The journey had been long and tedious, but Toxtricity was approaching the land she recalled from her earliest days. Reuniclus helped her, as he searched for the forgotten memories in her subconscious and brought them to light. She had been born in this rough land long ago, or so it seemed.

The sky had been overcast with spotty showers for the past several days. Heading northeast had been easy enough when the sun was shining but navigating when the sky was obscured was another obstacle. Having been used to relying on herself, Toxtricity had paid attention to older pokémon in the forest whenever they offered tips regarding how they got around off the trodden paths.

Reuniclus told her how the land they lived on was an island, and that the prevailing wind blew from the southwest. The types of clouds in the sky might indicate storms, different types of trees indicated how much water was nearby, and different pokémon offered a clue as to the nearby environment.

Toxtricity examined an oak tree standing stately by itself with no other obstructions around it to hamper its growth. As expected, one side grew more vertically while the other side spread out more horizontally. She approached the tree, going underneath the canopy to inspect its trunk. The tree leaned in one direction, and opposite said direction where several roots in thick lines anchoring the tree to the earth.

North is that way, she thought, knowing the tree's growth indicated that on the northern side the canopy grew more vertically, and its roots braced itself in the opposing direction thanks to the wind.

Stuck on the tree's bark were several lines of ivy, all which confirmed her deductions. She examined the canopy, looking for lichens. Lichens needed clean air and oftentimes poison types being around them inhibited their growth or simply killed them.

Her heart leapt with a burst of exhilaration. Most pokémon would appreciate the lichens as a sign of pure air, but Toxtricity was delighted as this meant she might find what she was looking for— her own kind. She traveled another moon to reach this destination, and along the way she asked about where this group of toxtricity might be. Some pokémon fled from her, some gave her attitude, and others gave her wrong directions. She knew her kind had a bad reputation but hadn't imagined that asking simple questions would be difficult. Oftentimes she ended up relying on herself, as usual.

Her birthplace had been northeast of the forest she was fostered in and Hydreigon's mountain. It was farther away than she originally thought— if it was near. She walked out from underneath the tree and listened closely for any vibrations in the air that she would recognize. She liked to charge, or in her mind, play, during the evening, so she guessed her kind did as well. It was too early for the routine practice, as it was sometime after mid-day. If one did it, preferably another low-ender, whose tones traveled farther, her quest would be much easier. She could perform the same, but since her kind weren't altruistic, she was unsure of how she'd be received.

The few bird pokémon circling the skies alerted each other of her presence, so they knew what she was immediately. She continued to search for more visible signs of toxtricity and toxel. She decided to expand her search to an east-west axis. She searched the land to the west, discovering more trees and greenery in that direction. Under what she assumed was a beech tree about two hundred feet away, she noticed a liepard with a purloin resting against the base of the tree, with the presumably mother liepard curled around the purloin. Another good sign. She headed toward the two feline pokémon and noted that the two were sound asleep. Toxtricity watched them for a minute and offered a small smile at them, envisioning the day when she'd have a child to call her own.

Liepard enjoyed fish, and so did toxtricity if they didn't have an appetite for bugs. The lush vegetation nearby implied a flood plain. The beeches started to turn into ash and sycamore trees as she walked east. Farther away in the same direction was a titanic mountain range, and given it Toxtricity hoped there was a river, creek, or a lake that existed because of its runoff.

After shifting through more undergrowth and trees, the electric bassist hurried through the woodland with purpose upon seeing a willow tree farther away. Upon encountering it, she stopped and listened. A gentle rustling of nearby foliage told her she wasn't alone. To the north were two nickit playing with each other. She searched around for their parents but didn't find them in the vicinity.

Toxtricity guessed the parents must be fishing. She resumed her walk toward the west, and as she expected, found a body of water. The loch was about several hundred feet wide and a bit narrower in length. Across the body of water, she saw a thin line of trees transform into the side of the mountain she had seen from farther away.

Toxtricity stayed close to the water's edge, but remained hugging the tree line, as she knew anything nearby could discern her if she stood out in the open. She hadn't found a thievul by the water, but she discovered another pokémon fishing fifty feet away that made her take in a sharp breath.

She put a hand on her chest as if to steady her heart, as she saw another toxtricity, the first since her mother. The fishing toxtricity was the same form as her, and the same gender as well, although only pokémon of the same species could tell that by sight alone. The fishing toxtricity was hauling in seemingly anything she could find, and beside her were the fish she caught. The number of fish signaled that she was feeding more than herself.

Toxtricity hesitated. She wanted to approach the pokémon. She came out from behind the tree she was hiding behind and examined her shaking hands. She shook her head and then sighed, taking in deep breaths to steady her nerves. Once she felt more secure, she inched toward the other toxtricity, but hadn't gone far, for something grabbed her from behind and clasped one of its arms over her chest, muffling her cry.

"Caught you," the pokémon said. Toxtricity judged quickly by his voice that a toxtricity of the complementary form was restraining her. "I thought you were my friend for a hot second. Fisher!"

The other low key toxtricity fishing turned her head toward him and the pokémon he snagged. She got to her feet immediately and plucked at the protrusions on her chest, which sent her form's signature low tones in the air. She then walked toward the two, and after a minute, more low tones greeted their ears. To any other pokémon, it was just toxtricity noise, but this was as if saying, "An intruder!" and the response being, "Roger."

Fisher—the newcomer understood the naming trend— stood a bit away from her accomplice and the unknown toxtricity. "What was she doing?" Fisher asked.

"Spying," he said. "She might be from a rival band. It's pretty stupid of her to try. She wasn't bothering to hide."

The stranger had been scrutinizing Fisher's face in front of her since the newcomer only looked at herself briefly in still puddles. She felt stunned. The body of a male of the complementary form against her wasn't helping matters. His scent mingled with that of the vegetation and the outcast knew she liked it.

"Hunter, let her go a bit so we can hear her," Fisher said.

Hunter did, and it made her voice audible.

"What's your name?"

Saying "Toxtricity" sounded brainless. She had no role like the two natives near her. "I don't have one," she said, feeling quite empty for being a nobody.

"How?" Fisher asked. "That makes no sense."

A few more toxtricity began to show themselves to the three. All of them identified the rogue immediately and began to study her. One of the low-enders walked directly up to the newcomer. She had a shimmering silver scarf tied around her neck. The newcomer didn't understand the reason for her wearing it. It was summer….

Hunter said to her, "She's either an idiot, or she's feigning like I'd never seen. Is your brother coming, Sentinel?"

"He's on his way," Sentinel said, glaring at the outsider. Her gaze lingered on the unknown toxtricity and did not avert from her the entire time. It occurred to the newcomer than the circumspect low-ender was the one who answered Fisher's call.

"Is she alone?" Sentinel asked her teammates. "She might just be bait."

"I didn't see, smell, or hear any others. Just her," Hunter said.

The three native toxtricity kept the newcomer cemented to the ground where she stood. Fisher, Hunter, and Sentinel felt or appeared to be stronger than she was. Shortly after, a toxtricity and one older toxel who heard the alarm filtered through the trees and glimpsed at the outcast with apprehension, whispering to each other. Stern and angry Sentinel continued to scrutinize the outcast, as if she were trying to assess her reason for being here without talking to her, which was a common low-ender trait.

The outsider witnessed a quartet approaching her shortly after and within seconds she pointed out which one was the leader. He was the amped form, and comparing his figure with those of his brethren, he was tougher than the rest of them. On each of his arms was a silver band, which almost matched the color of his sister's scarf. Were they signs of their authority? He stared at the newcomer with a self-satisfied expression. The outsider avoided his eyes. If she tried to meet them, he might think she was challenging him, and given his strength and several more four-seasons of experience he would defeat her.

He walked up to stand about six feet away from the newcomer. He waved his arm and said, "Let her go. She's a young one and I doubt her attacks will harm me."

Hunter relieved his grip on the rogue toxtricity. Hunter took several steps back and stood near Fisher behind the newcomer.

The outcast toxtricity felt welcome relief that her chest was no longer being crushed and that she could speak again. She took in several deep breaths and gave a brief glance around her at the ten toxtricity and one toxel, who were suspicious of her. The leader wasted no time and said, "I hope you've enough brains to recognize I'm the premier of this band. You were spying on one of my ladies." He looked away from the outsider and behind her, where Fisher was standing. "Care to explain?"

She decided that telling him the truth was the fastest way out of her debacle. "I wasn't sure how to approach her."

"What?" he asked with a shrug. "Really?"

The outcast nodded. "If I'd approached her, she might have thought I wanted to steal the fish. If I spoke to her instead, she might have just attacked me."

"She's not wrong," Fisher said with a laugh.

"So that's settled," the Premier said. "Now, what band are you from?"

"Band?" the outcast asked. She heard the term before but wasn't sure what he meant by it.

Some of the nearby toxtricity chuckled, and others looked at the newcomer flabbergasted. The Premier placed his hands upon his sides and started to laugh. "Are you kidding me right now?"

The newcomer felt a pang of nervousness in her belly.

The Premier's face darkened as he cocked his head at her. "You're an imbecile, and you're wasting my time." He waved his arm as if dismissing her.

"I'm guessing it's what you call your group," she said.

The Premier opened his mouth and then shut it. He looked behind the outsider and Hunter said, "How would you not know?"

Fisher said, "She's abnormal… or stupid."

"Both," Hunter said. "With the way she was shaking, you'd imagine she'd never seen toxtricity before."

The newcomer wanted to say she hadn't since she was about a four-season old. Yet, if she said that, they'd probably have another caustic remark to give her.

The Premier's eyes came alive with an idea. "She might not be one of us," he said.

The scrutiny the outsider was under seemed to double after the Premier's words. Fisher said, "She could be a ditto…."

A wave rippled over the assembled pokémon. All those except the toxel moved in closer to the Premier and the outsider. The Premier said, "That would explain a lot. She looks a lot like you, Fisher."

The outsider's heart sank as the toxtricities' faces began to display scowls. They appeared to be itching to charge, and this signaled they wished to attack.

"Listen," the Premier growled, "If you are imitating us, we'll make you regret you thought such a thing. You're lucky you found this band. Others might simply kill you."

"I am not," she said, trying to keep her uneasy stomach and increasing distress under control. She cringed, and it gave away her inner turmoil. She couldn't believe she made it here to greet this hostility. Her mind swam as she recalled the condition she was in after Hydreigon's attack. If the situation weren't so serious, she would have laughed. Pokémon fled from her during her journey to this location because she was what these pokémon were saying she was not.

"Liar," he said, straightening up. "You don't look certain."

There was no persuading them now. All those rumors about toxtricity being aggressive and proud seemed to be true. Yet, she was one, so what was there to fear? She felt a wave of audacity well up inside her. She stepped toward the band leader and challenged him. "Then prove me wrong!"

The Premier moved in one swift motion toward the outsider and grabbed her neck with one of his hands. "Look at me," he said.

She looked him in the eye, and his own conveyed a scarcely veiled disgust. He tilted her head to the left and right, examining her facial features closely. He looked behind her at Fisher and shook his head. He released her, pushing her away as he did. "She's too intricate."

He turned his back toward her and seemed to be thinking. The outcast knew that a toxtricity turning away from an opponent was a sign of submissiveness. She won the battle; he knew she was no ditto. She smiled softly. A few of the toxtricity in her periphery noticed the same, and it seemed that the Premier likewise caught his blunder.

Just as she was going to ask if his antics were over, the Premier spun around once more in a swift motion with an electrified hand raised in the air. "Or she's a zoroark!" He brought it down on her and struck her directly in the chest, which made her scream in fright as well as produce the bass tones of all low key forms.

She threw him a glare as she stilled the organs on her chest. She shook her head at the Premier. A toxtricity's organs were sensitive, and the pokémon never let another strum them, unless it was a mate. After they waited a minute and no zoroark replaced the newcomer, the outsider put her arms out and roared, "Do I pass the test?"

The crowd seemed confounded, for the outsider was indeed one of their kind. The Premier stood before the newcomer with an attentive expression and said, "What's your story, lady?"

She brought her hand to her forehead, like she had a headache. "Now you ask!" She lowered her arm to her side. "Well, I was born here, some seven four-seasons ago," she started.

"Four-seasons? You mean cycles?" the Premier clarified.

"That's the term the swamp-dwelling southerners use," the Premier's scarved sister said. "You can't be from around here if you're using that jargon. You're a liar."

The newcomer fixed an indifferent expression on her face. It seemed like she was going to make much use of it like she always did to hide her annoyance. "Let me finish. My mother then left from here and took me with her. I lived with her for a short while, but I believe she was killed. I was alone briefly until I was fostered."

"Wait," the Premier said, his look that of bewilderment, "Fostered where?"

The outsider looked at Sentinel and suppressed giving her a sneer, but the entire band was watching. "I was raised in the south." She turned back to the band leader. "I lived in a forest next to a river, and across that river was a wetland. Overall, it was a journey of three moons to reach here."

"You walked from there to here by yourself?" he asked.

She looked around. "Do you see anyone holding my hand?"

The Premier was surprised. He looked at the outcast with a renewed interest. His harsh glower softened to mild admiration. "You're not pulling my strings?"

"No," she said emphatically, "Although you pulled mine."

"Hey!" he snapped as he caught her sarcasm. "I'm the leader of these punks and I deal with problems swiftly."

It seemed that he used the word "punk" as a mere form of address when almost every other pokémon would consider being called one an insult. Toxtricity were proud to say it. It was an effective way to disregard the amount of aversion that most pokémon had for them.

"I'm a problem?" She shook her head. "How? I've been a toxtricity for three moons!"

"Just three moons of seven cycles!" the Premier exclaimed. He ignored her questions, but the outsider guessed she was in no position to ask. It was going to be a learning experience to understand her own kind.

The Premier continued, "No wonder why you look quite weak for a seven-cycle-old. Why were you a toxel for so long?"

"All stages in life have benefits. I was much less deplorable, and maybe even cute, as some older pokémon told me."

Some of the neighboring band members laughed.

Hunter said, "True. Who in his right mind would attack our harmless babies?"

The Premier averted his gaze and frowned at Hunter. The outsider noticed this peculiarly and wondered what it meant. The Premier returned to the outcast and said, "None of us would ever waste so much time to evolve, even you blue fellows!"

"Well, it's obvious that you need impulse control," she said.

He displayed a shocked expression and pointed at her. "And you need to lose that dumb look on your face."

"C'mon," an old low key toxtricity started. "Let's leave the perpetual form debate for another time. I want to hear what she has to say."

The newcomer observed the old low key toxtricity throwing a serious glance at the Premier. It was clear to the outcast that this select one was an elder: he was comparatively ancient among them. He walked hunched over and with a visible limp. His calm reaction toward the Premier showed his words carried weight in this band.

The elder stepped forward and asked, "So, you navigated through many woods, crags, and plains just to reach us? Why?"

"I told you," she grumbled. Either these toxtricity had bad hearing or too preoccupied with insulting her to listen. "My mother was from here too. I was wondering if anyone would know the reason for her leaving with me."

"If you're telling the truth, are you saying…" the Premier said as he stepped closer to her. He was studying her, but the outsider didn't know what he was thinking about. He pondered a lot for an amped toxtricity.

A toxtricity to the right waved her arm, catching the newcomer's attention. Near her feet was the sole toxel, so she must be his mother. The Premier noted the outcast looking away from him and both looked at the other pokémon. She was a mature amped toxtricity, but not as senior as the elder. Said elder remained silent while he listened to the newcomer's statement.

"You're the babe that Apothecary left with?" she completed for the sidetracked leader.

"Apothecary? That was what you called her?" The outcast turned toward the band member she was talking to. "That makes a lot a sense. She taught me what plants were best to eat."

"I'm Forager. I worked with her all the time." Forager smiled at her briefly and then looked at her son. The elder hadn't said anything, but he squinted at the newcomer and didn't avert his eyes from her.

"I can't believe…" Fisher started from behind her. The outsider turned around to witness Fisher without her distant look and instead she appeared appalled. "You're my long-lost cousin."

"Since I'm not a ditto," the outsider began, "that explains a lot."

"It's insane! I remember you crawling across the commons after your mother!" Fisher crossed her arms. "But how'd you find this place? You left as a little babe… there's no way you could remember it."

The newcomer smiled and snapped her fingers. "Yet there is."

"Well, tell us!" the toxel shouted. He looked up and around at the band members, all of them agreeing with him.

"I knew a psychic pokémon and I let him search my subconscious for my youngest memories."

"A psychic!" Sentinel blurted out. "You trust them? Obviously very stupid—"

The Premier shot a glower at his sister. "Quit it," he interrupted. The Premier reverted to the outsider and asked, "You mean you went through something that uncomfortable just to know about your past and us?"

"Yes… while I still was a toxel."

"Is she just talk though?" Hunter asked. "Them psychics only interact with us if they created another plan to cull us. They can't stand us."

"No," she snapped, tired of being interrupted. "I didn't walk moons just to tell you a woe-is-me story. From the direction I'm standing" —she faced north northeast— "there's a cliff face pockmarked with shallow caves you use as dwellings. There's a cleared common area in front of it. Right?"

If any band member wasn't listening, they were now. The Premier's mouth dropped open. He said, "The grounds still look much like that. That's crazy!"

"She probably scouted the common grounds prior," Sentinel announced. "Don't be a fool brother, there's no way this whelp could've done what she claims!"

The newcomer taunted, "Yet, you came from the commons when you responded to Fisher. Someone would have detected my foreign scent if I was that close. The wind's blowing mostly from the south. Isn't your job to detect trespassers near camp? You are Sentinel."

The outsider no doubt offended the other punk. Sentinel's look was of pure malice. "You little bitch—" The scarved low-ender stepped toward the outsider.

"I don't care who you are. I'm not tolerating your lies!" the newcomer retorted. Her voice raised, and it was loud enough to produce a crackling sound with it. "What have I done to you? You don't even know me!"

To everyone's surprise, the elder stepped out between them. "You're damn toxtricity, not purloin," the elder interjected, looking at both irate low-enders. "Settle this with a proper fight if you really insist. If not, then where were we?"

Sentinel waved her hand. "Please, we know the victor before the fight begins." She stuck her tongue out at the outsider and then inclined her head with an arrogant smirk on her face. She removed herself from the discussion and watched the assembly from the rear. She remained to watch the newcomer like a corviknight who found prey.

The outsider rolled her eyes. This behavior reminded her much of Morgrem, and she was thankful she had to deal with him as it prepared her for Sentinel, who clearly hated her. She was unsure as to why. Most of the other band members looked apprehensive, curious, or doubtful of her, but she didn't feel that they were out for her blood. At least she hoped they weren't.

The newcomer sighed and refocused. "So, what happened to my mother that caused her to leave? There are fewer of you than I expected to see… did something drastic happen?"

The Premier said, "A few are lingering elsewhere, but we used to be four times this. It's quite a tale."

"Clearly there was a fight, as I experienced you don't play nice. Over what?"

"It actually started with your mother," he said.

"What'd she do? I knew she had a temper and was sassy and all, but that's pretty typical of you," she said.

"Watch it," he warned. He redirected the conversation and said, "Your mother mated with a pokémon outside the band, which for the Premier at the time was forbidden. She—the Premier— exiled you and your mother permanently, and if she was still here, I doubt much would be left of you."

Forager inserted, "Your mum and I were good friends. She told me about the escapade, and we kept it hidden. However, the old Premier became suspicious of your mother's long absences, and she found out."

The newcomer looked up at the sky. She returned to those around her, who desired to hear the story and they drew closer. "Don't we prefer our complementary forms before other mates?"

"We do," the Premier said. "However, I and some others were noticing a worrying trend. Our band was getting weaker, and our young died often. Babes died after hatching if the eggs even hatched at all. We once were the strongest band around. The Premier didn't want us intermingling with any others, or other pokémon."

The young low-ender said, "You became interbred. Was the last premier the only one with that rule?"

"The only one to require it," the elder said. "About twenty cycles before I was born, a bunch of psychic pokémon almost wiped us toxtricity out. They didn't want to intermingle with other pokémon out of distrust, so the succeeding generations mostly interbred, unless outcasts came, or a punk had a fling with another pokémon. Finally, it came to a head with the last premier."

The Premier nodded. "She still had plenty of loyal followers. However, I didn't understand how we would remain strong if our pride was going to destroy us all. I challenged the Premier for leadership, and" —he cast out his arms— "here we are."

The outcast noticed some of the band's glances kept retreating to Fisher. She hadn't said anything for a while, but it seemed she wasn't one to talk. However, the outsider noted how Fisher seemed to shrink down and back away behind Hunter, like she wanted to hide.

The outcast asked, "How are we related?"

Fisher glanced at Hunter, as if a cue for him to tell her. "Your mother and Fisher's mother are sisters. The old Premier is Fisher's mother."

The newcomer's mouth parted in surprise. Fisher wasn't too many four-seasons older than she was, although she probably evolved much sooner.

The elder shifted on his feet. "We didn't know what became of either of you when Apothecary left. I knew your mother cared for you, but she wasn't the most responsible pokémon. I didn't think you would manage to survive long enough to evolve."

"You're my…" she trailed off.

He didn't give a plain answer, but he said, "I'm glad Fisher and you haven't taken after your mothers." He smiled.

"Why did you stay here?" the outcast asked Fisher.

Fisher gave a wordless answer. It would have slipped past the newcomer if she hadn't been vigilant. Fisher's eyes darted toward the Premier for a second, and then returned to her cousin.

Obviously, there was competition for the Premier. The low key forms outnumbered the amped ones, and considering inbreeding, there might be a few toxtricity the Premier wanted to become intimate with. The outcast turned around toward the leader, who had stepped even closer to her. "My mother sounded desperate for a child," she said.

The leader said, "She tried several times for an egg the premier's way. One babe lived three moons at the most. By her third dead child she decided the rules for herself."

"Why she regarded me with a surfeit of affection makes sense. I don't blame her. I'm glad. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

"You came here just for that? To learn this story?" Hunter asked.

"No," the outsider said. "I've another reason now. Remember I said I think my mother was killed?"

"You know who's responsible?" Forager asked.

"A dragon or his minions. I encountered him and he left me in a real state…" her eyes lowered as she recalled being a poor excuse for a toxtricity until she recovered from her wounds.

"You fought a dragon?" Hunter asked.

"I had to. He attacked me while I was fishing, imagine that." She glanced at mute Fisher once more.

"Oh. Elaborate," the Premier said.

The outcast spoke about her encounter with Hydreigon. She also told the band that she was exiled from her forest after the Premier wanted to hear her backstory. She explained her time in the forest as a toxel and who fostered her and how she evolved.

"Your story's so crazy I don't think you could've made it up," the Premier told her. His eyes seemed to shine as the light dwindled from the sky, making the bright toxtricity stand out even more. The glint in his eyes looked like it was becoming fiercer.

"We've heard passersby talk about that Hydreigon. Pokémon had to abandon the area because he ousted them," Hunter said. "Some pokémon came all the way up here, but once they learned this was our territory, they avoided here."

"That forest is too quiet. It's full of food, but no pokémon are around," she said.

"He came this way not too long ago," the Premier said. "I spoke with him, and he seemed reasonable, but I had no reason to trust him."

The outsider blinked. She felt awash with relief that she hadn't encountered him again on the trip up here. "What did he want?"

The Premier put his hand on his chin. "Thinking about it, he might have been asking about you."

"What?" the outsider exclaimed.

"He asked about a female low-ender, recently evolved, showing promise… sounds like you. He asked if you left here or something like that. I told him to find some other band to bother. Our most recently evolved low-ender is Mason, but he's male."

"He pissed me off. I was caustic, and only wanted to enjoy some fish. Don't get between me and my dinner," she said.

"I'll remember."

"Thing that bothered me was he proclaimed he could make me stronger… like he knows better than I do. He can't do what we can. How would he teach me?"

This caught the Premier's attention. "Are you here to learn from us?"

"Who's better? An arrogant dragon or my own kind who do this on the daily? I thought this was the more logical choice."

The Premier smiled at her. He had been flattered, and now desire filled his eyes. "You've come to the right place," he said.

A.N./ I can't call all the toxtricity, well, Toxtricity. So, like many people back in the day, their names reflect their occupations. By now you probably noticed I often call the low key form "low-ender". This simplifies wording (especially in conversation).

The band of toxtricity live near what would be Galar Route 7 (the only place in-game where toxel are found despite the weather).

Yes. I get weirded out that in-game I can put a mother and her son in the day care and the offspring are completely fine. (And there's an egg in two minutes.) As in real life, inbreeding has consequences here, and with one of the toxtricity I'll show how that manifested in a future chapter.