleaf is shoved towards one of the desks. His head strikes the surface and crashes right through as he falls. Purugly has her paws pressed against his neck until he passes out.

"Razorleaf…!" Mia gasps.

So this is how powerful that are. This is what commanders are like.

What's worse… is that Mia let Lalinda down. She failed her.

Linda is still struggling. Her motive to get to her daughter is strong. Officer Jenny appears angry. It can't be blamed. She can't do a thing.

"Flame Wheel!"

The sudden shout from Lalinda draws attention. A massive flaming wheel rolls over to Purugly and slams into the feline's flank. The Purugly's yowl catches Mars by surprise.

"Mach Punch!"

The flaming wheel dies down, revealing an orange monkey with a blazing flame at the end of its long tail. Its fists, hands, stomach, and face is a cream color. It appears determined and energized. It throws a hard punch at the air. It ripples, and a force smacks Purugly across the face. The feline is knocked from its feet, hitting the ground. It doesn't move anymore.

The savior stays on its feet, bouncing with clenched fists. It swings its blazing tail, keeping angry grunts away.

Lalinda appears relieved. She smiles small as she walks over to her Pokemon. She begins to stroke the white furry collar that is around its neck. "Thanks, Mia. You wore down that Purugly enough for me to finish it."

Was that part of the plan?

Commander Mars is stunned. It takes for a grunt to shake her shoulder to snap her back to reality. Mia wishes he hadn't, because her shocked expression slowly transforms into anger. All it is aimed towards Lalinda now. It seems that Mia doesn't exist at the moment. Balling both trembling fists and throwing them down, the commander yells, "Why… you… you uppity BRAT!"

Her voice echoes through the quiet room. No one dares to speak.

Lalinda however, decides to reveal her true nature. Her smirk grows into a mischievous grin. "Oops, I didn't mean to make you cry."

The female grunt Mia always ran into growls. "How dare you speak that way to our commander!"

"She's not my commander. So of course I can speak to her that way," Lalinda simply replies.

Mia never thought that Lalinda would have the nerve to speak to them that way. Before, she was pleading for Mia's help. Maybe her confidence came back. Maybe that explains why the team kicked her out of the Valley Windworks.

Mars finally calms down. Her Purugly glows blue before being pulled back into its Pokéball. "Forget it." Her tone still has a hint of anger in it. "Your little victory won't affect us even a little. I have to admit, that was kinda fun until your little friend interfered." So she's talking to Mia now. "You only got lucky, because you caught me off guard."

Charon shakes his head as he slowly closes his laptop. "My, my. Lose to a child, will you?" His comment has Commander Mars growing angry again. "But, no matter. We've collected plenty of electricity. With the power we obtained, we can do something quite spectacular. It seems quite obvious to me, Charon, the genius even the boss recognizes. Now, Mars, we should be going-"

"Will you shut it!" Mars snaps at him, causing the grunts nearby to step away. "The boss is the only person in the world who's allowed to order me around! You can keep quiet around me! You only joined us recently. Don't think you're important!"

Those words seem to sting. Charon grumbles something under his breath as he tucks the laptop under his arm.

A grunt walks over to Mars, whispering something into her ear.

Mars isn't pleased by the slightest. "Urgh. She's nearby? Let's hurry out of here. Seems fate has plans for us to leave regardless." She gives Mia a look as she walks past. Grunts follow, and their Pokémon are recalled into their Pokéballs. Officer Jenny finds herself standing alone with her Stunky within seconds.

"Hey! Wait!" Officer Jenny is ready to give chase, but one look at Linda is enough to keep her steady. It seems pointless to try to pursue them anyway, since they had her cornered in the first place. It would be too dangerous to give chase. Mia knows that much.

So, instead, Officer Jenny rushes over to Mia immediately. "Hold still." She pulls out what could be a dagger, but Mia isn't too sure. What's interesting is how the middle of the handle has a glowing oval light that holds a dark green color. The bottom of the handle holds the same light as well. Is it supposed to help her see? No… it's in an awkward position to possibly be a flashlight.

Mia stiffens. She hopes the officer doesn't accidently cut her. She moves her head back by reflex, watching the blade trying to cut into the silk, but it seems to do no good.

"It's too thick to cut through with ease," the officer notes. "I may need some fire."

Lalinda smiles a friendly smile. Not the mischievous one she displayed before. "Sure. Why not?" She turns to her Pokémon. "Blaze, use Ember!"

"Whoa! Are you crazy?!" Mia exclaims. That was not what Mia had in mind! She tries to break free, not liking the idea of fire being used on her at all. "Don't do that! Don't do that!"

The monkey fires small flames from its mouth, and the cocoon catches flames. Mia screams as she feels the heat of the flames spread more and more. She shuts her eyes tightly, bracing herself for the pain.

… Nothing happens.

The embers died the moment the cocoon turned to ash, and Mia is unharmed. Opening her eyes, she quickly realizes she can move again. All eyes are on her, all showing the same amount of confusion. Does that make Mia the crazy one? She didn't think using fire this way was normal.

"Wow, are you a weird one," Lalinda mumbles. "You're acting like you've never seen a Pokemon do this before."

Well, she hasn't. Where she came from, people don't burn others alive to free them from something. Where she came from, they don't have fire-monkeys, gigantic grass-turtles, or oversized fat cats that can kill you by just sitting on your head.

But of course, she can't tell them that.

Johanna warned about how this world is very different, but seeing it in person is far crazier than she imagined. She really needs to get use to this world.

"I-it's fine," Mia finally answers. "Don't worry about me."

"Right. The bright side is, no one got hurt," Officer Jenny says.

"Right… that's true…" Lalinda smiles at this, and she turns to her mother. "Mama...?"

Linda slowly rises to her feet. She checks around in case anyone left of Team Galactic is still around. Seeing that everything is safe, she rushes towards her daughter. They both hug, filled with emotions and stress. That organization can really strike fear in people's hearts.

The officer helps the male clerk back to his feet. He is still shaken up from all that happened.

As soon as they are finished with their reunion, Lalinda walks to Mia with an unsure look on her face. "Well, I saw how well you battled, and what you did was really brave. I mean... Sure, Mars whooped your team in a matter of minutes, but..."

Mia has to keep herself from frowning. Does she have to say it like that?

Lalinda's eyes dart to the direction of Mia's Grotle. "I was wondering if... I can join you. If we work together, then, we can grow stronger. It may not seem like much, but soon, we'll be so strong, bad guys will run when they see us."

What did she just say? It just came out of the blue!

Mia never thought that anyone would even consider traveling with her. She doesn't really enjoy traveling by myself. Since her brother isn't around… having some company won't hurt. Mia can't exactly talk to her Pokémon all the time.

Mia gives her a big smile. Lalinda seems relieved. "Yeah. I would love that. Maybe we might run into some bad guys of course, then we can stomp them."

"Stomp?" Lalinda repeats the word with a light chuckle. "Yeah. Stomp Team Idiotic. Until they are pancakes!"

Mia laughs at her pun. She feels a lot better now. "So what do we do if we run into another commander?"

"Hopefully, that will never happen," Officer Jenny says. "But I do agree that bigger numbers increase safety. It's sad that it's now unsafe to travel alone. This country is supposed to be very peaceful."

Linda shakes her head with a small smile as she speaks up. "Lalinda, I agree. It would be much safer to be with… uh…"

"My name is Mia." Mia helps her out.

"Yes. Mia." Linda goes on. "I know you can somewhat handle yourself, but now that we know we have criminals out and about, I don't want you getting into trouble again."

"I know." Lalinda smiles. "I'll be careful. I'll stay in touch, I promise!"

"I know you will. Look after each other. I want to see the both of you in the Pokémon League one day." Linda encourages them both, somewhat proud. She turns to Officer Jenny and bows her head in gratitude. "Thank you for helping out."

"Me? I wasn't much help. I should have taken my boss' advice and brought more than just my Stunky with me," the officer says. "That Galactic commander wasn't wrong about what she said. Crime rarely happens here in Sinnoh. It's very peaceful here. Whenever we do deal with people, it's usually petty thieves or trouble-makers making mischief. Those people are typically coded yellow."

"Yes. That is true…"

"This is the first time I myself had a case with such a dangerous group. I'll have to make a report immediately. Unfortunately, Team Galactic aren't the only ones causing a lot of trouble. We've been on guard since so many Pokémon went missing. I am yet to encounter that Pokémon Hunter… But as right now, Team Galactic is a priority."

The male clerk walks up to the group, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "They just barged in and took over the place. They had me working non-stop… but I don't know what they plan to do with the energy they collected…"

"So this place is really a power plant?" Mia wonders as she checks her map.

Valley Windworks

Numerous wind turbines stand in the vicinity of the Valley Windworks.

Winds blowing through the canyon feed the wing turbines to generate clean electricity.

"Well, it does generate energy," the man says. "That's what they wanted from me."

Linda sighs. "I heard them being mentioned time after time. Before, they just went around and stole Pokémon. The Sinnoh Police is having a hard time keeping up with them. Now it seems they are making bigger moves. They recognize they can get away with a lot of things. It's not good."

Lalinda sees her mother's concern. "Don't worry. I won't do anything crazy if we ever run into another Galactic person."

"That's what I would like to hear. You kids should be focusing on collecting all eight of those gym badges," Linda says.

"Just try to stay away from Team Galactic. You got lucky this time," the clerk warns them.

Linda looks at him. "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. I'll remain here since I have to file a report on what took place here. I'm sure Officer Jenny will help once she's done checking outside, since she plans on doing the same."

"That's good." Linda smiles.

"Trying to track down these criminals are no easy task. However, the Champion's orders are absolute. I'll just make a request for more help as a safety percussion," Officer Jenny says.

Officer Jenny begins to move from the main lab and down the hall from where they came. Mia and the others follow until they step out the door.

Mia hears Officer Jenny nearly choke. She can't seem to find her words. Quickly, Mia picks up her walking pace until she stands behind the officer. She cautiously peeks around her and sees what has her freaked.

The familiar brown trench coat… the same odd but welcoming energy…

It's Looker. The man apparently rushed his way over here, and he stands face to face with Jenny. The officer bows at him, but he waves a hand.

"You did your best, did you not?" Looker asks. "Even I could have not foreseen this."

Jenny slowly rises and steps aside. "Do you need a look?"

"Narually." Looker rushes forward, and he pauses as soon as he sees Mia. He is as restless as before, but he has no problem talking to her. "Ah, yes. It is you, yes. I have heard that the Team Galactic appeared at this power plant. I have, therefore, come running. So, the Team Galactic. Where are they?"

She hates to disappoint him.

"Oh… they kinda got away," Mia answers. She is a bit nervous, knowing this could make things a bit harder for him.

"... You have run them off, you say? You are a Trainer, but… Very well! I shall go investigate inside!" Looker begins to run, wrapping his fingers around an object secure on his waist. He pushes open the door and steps inside. It quickly shuts behind him.

"Who is that…?" Lalinda asks, completely lost by what she just saw.

"That's a member of The International Police." Officer Jenny explains. "He's a high-ranked officer, but we only know his code name, which is 'Looker'."

Mia can't help but wonder what his real name could be.

"So… do we wait here?" Lalinda wonders.

…

After several minutes, the door opens. Looker steps out quickly and closes it behind him. He seems very pleased to have information. "Magnificent! Yes, it is! What you have said, it is all true! Superb! Though you are young, you are a Trainer through and through!"

Mia isn't sure if he is praising her or not. "Um… thanks."

"You may have not won battle, but your bravery shall not be dismissed! I applaud you for fighting your best!" Looker praises her.

"It felt a lot like I got stomped flat," Mia doesn't feel like she deserves this praise. "Her Purugly tore me up."

"Ah, you see now? Did I not tell you about their strength?" Looker nods, seeing that his warning is no false one at all. "As I said before, their grunts are just pesky flies. It's the higher position you must worry about!"

Mia nods sheepishly.

Lalinda looks up and down at the detective until her eyes land on his waist. "You're a member of the International Police, right?"

"I will assume Jenny already introduced me. That, I am," Looker nods.

"You… you carry a sword?"

The question wasn't expected. Looker pauses, and he chuckles. "Well, you make a good observation! From the way you ask, you want to see it, yes?"

This has Mia's full attention. He has a sword? If that's the case, she can't wait to run to a PC and tell Johanna about this! From what Mia has heard from her, people carry blades here as much as people carry firearms in her world. It's somewhat common.

Lalinda looks at her mother. "Is it okay, mom?! Can I see?"

"Only if Mr. Looker has time," Linda replies.

"I can spare some," Looker smiles. "Please do step back! This is for a professional to handle!" His hands grasps the handle from his waist. Turns out it was hidden well under his trencoat. It is drawn out, reflecting light from the sun.

Mia stares in awe.

It is, without a doubt, a shining blade.

The middle and bottom of the handle has a glowing green light, which seems bizarre. Mia saw the same thing from Officer Jenny's dagger.

"What's that light on the handle?" Mia asks.

"Hm? You mean this?" Looker asks. "It's a code."

"I'm confused." Mia can only say.

"You really don't know?" Lalinda wonders.

"Oh! Pardon me. I assumed you knew about this. Perhaps you have heard of it, no?" Looker wonders. "This device here doesn't have the best name. It's called the M-Code. For every weapon to have one is a requirement."

"M-Code?" Mia echoes. She heard the name before.

"The Measure Code," Looker clarifies. "The shining light is coded in few colors: Dark-green, light-green, yellow, orange, and red. How do I describe? Hm… ah. Yes. Have you ever came across an angry person? You feel their anger surround them?"

"I guess we can feel other people's anger."

"Ah. There." Looker nods. "There are devices that can measure a person's emotions. It's how a lie-detector device works, you see? However, this here works differently. It is true, yes, we can sense when we are in danger, but this here measures just how much."

"Can you narrow it down for them?" Officer Jenny asks.

"Ah, right. How should I put it?" Looker thinks for a few seconds before he nods. "Yes. The M-Code measures the malice of the person who has drawn the weapon. You know what malice is, yes?"

Was that question directed towards Mia? "Uh-"

"It means the feeling of ill-will, evil, or the desire to bring harm to someone!" Looker answers before she could guess. "The higher their malice, the more capable they are to hurting people. The green range tells you that the idea of hurting never came to mind, does it not?"

"Oh… that's good then… I guess."

"Now, the most dangerous people are usually at orange," Officer Jenny says. "Those are the heartless murderers, you could say. We don't get those often here. Yellow is usually the worst."

"Then… What's red?" Mia is a bit uneasy trying to guess what it is.

Lalinda shakes her head. "Red means dead."

"That's what I always tell you," Linda nods.

"Red…" Looker shakes his head. "Those are people who are numb to good morals, you could say. They feel so much malice, killing is second-nature to them. They have no problem slicing you in half if you do as much as look at them funny. The cases I heard about the red zone… some went off in a horrid killing spree. People like them need to be struck down… or locked in most secure places."

"And thankfully, we don't know anyone in red. Hopefully, we never will," Officer Jenny says.

"However, this device can't be used to judge people. Oh, no, no. Allow me to clarify. I'm sure it sounds like nonsense," Looker says. "It only measures malice. Green means it can't pick up anything. Even an evil person will be marked green. Nothing will be picked up until they draw their weapon to attack, you see?"

"I see…" Mia has a better understanding now. What Charon said about Linda back then… it makes more sense now.

However, there seems to be a flaw in this.

"Wait. Why would you want people to know what your intentions are?" Mia asks. "I mean… let's say your a bad guy who wants to hurt someone. That someone would know for sure, right?"

"A good question you ask there," Looker says. "This was done as a safety precaution. If you are ever approached by a stranger, let's say they draw their weapon, and the light on their glows yellow. That means the person is willing to hurt. They don't have intentions to kill you, however. Yellow range sometimes do lead to unintentional killing…"

"Won't they just take the light off?"

"Your judgment is a tad high," Looker says. "You can not very well remove the light, since it is well wired through the entire weapon. If you ever do come across someone with a weapon that holds no light, that is a no good person right away. At least that is what they teach you. You must stay safe!"

"I'm surprised you never knew this. It's common knowledge," Officer Jenny says. "But this is easy to remember. Listen to this rule of the M-code."

Mia will have to listen. Time can only tell when she will need this information.

"The more dangerous the color, the higher the wielder's malice is. The higher their malice, the easier it is for them to hurt or kill someone," Officer Jenny explains. "The easier it is for them to hurt or kill someone, the less human they truly are."

"Yes… and the higher their malice is, the more powerful their attacks will be. Cruel people hold back less," Looker says.

It's frightening to think about. Mia is just glad there is a clear way to prepare herself against certain people.

Their technology is so advanced here… to the point it can easily detect and code things in a heartbeat. Maybe that's why the region was so peaceful? How much law and order does the region have?

"You must remember these!" Looker says. "That way, if you ever do come across anyone who carries a weapon, you'll know what to do!"

There is a small beep from the detective. He checks his wrist watch.

"Time has been well spent here. I had a nice chat and lesson with you all," Looker says, as he slides the weapon back in place.

"I'll inform you if any new information pops up," Officer Jenny announces.

"Very well! I shall pursue the culprits! I have received tips that the Team Galactic hideout is in Eterna City. To there, I must be off!" Looker takes off in a hurry again, taking the path before crossing the bridge.

Not even a good-bye?

Officer Jenny clearly expected this. She shrugs it off. "Well, everything is clear outside, so I'll head back in here for information. You all stay safe. Steer clear of Team Galactic, and keep an eye out for anything shady."

As soon as Jenny is gone, Linda looks back at Lalinda, and she lightly grabs her head, kissing her forehead. "Are you sure you will be alright? You don't want to come home, first?"

"Mama, I'll be fine. Just as I said before," Lalinda replies. "I have my Pokémon with me, and I'm not traveling alone anymore. We'll stick together as long as we can."

"Well… alright," Linda says. "I'll be home if you need me. Win another badge for me."

"I will." Lalinda promises. She watches her mother walk away now, leaving her with Mia. She sighs, drained from all this.

Mia is a bit confused by what she saw. Linda was worried, but she always trusts that her daughter can take care of herself. Mia remembers the many kids she came across during her journey, especially those twins that look no older than five or six years old. They were out in wild territory. Such a thing would be forbidden at home… Mia's real home.

This world is… very laid-back.

There are some consequences seen today with Team Galactic. Mia learned how weapons work in this world. She wonders how often they are used. In a region like this… maybe almost never. Most disputes are settled through Pokémon battles, anyway.

And one of those happened inside the power plant. Mia had her first one. She is positive if this took place in her own world, she probably wouldn't be alive.

"That was a lot…"

Lalinda's words brings Mia out her thoughts. She agrees with her. "It really was. But at least we'll be okay now. We should get going."

She just wants to get away from here. She's sure once the clerk gets things to normal, power will be back to where it needs to be.

"Yeah. We should," Lalinda thankfully agrees. "We should take a break in the Pokémon Center and try to head for the next city. If we make it through the forest in time… it'll be near nightfall by the time we get there. Then in the morning, we could change the gym there."

It sounds like a plan, though Mia isn't sure how well it will go. It is early in the afternoon, so they have time. The sun won't go anywhere anytime soon.

"Can't wait." Mia finds herself smiling. She's glad to have a traveling buddy now. The Valley Windworks is back in order. She can give Professor Rowan a positive update for once.

Wait! The professor! She just remembered!

"Wait a second! My Pokédex!" Mia doesn't know what to do anymore. She can't possibly face the professor again without it! She's positive a Pokédex isn't easy to replace, and it has such valuable information… he'll lose his head!

Lalinda remembers now, and she seems frightened. "Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! What do we do?! We have to get it back somehow!"

"I don't know! I just can't believe I got it taken from me again!" Mia feels her throat starting to burn from all the stress. First, it was Marlen, now this? Can she not keep anything?! "Aw, man. The professor is gonna to kill me!"

"That's okay! I'm sure he'll understand!" Lalinda tries to comfort her. "I have my own, so you can always borrow mine!"

"Wait, you have your own?" Mia didn't expect to hear that. However, her offer isn't enough to keep her calm for long. Mia groans at the mere thought of seeing the professor. "It won't do anything but make me feel even worse! I can't keep up with anything to save my life!"

A loud rustle makes Mia and Lalinda jump. It's followed by a clatter, and Mia thinks she sees something red through the tall grass.

She approaches it carefully, in case a wild Pokémon decides to jump out. The familiar foldable tech on the grass has her frozen for a few seconds. It can't possibly be it, can it? Picking it up, it's clear that it is. Her Pokédex! She quickly opens it and turns it on to check on it. It seems perfectly fine! "Lalinda! It's okay!"

"Whoa! You found it!" Lalinda is by her side in seconds. She is relieved for her. But now, she brings up a question. "Wait. If Team Galactic had it… then how in the world did it end up here?"

That thought didn't cross her mind. "I… have no idea," Mia says. She takes a quick look around. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. "That's just weird…"

"Mmm… I guess fate had other plans," Lalinda says. "We should hurry to the Pokémon Center. Your party is in pretty bad shape. And, you know what? We should get some food there while we are at it."

She pauses.

"You know what? I guess we should head to my place afterwards. I'm actually kinda tired. We can leave in the morning," Lalinda says.

"Yeah." Mia remains where she is, even as Lalinda begins to walk. She feels like someone is here, and it's bugging her more than anything. However, she can't linger around. She has enough of the Valley Windworks for the day. So, pushing her uneasiness aside, she begins to move back to town.

What she doesn't know, is that she is being watched. A Galactic Grunt moves forward from behind the building, stiff and leaning.

The grunt continues to lean until they fall to the ground, unconscious. Standing behind, is the very teen she saved in Oreburgh. He watches her shrink in the distance before stepping over the grunt. In his hand is a black-top Pokéball he gives a light squeeze.

"Seems they didn't need much help, after all… even if they were in a rather tight situation…"

He looks at the capsule, sighing.

"I know we shouldn't be getting sidetracked, but I am not the type to just stand there and let chaos unfold when I can stop it. These Galactic people have a nerve, don't they? I wonder what this mess was about? What did they accomplish here?"

He looks at the unconscious grunt now.

"I would interrogate him, but maybe it's best for him to think he got careless and was knocked out by a loose branch or something. I have enough enemies already. To think it would lead to this… I just wanted to see the Fight Area. Is that too much to ask for?"

He shakes his head. There is no point in complaining.

"Then again, my troubles may be caused because I keep getting lost. I seriously need an electric town map. I have no clue on where I am right now. I suppose I have no choice but to resort to a silly alternative…"

He clips the Pokéball back on his waist, and he begins to head for the bridge.

"They say Eterna Forest is this way, right? It shouldn't be too bad. It's just a forest." He glances down the path leading to town. "I hope you stay out of trouble, mate."

- 0000 -

After a quick visit to the Pokémon Center, Lalinda leads Mia to her house, which is no bigger than Johanna's. However, it is decorated with several flowers and house plants. It is quite a sight.

Linda has no problem cooking a meal for them. They are served a massive fruit pie, actually. It is a bit strange to have as a meal, but Linda insists it is okay for her to have.

Afterwards, Lalinda invites Mia upstairs, pulling out a foldable bed for her to rest on. Her room is decorated with several posters of Pokémon, mostly of pink fish-like creatures shaped like a heart.

"They are called Luvdisc," Lalinda says as she sets sheets down on the bed. "They are native in the Hoenn region. You almost never see them here. I hope to have my own one day. They are just so cute!"

"They sure are," Mia agrees. The posters are impressive. However, the one hanging just above Lalinda's bed is what really has her attention.

She recognizes who it is.

The woman displayed there is wearing all black. It's all in her dressy coat that reaches down towards her ankles, her fuzzy black choker, her dress pants, boots, and even her oval hair clips Johanna likes to call 'Umbreon ears'. Her long and flowing blonde hair reaches her legs, and her grey eyes appear very welcoming. She holds a Pokéball above her head with a confident smile. The text below her reads;

Beloved Protector of History.

The Fearless Champion, Cynthia of Sinnoh.

It's the very woman who found her. It's been a few months since she last saw her.

...

The next morning, after saying their goodbyes, they leave Floaroma Town to keep moving. Mia would love to stick around a bit longer to see more of the town, but unfortunately, she isn't traveling for sight-seeing.

The town doesn't have what she is looking for.

Walking down Route 205 again, Mia quickly opens the device like a book as usual. The dual screen Pokedex. It apparently scanned the two Pokemon just encountered.

(Sinnoh Number 048.

Wurmple, the worm Pokemon.

Its typing is: Bug. Often targeted by bird Pokémon, it desperately resists by releasing poison from its tail spikes.)

Next comes the fire monkey.

(Sinnoh Number 005.

Monferno, the Playful Pokemon, and the evolved form of Chimchar.

Its type is: Fire and Fighting. It skillfully controls the intensity of the fire on its tail to keep its foes at an ideal distance.)

A previous thought returns to Mia's head. "So, you have a Pokédex?"

"I do," Lalinda answers. "It was given to me by Professor Rowan. He's the one who gave me my Chimchar."

That explains a few things. So, the professor personally knows her. He'll find their meeting interesting.

They cross the bridge in a hurry. Tall grass is almost too common, and trainers were just about anywhere. Just as seen before, the route has quite a rocky terrain the further it goes.

The place holds other trainers looking for a battle.

Lalinda battles against a lass. A Hiker challenges Mia with his Geodude and Onix. He was easily taken care of with Aqua, who isn't intimidated by a massive rock snake anymore.

Mia still isn't so willing to take any prize money she is offered. Most of the defeated trainers were persistent, so she takes it reluctantly.

She's making a lot more money than she's used to even seeing.

"You should harvest any berries you see growing out here," Lalinda says, leading Mia to a small rounded tree holding palm-sized berries.

Mia recognizes the blue ones. Johanna gave those to Razorleaf before. What's new are red ones that reminds Mia of cherries. There are light-blue ones that look like strawberries. There are pink ones shaped like plums…

The food here can really be different here.

"What are we doing with them? Eat them? Are we going to wash them first at least?" Mia isn't so eager to eat a fruit she isn't familiar with, but she will have to learn as much as she can about the world.

Then again, didn't Johanna use a few in her dishes?

Lalinda doesn't answer right away. She looks at Mia funny, and she realizes just how… behind she is. "How do you not know this?"

"The Trainers' School never taught me."

"That's because it's common knowledge!"

How many times is she going to hear that?

Lalinda sighs. "It's… it's fine. This is why we are together, to help each other out."

Mia feels stupider every time someone has to explain something they think she should already know. Why didn't Johanna inform her about this? Was she really that clingy?

"If you are ever stranded, berries are a life-saver. They taste really good. Some are sweet, some are bitter… your preferences matter," Lalinda says. "What's cool is that they have a different effect on Pokémon. These blue ones are Oran Berries. They can heal small wounds. The red ones are Cheri Berries, which break a Pokémon from paralysis. These lighter blue ones are Rawst Berries, which heal burns. The pink ones are Pecha Berries, which cures poisoning… these are the basics. You'll learn them soon. Just get a few. You'll always need them. Let your Pokémon hold on to them. It will help a lot."

Mia picks a few. Lalinda hands her a container to hold them in, and she carefully stores them in her bag. She catches a glimpse of the egg snug inside. It's still safe. It's a miracle Team Galactic didn't suspect she had anything valuable with her, other than the Pokédex.

They keep walking. Grass turns to rocky grounds, and they are brought higher. They cross a bridge, and Mia has to force herself to look straight ahead. Below her is a field, and a flowing river. She already feels dizzy by simply crossing. Lalinda takes notice of her discomfort.

"You're afraid of heights, aren't you?"

Mia feels her hand grab her arm. She is guided across the bridge. "Y-yeah. Sorry…"

"You are something else. Trainers have to go through a lot of high obstacles," Lalinda almost laughs. "It's alright. You aren't doing this alone anymore."

Once They reach the other side, Mia feels like she is at a mini-mountain. They keep walking, and she can feel the flowing wind. It doesn't seem to ever stop. She can see why the Valley Windworks is located where it is.

"There it is!" Lalinda points ahead. All that Mia can see is a huge long stretch of clustered trees that go on forever and ever. It seems the grass is growing again. There is a lone house nearby, but why so far out?

"All I see is a house."

Lalinda sighs, and she pulls Mia with her closer. There is a sign in front of the trees.

Rt. 205

Go North for Eterna Forest

Mia doesn't see a forest, just trees planted so neatly in endless rows. What she does notice is a clear path beside it, so she runs for it.

"Wait! You can't go there yet!"

Mia ignores her, and keeps going along a rocky cliffside until she sees a pair of small trees with just two branches blocking the path. Someone needs to cut it down.

Lalinda finally catches up with her. "See?"

"I can go around it." She walks for the space that the trees don't block, but instead of passing it, she face plants into an invisible wall.

That hurt.

Oom!

A strange thudding sound is well heard. Mia falls on her behind, and she stares at the trees Confused, she slowly rises and reaches past the tree, feeling the wall there. "What…?"

She places her other hand there. The strange sound is heard again. It's solid! It's actually solid!

"Wh-what? What?!" Mia presses her hands against it again, then her whole weight. The sound keeps playing with every attempt. Her brain has never been hit with something this strange in her entire life. "What the… I-I don't…" Her words struggle to come out. "How… this… Th-that doesn't… make any sense! There's space there!"

Mia waves a finger at it now.

"Space! Space! There is freakin' space here! What is this?! Why can't I walk around it?!"

Johanna never told her about this! Why doesn't Johanna ever tell her anything?! Did she expect her to figure this out on her own?!

"Are you okay?" Lalinda asks as she helps Mia to her feet.

"Okay… hear me out… I'm kinda not from around here, alright?" Mia tells her as she rubs her forehead. "Is there a good reason for this? Has it always been like this?"

"Well, yeah." Lalinda answers strangely. "And the rest of the world. This barrier won't go away until the tree is cut down. Then, it just grows back within an hour. The barrier is in other places, too. It's… completely normal."

"H-hold on-"

"These barriers were actually put here on purpose. I was told science made trees like this. They hold the same forcefield used to protect very important places, such as gyms, cities, a Pokémon League…"

"What? How…?" Mia's head is spinning at this point.

"It keeps the unwanted from wandering too far. Don't ask me. That's what my mother always told me," Lalinda explains. "It can't be broken unless a power greater than a human can shatter it. So that's when Pokémon come in. They don't usually cut a tree out of random, so trained Pokémon are the ones who do it."

"Wait. Who are the unwanted?"

"Evil things, maybe. Many stories said how they can bring great harm. These barriers were put up a long, long time ago. It was a defense mechanism against whatever the threat was, and they sure couldn't break it. Now, we just hack the barrier away to take shortcuts."

"What…?"

"But, we don't have to tools for that. Let's go!"

Lalinda walks off, and Mia just stares at the trees. What she just heard… leaves her with a lot of questions. She can only shake her head with a puzzled look on her face. "Wh-what?"

"Come on, Slowpoke!"

Mia quickly follows. Unfortunately for her, she can't get her mind off this.

It's stupid. She can't even go around a stupid tree!

"Is this what culture shock feels like?!" She asks herself.

No one will answer that.

Mia joins Lalinda in front of the tree cluster. Lalinda walks to one tree, and taps her foot on the dirt patch in front of them.

"Oh. Right." Mia remembers.

"Come on."

Mia cautiously takes a few steps towards it, and the world goes white for a few moments, and when it clears, a dark, murky, and thick forest stands before her. "Oh…"

Has her brother figured this out?

"Hello?" Lalinda calls her. Apparently, Mia drifted off. "Are we moving on or what?"

Mia begins to move forward. Tall grass rules the forest. She hears the constant rustling… and the noises.

ERRAH-ERRAH!

"What the heck?!" Mia jumps at the screaming sound that harmed her ears. "What was that?!"

Wha-wh-wh-whrrr!

Blrr-wheh-wheh!

Lalinda rolls her eyes at Mia's reactions. "Calm down. It's just wild Pokemon cries. Gastly… Buneary... Budew…" She named the cries in order.

She knows her Pokémon.

Mia has too much to learn.

They silently walk through the forest. Meanwhile, Mia uses her Pokedex to learn about the Pokémon encountered so far.

A black sphere engulfed by purple gas appears on the screen first. It has big menacing eyes, and a mouth wearing a cruel open smile.

(Sinnoh Number 069.

Gastly, the Gas Pokemon.

Its typing is: Ghost and Poison. Born from gases, anyone would faint if engulfed by its gaseous body, which contains poison.)

Well… that's dangerous.

The next Pokémon is a bipedal brown rabbit. It has cream-colored fluffy fur from the waist down. Its feet are the same color, and it has a puff of fur on the tip of both ears. One of them is rolled into a ball against its head.

(Sinnoh Number 067.

Buneary, the Rabbit Pokemon.

It's typing is: Normal. It's ears are always rolled up. They can be forcefully extended to shatter even a large boulder.)

How can a rabbit be that strong?

Lalinds removes a Pokéball from her own Pokebelt. "I have a Shinx."

Is she offering a look into it?

The Pokédex scans the Pokeball, and another explanation is done. An image of a blue feline-like creature appears on the screen. The lower half of its body is black. The end of its tail has the same yellow star-like shape the inside of its ears have. Its yellow eyes seem focused.

(Sinnoh Number 017.

Shinx, the Flash Pokemon.

It's typing is: Electric. The extension and contraction of its muscles generates electricity. It glows when in trouble.)

"Yeah, go ahead and keep doing that. You're gonna need to know a lot." Lalinda is amused by how much the Pokédex is being used.

Mia frowns at this. "You're making fun of me are you?"

She simply responds with a smile.

…

It feels like half an hour has past. They had pretty much talked about everything, such as how they started their journey, and their battle against Roark. Mia learned that Lalinda is the only child. Lalinda feels some envy towards Mia for having a twin brother. She is curious about what that is like.

It can be a joy, or the most annoying thing. Most of the time… it's a joy.

Mia takes note of the crooked tree she thought she saw two times before. It's a bit concerning since a walk this long shouldn't even happen. They took their breaks but… it feels like they are getting nowhere.

"Hey… didn't we already pass that?" Mia quickly takes note of that.

Lalinda seems to realize this too, because her expression displays complete worry. "Oh, no! Are we lost? I just hope we don't run into an Ursaring or anything…"

What's an Ursaring? Mia pulls out her Pokédex to look it up, but all it says is how they aren't native.

"Wait." Lalinds turns to Mia with an idea. "What does the map say about this place?! Maybe it can show us a way out!"

Mia doesn't hesitate to take it out.

Eterna Forest.

A forest enveloped in chilly air. Thick stands of trees turn the forest into a natural maze.

That can't be good.

"That doesn't help me at all!" Lalinda shouts.

"Just you? What about me?!" Mia shouts back, only she's a little freaked at this point.

"Pah. Look at you two fools."

Mia recognizes that voice anywhere. Her body instinctively freezes up. She was so caught up in everything, she completely forgot about him.

She meets the face of Marlen, who looks at them like they are stupid. He has his arms crossed, and he notices Lalinda next to her. "I see that you made a new friend. She's clearly as stupid as you are. Pitiful."

"Hey! Watch it!" Lalinda growls.

"You don't scare me," he says coolly. "You say that you're lost, but common sense would tell you to use your Flying-types to scout for you."

Well, he isn't wrong. His attitude just doesn't make anything better. Lalinda has enough of it. She whispers into Mia's ear. "Who is he?"

"Marlen," Mia whispers back.

"Look at him. He's such a jerk."

Mia glances at him, seeing his judging stare. She replies quietly. "He's always so mean to me… and he thinks he's better than everyone. Don't talk to him, please…"

Lalinda isn't pleased by what she just heard. She corrects what she said earlier. "Actually he's a brat."

"Who are you calling a brat?!" He clearly overheard their small talk. His anger doesn't last long. He seems to have something planned, so he shrugs it off. "None of this should be my concern. I'm not going to waste my time with you. I have some strong Pokemon to catch."

Thankfully, he walks away. The way he carries himself tells Mia he knows where he is going.

"He's annoying," Lalinda growls. "I just met him, and I already hate the guy. He always picks on you?"

Mia nods, shamefully.

"I need you to grow a spine," she replies. "Look. He isn't going to mess with you so easily with me around. It's the best I can do since you stood up against that commander. You are capable of being brave, I've seen it."

Mia isn't sure how to take that. It is a bit ironic. Even if it is scary, she brings herself to protect others. However, she can't seem to be able to protect herself very well…

"Come on. Let's send them out," Lalinda says.

They prepare to send out their flying-types, but they feel the ground shake violently as a loud crash fills the air. Several Pokémon flee from the grass. Their cries are heard just about everywhere.

"What was that?!" Lalinda shouts. "Something bad, I bet!"

"Sounds like something crashed!" Mia notes. She didn't like the sound of it.

They exchange glances, and they sprint towards the sound. They ignore the wild Pokemon who shout and yowl. Up ahead, a large helicopter is totaled and smoking. It could burst into flames at any moment. Mia being curious, approaches the vehicle, and quickly noticed the yellow "G" logo on it.

Team Galactic. Serves them right.

"How ironic." Lalinda huffed, amused with what she sees. "Karma got to them."

"Looks like something took them down," Mia says. "I wonder what it is?"

The helicopter door opens, and it breaks off. It falls to the ground with another crash. A couple grunts came out coughing heavily.

"It's Dumb and Dummy." Lalinda recognizes the particular pair. She elbows Mia. "The girl is Dummy."

"Nice meeting you here, too," 'Dummy' says, with sarcasm. "What do you two want?"

"How did you two crash?" Mia asks. And now, she wonders how they managed to escape with little injuries. Maybe they didn't fall so far? The vehicle looks badly beaten, not in pieces.

"I feel terrible myself," Dummy replies angrily. "I told him not to try to take a shortcut. There is none here! We flew right into a barrier!"

Barrier? Lalinda talked about it before. Mia didn't think it was capable of taking down a helicopter.

"That was smart…" Lalinda comments.

The Dumb growls at his partner. "Quiet. Don't pin the blame on me. You should had convinced me better. I was hoping to take a shortcut so that-" He pauses and grows angry. "You brat! You're trying to get information out of us!"

"No I'm not," Lalinda frowns.

"Oh, yes you are! I hate sneaky kids like you!"

"I'm not sneaky."

"Yes you are!"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are!"

"Not."

"Are!"

'Nuh-uh"

"Uh-huh!"

"I say not."

"I say so!"

"You're not my dad."

"Of course not!"

"Then why are you telling me?'

"What are you even talking about?!"

"By the gods! Enough of this!" Dummy shouts. "You are wasting time! Let's get out of here before that lady show around!"

What? They are running from someone? Better question. Where is Commander Mars?

"I mean… you did it to yourself," Lalinda says. "You're the one who held those people hostage, including my mom. You lead yourself to this fate."

"Okay! That's it!" Dummy growls, angrily taking out a Pokéball. "Glameow! Take care of the little brat!"

She can't even send the Pokémon out. A massive trail of flames flies out of nowhere and hits the vehicle. The grunts panic and scramble feet away.

"What the hell was that?! A Flamethrower?!" Dummy is quick to her feet. "You kids couldn't have done that! Don't tell me she found us already!"

URRRA-URRRR!

That sounds like a throaty roar...

Mia freezes along with everyone else. A fast moving shadow swoops over them. Looking up, she sees who it is, and it scares her.

It lands in front of them, and it roars once more. It's built in a way that reminds Mia of a shark. The beast is an apex predator at first glance.

Its scaly body is a navy-blue. Its head is like a hammer, with a yellow-star mark at the very point. It has a massive fin sprouting from its back and forearms. Its finned tail is long and thick enough to send a person flying. Its throat and most of its stomach is a dark red, and the lower half is a bright yellow. It has a single white claw as a hand, massive and dangerous. Two white spikes sprout from Its arms and thighs. Its clawed feet effortlessly dig into the dirt.

It stands tall and looks at them with its intimidating yellow eyes that glow through the deep black sockets. It flashes its fangs, letting out a low and dangerous growl.

"Oh, hell! She tracked us all the way here?!" Dumb shoots a glare at Dummy. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?! The real fault is yours!

The dragon snarls at them both, silencing them immediately. It turns to the kids' direction, and Mia backs away quickly with her new friend. She doesn't want to turn its anger towards her. "Uh…hi…?"

"We're done here Garchomp!"

The voice is instantly recognizable. Mia hasn't heard it in so long, but she finds herself surprised, and relieved. Turning around, she sees a pair of grey eyes.

The same eyes she saw that comforted her that day.

"Cynthia!" Mia can't stop herself from screaming out the name.

"You… you know the Champion?!" Lalinda looks at Mia in pure disbelief.

Cynthia walks past until she is next to the angry dragon.

The two grunts remain on the floor, completely terrified. They crawl back as the woman walks closer, staring them down.

Mia has never seen her so serious before…

"Where is your commander?" Cynthia asks firmly. "And don't make up any stories. I was informed about what took place in the Valley Windworks. I know she was involved."

"Sh-she's not with us! Honest!" Dumb panics, holding his hands up in surrender. "We were just heading out, that's all!"

"It's just us two!" Dummy quickly adds.

Cynthia turns to her Pokémon.

The dragon glances at her, and it springs from the ground and lands on the flaming vehicle. It sinks its massive claws into the metal and tears it apart within seconds, checking the interior. After several seconds, the Pokémon jumps back, grumbling at its trainer.

"She was wise to not ride along," Cynthia says. "If you are alone, then you're just a decoy. The commander must had went to her base. Not a bad play…"

She figured all of that out?

"You two are still young. You can easily turn your life around for the better. So, I'll let you go," Cynthia says. "Just so you can send them a message."

The grunts slowly stand, staring at the woman. Her Pokémon takes a few steps forward. It's enough to have the pair move back before breaking into a sprint.

They are out of sight in no time. Mia is amazed by how well Cynthia handled things. Turning to her, she bows her head. "Thank you, Cynthia."

"No. It's fine." Cynthia laughs. "I heard that you left Oreburgh, so I was hoping to run into you somehow. I already found your brother in Eterna City. He's on his way to getting his second gym badge."

"Already?" Mia sighs. He is always one step ahead of her.

"But who is this with you? You made a friend?" Cynthia turns to Lalinda who stares back before waving.

"I-I'm Lalinda… nice to meet you." Lalinda introduces herself, and she seems in awe with her.

Cynthia bows. "People call me "The Fearless Champion, Cynthia of Sinnoh". However, you don't have to be so formal with me. My name is just fine."

The Pokémon snorts at them both. They are quick to step back.

Cynthia turns and strokes the dragon carefully. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you unless I order her to do so."

She?

"Pokédex…" Mia mutters. "Who's that Pokémon?"

(Sinnoh Number 111.

Garchomp, the Mach Pokémon, and the evolved form of Gabite.

Its typing is: Dragon and Ground. It is said that when one runs at high speed, its wings create blades of wind that can fell nearby trees.)

"Whoa…" Lalinda is in awe to hear this.

She shows them a friendly smile. "I've known Mia since she was a little girl. It took a lot of talking with Johanna to convince her to let Mia go and experience the world on her own. I do understand her concerns… since being outside of your comfort zone can be a bit much."

"Yeah. Thanks for saving our skin," Mia finally says. "That's one powerful… er… Garchomp right?"

She nods. "So I'm guessing that you're heading for Eterna city?"

"That's right."

"Then I'll lead you."

Mia would try to decline, but then again, she's still lost.

"You'll lead us? The Fearless Champion?!" Lalinda nearly shrieks. She struggles to hold her composure.

Cynthia gives her a smile.

They follow the rest of the way. None of the wild Pokemon dare to ambush them. She can't blame them. The Garchomp is intimidating.

Lalinda looks like she could burst from excitement at any moment. She pulls Mia close as she glances at Cynthia. She whispers, "You know what's really cool? That fluffy choker around her neck... It's not just there for style...!"

Mia pulls back a bit, not liking the hot breath against her ear. It's not just that. The way she said that was a bit creepy. "What...?"

Cynthia's Garchomp looks at them now.

"I heard that she wears it to cover up a scary scar..." Lalinda whispers this dramatically. "She survived the imposisble...!"

"... What?"

"You know... it is a little rude to whisper about someone behind their back," Cynthia responds, making Lalinda become as still as a statue. She stops and turns, smiling warmly. "You really are a fan if you know that much."

"Wait. That's true?!" Mia blurts out.

Cynthia places a hand against her hip. "It's nothing more than an accident that happened when I was a kid. People just like to use their imagination. Such as your friend, hm?"

"Uh..." Lalinda only stares back.

"I was a foolish kid. Lake Verity isn't a place you can fool around in. Perhaps I had upset the guardian?"

Now Lalinda looks nervous.

Cynthia chuckles as she begins to guide them again.

Lalinda is a little quieter now.

Mia had known Cynthia for some time, but she never heard about her having some sort of accident. It happened at the lake near Twinleaf Town out of all places? Mia doesn't want to pry for more answers, but she noticed Cynthia shaking her head as soon as she turned around.

Maybe it is personal?

She won't try to think too much about it.

"So, I heard from Roark that you did well against him." Cynthia says, focusing on another subject.

"You know Roark?" Mia is a bit surprised.

"Well, it shouldn't be too shocking. You know my position, don't you?" Cynthia smiles. "I also heard about your battles against Team Galactic. You fought well. Seeing that you're safe is a good reason to celebrate. It all started in Oreburgh, didn't it? You aren't the type to fight unless you have a good reason to."

"Well… they were picking on someone."

"I see."

"He was running from something, actually. Maybe you would know? Some Pokémon Hunters were trying to catch him. He gave me this since they were after it…"

"After…?"

"Well… it was an egg… um." Mia carefully sets her bag down. Opening the top, she pulls out the incubator the egg is held inside.

Cynthia takes a good long look at it. Lalinda joins her side, impressed by what she sees.

"There must be a rare Pokémon in there," Cynthia says. "If a Pokémon Hunter was after it, then it must be worth a lot of money. They had plans to sell it."

"That's what he told me," Mia says.

"I guess you had every reason to freak out when I tried to free you from that String Shot trap," Lalinda notes.

Not exactly it… but it is a valid reason.

"It appears to move occasionally, so it is close to hatching. It will be a few days," Cynthia takes note. She carefully pushes the container back in the bag and closes it. "Take good care of it."

"You know I will." Mia will make sure of it. Maybe if she does meet with that teen again, she'll see if she can return it. But she doubts he would want it back.

"I can only wonder who it was? The person who gave it to you sounded like they were in a lot of trouble," Cynthia says. "Do you remember what he looks like?"

Mia can't exactly forget. "Well… he looked a little older than me. He had light brown skin, short and dark purple hair… yellow eyes…" She pauses for a second. "He also has an accent. So I guess Sinnohan isn't his first language?"

Cynthia appears very surprised. "If that is who I think it is…" She sighs. "He only came here for a simple vacation. Why does he have to pull himself into trouble…?"

"Huh? You know him?" Mia asks.

"I have an idea on who you are talking about. Though, we shouldn't worry too much. If it is him, then he's strong enough to defend himself from them. What I don't get is why he trusted you so quickly when you were a complete stranger to him? I don't always understand the way his mind works…"

Mia would ask more questions, but Cynthia is already on the move.

"We should get going. Standing here too long isn't very ideal."

Lalinda watches her for several seconds, and she pulls her fists close to her chest. "Yes! My mama is going to freak when she hears about this! I got to meet Champion Cynthia…!"

Mia and Lalinda follow, relying on her for directions. Mia realizes that since Cynthia is here, she can see her progress. Johanna did say she was doing her best research along with the professor. There has to be some kind of update.

"Cynthia…" Mia begins. "Did you find anything about The Insight?"

Cynthia pauses, and she looks at Lalinda for a second, who seems too busy observing the forest to pick up on what was just said. She looks back at Mia. "You can't carelessly throw that around. Someone seems to be after it."

"After it…? So it's an object?" Mia asks.

"Not sure… but whatever it is, it was recorded a long time ago. I haven't found much about it yet, so I have been visiting Eterna and Canalave City to see if there are answers there. My hometown doesn't seem to have much to say about it. So you coming to Eterna is perfect timing for me."

"Hey. Mia, Ms. Cynthia," Lalinda calls them from behind. "What's that straight ahead?"

Mia looks ahead. Just through another thick patch of tall grass is what appears to be a mansion. Weeds and vines had overtook the structure which is coated with years of dirt… it's been abandoned for a long time. Three small trees guard the fence.

Mia will assume they are there to guard, since they are a… barrier.

She still can't get over that.

"That's the Old Chataeu. Used to be owned by a wealthy family long ago. But, it was abandoned for some reason, and now the local residents call it haunted," Cynthia explains. "It's only inhabited by Ghost-type Pokémon. Nothing else would be there unless some person wants to try to loot their way through."

They walk past until they face a dead end where trees rule. Just as seen before, a dirt patch reveals that there is a hidden path. It is taken, and they are transported out of the forest. They are greeted with a sign.

Rt. 205

Go West for Eterna Forest.

Next to the sign is a patch of tall grass and a yellow tree that stands out, accompanied by a row of berry trees. This part of the route is small but charming in a way. The path makes a turn south, leading to a dead end of flat rising rocks. Coming closer, Mia realizes that there is an opening to the west, leading exactly where those pesky trees were.

It could have been a shortcut, but she had nothing to cut it down with.

Why do those trees have to make her suffer?

"This is Route 205 continued," Cynthia explains as she follows the dirt path that leads them towards a bridge. It is built over a calm pond. "Watch your step."

Mia and Lalinda follow her across. Nearby fishermen seem to be silently hoping to get a bite. They don't notice them. Once they reach dry land on the other side, they are greeted with another sign.

Rt. 205

Go East for Eterna City.

So, they go East. It seems the pond could have easily been walked around if someone is eager to battle wild Pokémon. The bridge is simply a faster route. Grass is replaced with flat dirt. Countless footprints prove people walk past on the regular. Dirt turns into a dark stone road.

Mia feels worn down stone touch her feet, and she looks ahead, greeted by an old and worn-down city. It's not as large as Jubilife was… but it's still much bigger than any other place she visited. The residents seem quiet and keep things to themselves. From the way it looks, the place is hardly touched by technology. Even the tall buildings look a bit outdated.

She approaches the wooden sign to take a read.

Eterna City. 'History Living'.

"Take out your town map," Cynthia suggests. "It should give you a good idea about this place."

Mia pulls out the blue case and opens it. The map of Sinnoh appears on screen. Her current location is pretty far from Twinleaf Town, Northeast from Floaroma Town. Now, the marker has turned red. She zooms in for the information.

An old city that shows fading and almost-forgotten vestiges of ancient history.

The Cycle Shop is located here. There is also a big building with a slightly sinister atmosphere.

Closing the device, she turns to Cynthia. "Sinister building?"

"It stands out the most since it was recently built." Cynthia guides them further in, and in the distance is the familiar red roof of a Pokémon Center. But, North from that is a tall blue building that sticks out like a sore thumb. It's not built like the others at all.

There's even a strange rotating yellow ring at the very roof. Whatever the purpose is can't be guessed. There doesn't seem to be anyone entering or leaving the building. It could be closed for the day… but it's still midway.

"Down South should be the gym. Just look for a large building with a brown roof," Cynthia says.

"Of course. That's why I was heading here," Mia says with a hint of excitement. "I have to thank you, Cynthia."

Garchomp snorts. Mia nearly forgot she is around.

"Oh, and you too, Garchomp."

"No problem. I won't interfere with your challenge, so I'll be going. But, after your battle… I'll see if I can get with you again. If I do find anything, I'll inform you as soon as I can."

"Wait!" Lalinda calls her before she could go anywhere. "Ms. Cynthia… is it okay if-"

Cynthia takes her hand, shaking it lightly. "It was a pleasure. Look after Mia for me, alright?"

She walks away, leaving the two alone again.

After a few moments of silence, Lalinda looks at her hand. "I shook her hand… I can't believe it! I'm so telling mama about this!"

Maybe Mia took knowing Cynthia for granted.

Lalinda turns to Mia, speaking excitedly. "You never told me you knew the Champion! Do you know how crazy that is?!"

Mia never really thought of it as a big deal. However, thinking back from what she learned in Trainers' School, does that mean…?

"Wait… after gathering all the badges… you have to face the Elite Four and then the regional Champion, right? I would have to battle against her?"

"Yeah. I'm surprised you know that," Lalinda says. "But that's not the crazy part. You knew her all this time! Does that mean you get special privileges or something? They say that the Champion sits on the throne, you know! She basically runs the country!"

"I… heard that champions do," Mia says. "Though.. I can't see how that even works…"

Lalinda just looks at her funny. Her excitement seems to die here. It's like what Mia just said is stupid.

Lalinda wouldn't understand.

It's just like Mia hardly understands most logic here. Cynthia always seems so nice and all, so she never really saw her as someone of high authority… or whatever it is. She can't exactly say she is a queen or a President, or anything related.

How exactly does order work here? The Champion has the final say, right? What if the Champion is a kid? It's possible for children to become champions. But, they are too young to make massive decisions.

Why do they trust the Champion to make the final decisions?

She has so many questions. The way this world works… it's almost a mess in her perspective. At the same time… it's not?

She is very confused at this point.

But, if Team Galactic is afraid of Cynthia, then she is someone Sinnohans really look up to. Lalinda is clear evidence.

"Well… anyway, no. I don't have any… special privileges," Mia finally answers Lalinda's question. "If I get any of that, it won't help me learn anything. I pretty much got thrown into this journey with a little understanding of things."

"When you say that, yeah… I guess not," Lalinda says. "Well, we are here now. What are you waiting for? Let's get going!"

"I hear ya," Mia says. "Let's find that gym… and hopefully my brother didn't go too far." She walks quickly, hoping it won't take too long. Many residents watch her and her friend head past, but one in particular takes interest.

He adjusts his navy blue fedora, and snatches the feather from the side of it. He watches them with his dark blue eyes, grinning small.

"Ah, yes… one of the children…"

---

To be Continued to Chapter 8!