"I sure do," Shiloh said, holding Aspen out on one arm. The Pokémon made it most of the way to the bed, before the butler gestured in their direction, making Shiloh retreat.
"Tell the young mistress about yourself, Holly. June, this might be your new governess. If you see anything out of place, please say so. You deserve the best company."
The child reached to the side, manipulating the hospital-bed controls. She rose slowly, settling into a sitting position. "Do you know anything about Shaymin, Dalton?" the girl asked, sticking her tongue out. "They're... the best at reading people. They smell the bad air, and they run away to someone else. Miss... Holly must be nice if she has one."
She. That word cut deeper than Shiloh was used to. It was so much easier when the illusion just made her into herself. But forced into another human shape, she couldn't just pretend it was an insignificant detail compared to everything else.
Being a female victini was background noise. A female human, not so much.
June didn't seem to care, though. Just being around her seemed to revive the child. Her eyes weren't so glazed, and there were little flashes of color on her face. She's rotting away in here without any stimulation.
Briar was watching almost as intently, wiggling across the bed and into her lap. Good thing none of these humans could tell the difference between Pokémon that well, or they might realize one must be a copy.
The butler bowed at her remark, retreating a few steps. "I'll give you two a few minutes. Ring me if you need anything, young mistress." Then he turned, making his polite exit back the way he'd come.
"Aspen?" The shaymin sat up from where she rested in the child's lap, looking from her to Shiloh, then back. "Who's under that illusion?"
"Shiloh!" Aspen said, eagerly. "We're here to rescue you! Mewtwo helped us find you."
We could go right now, Shiloh thought. I could fly us out that window.
She must've been doing more than just thinking, because Briar looked up, shaking that tiny shaymin head. "That would break her heart, Shiloh. Are you even seeing her?"
"She likes you too!" June giggled, watching the illusion with fascination. "That... makes sense. Do they know each other?"
Without the butler to tell her not to, Shiloh lowered Aspen onto the bed. She made her way right over to Briar, sniffing at his illusion. "How did you trick the humans like this? You smell all wrong."
"They can't smell," Briar answered, sticking his tongue out. "Or understand a word I say. The kid just wants attention."
Shiloh pulled over one of the chairs, then settled down beside the child. She couldn't get distracted listening to the quiet Pokémon conversation. Her desire to interrogate Briar would have to wait. Now how to get him to leave...
"They might," she said. "Shaymin live in these big packs way up north. I'm sure lots of them know each other." She looked down, running one hand absently through Aspen's leaves. It had been a long, long time since she'd felt the need to pet a Pokémon like that. But she hadn't been human until recently either.
"I know that part," June said. "I know more about shaymin than anyone. I've wanted one since I was really little, but before Mom and—" She sniffed, looking away. Shiloh needed no psychic powers to feel her pain. "Wouldn't let me have a Pokémon of my own. But now I do! Isn't she wonderful?"
She held out her hand, and Briar looked up, away from his quiet conversation with Aspen. He hopped up into her lap, circled around once, then pressed up against her fingers. "See? Shaymin is very nice. Dalton found her trying to get inside, while I was asleep. She hasn't left since."
Aspen hopped up onto the empty hospital tray, closer to Shiloh. "Can you smell that, Shiloh? She's dying."
She tried not to react. Shiloh couldn't smell anything beyond what was visibly obvious. They were sitting in a hospital room, surrounded by antiseptic and life-support equipment. The girl was shriveled and pale and every move took visible effort.
"I know," she thought back. Easier when she was just talking to the room's Pokémon occupants. Hopefully she didn't lose focus and confuse the child while she was at it. Or worse, provoke a reaction that would get those armed guards called up here.
"She's wonderful, sweetheart," she said. "Have you given her a name yet?"
"Oh, I... uh... was thinking about that," June said. Even after their short conversation, she was visibly wearing out. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, and the pulse-monitor was slowly accelerating. "What did you name them?"
Shiloh hesitated. But no matter how loudly she broadcast her desire to get moving to Briar, he stubbornly remained on her lap.
"This kid doesn't have much longer," he said. "The only thing she wants in the whole world is a shaymin to be with her. Whatever I could do to help you—it's not as important as what I'm doing right now. I could've escaped whenever I wanted out that window. I'm not going."
June's face lit up, and she settled both hands around her false shaymin. "I think she likes you too."
How could Shiloh argue the point? Mirage will break in herself if we don't get you out, might be true, but it was hard to argue with a child who had so little else.
"Every shaymin I've met has been—better company than I feel like I deserve, sometimes. They're loyal and loving."
What space wasn't occupied by medical equipment stored Pokémon memorabilia—most of it shaymin related. Shiloh hadn't noticed so much green and red when she first walked inside, but it was impossible to miss when she was looking for it.
"Staying with her doesn't help!" Aspen called—loud enough that even the girl looked down. "What was your plan, sit there and wait for her to die?"
June extended one shaking hand towards Aspen, nudging her with two fingers. The Pokémon let her do it. Were Shaymin usually so open to strangers? "What do you think they're saying, Miss Holly?"
"I think they're saying how much they like you," she answered. "My friend here, she doesn't think it's fair that you're so sick."
Briar turned to real anger now. She hopped down from June's lap, glaring up at Aspen. "Someone has to! I know you have a world to save, or maybe you're past that and Shiloh wants me to be human again. That stuff will all still be there after this kid runs out of time. It can wait."
As he said it, June spasmed once, her thin limbs straining. "I... think I better lay back down." She took the controls in her other hand, and the bed slowly began to retract.
At almost the same moment, Shiloh felt another mind nearby, approaching again. The butler was watching from nearby. He'll be back as soon as June falls asleep.
"I need... some time to think," Aspen said. "Some time to figure it out. But we can help her."
"I hope I get to see you again, Miss Holly," June said. "But I think... I got a little too excited. I'll rest now." She closed her eyes, settling onto her pillows.
"It was nice meeting you too," Shiloh said. "Sleep well." All the money in the world, and they can't find her a cure.
"Briar," Aspen said, charging suddenly towards her. "Change places with me. Go with Shiloh. I'll stay with this human child. I can help her, you can't."
"What?" Shiloh gasped, mouth hanging open. The kid was already drifting off, but probably not completely asleep yet. "Aspen, Lane will—"
"Mom does this kinda thing all the time!" she snapped. She reached Briar, nudging him out of the way, then over to the child, wedging under her hand. "She won't hurt me. And the fighting you do—you don't need me. Go."
The door clattered open, and the Butler gestured for her. But Shiloh hesitated, looking desperately between them. Give up one Pokémon for another? "How do we find you?"
"You don't," Aspen said, annoyed. "We'll find you. I've flown around the whole world, Shiloh. You're the kitten, remember? I was only there to help care for the others."
The butler tapped one impatient foot. If Shiloh didn't get moving now, this might turn ugly.
"You better be able to help," Briar said, backing away from the girl. "If you leave June while she's alive, I'll be..." The flowers on her back opened to their full size, the only visible sign of her anger. "Upset."
Shiloh removed the flower from her hair with one hand, then reached down for her Pokémon with the same motion. She tossed it there for Aspen, then scooped Briar up off the bed, turning to hurry out after Dalton.
He led her out through the door, then shut it quietly behind them. "I watched your exchange," he said, as soon as they were out.
"I'll admit, my feelings on it are—somewhat mixed. I've never seen the young mistress so quick to accept someone. The last two women who visited had her hysterical. Her health simply can't take the strain, and you kept her happy."
Shiloh was barely even listening. She held Briar awkwardly in both hands. Her friend was only just now discovering her body was not truly solid. She could hold things up, but only with her powers, which were quite a bit less steady.
Now we just need to get out again without getting killed. That would be trivial for Lane, who could put people to sleep, stop their bullets, and change them into Pokémon. Shiloh was a little shaky on whether she could even use her fire, if she had to.
"There is one troubling detail, however," he continued, turning to face her in the hall. "My view of your conversation seemed completely unobstructed. The camera appeared to be working correctly. But when you spoke, I could... make no sense of it. Did your Pokémon disrupt the security system?"
"I don't... think so," Shiloh said. "Shaymin are grass-types, right? Grass/flying, if they have their flower. I don't think there should be."
"Hmm." The butler stroked his chin, eyes narrowing as he looked her over. "Now I hear you so clearly. I'll have to call the electrician as well..." He turned, waving for her to follow. "Congratulations, Miss Holly. You've passed the young mistress's test. Follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."
The next few hours were little more than an agonizing waiting-game. Shiloh and Briar went through the motions, filling out forms, and standing to be fitted for her uniform. She kept right on playing along, until the evening came and she was finally alone in her quarters.
"I don't like leaving her," Briar said, as Shiloh hopped up onto her bed, and started fiddling with the window.
It was a basement room, but that didn't really matter. That little basement window wouldn't open wide enough for a human being, but she didn't really need it to.
"Even if the kid wasn't dying, Aspen will be on her own. Are you just gonna trade the mew's daughter for me?"
"No," Shiloh snapped. "Aspen didn't give me a choice. She decided to stay. Maybe she knows some healing moves that work on humans—you want to go back and get her?"
Briar hopped up onto the windowsill beside her. He didn't look like a shaymin anymore, but the same dark fox Shiloh remembered. Some part of her still felt the brief brush of discomfort against the dark-type, but only for an instant.
Briar had far less power than Mirage. His emotions were still hard to read, or they would be if he didn't broadcast them with his ears and tail so obviously. "I guess not. Shouldn't we stay until she's finished?"
Shiloh sighed. "Mirage won't wait for you that long. Besides that—I'm not convinced Lane can solve this whole crisis without my help. She needed me to win against Team Plasma to find you."
Briar looked up, tilting his head to the side in mock-judgment. "I'm... a little surprised you came back for me," he admitted. "I didn't think I would see you again."
Shiloh wiped away tears from her eyes. Real ones. "I guess I deserved that. I couldn't leave you behind. Just like I can't leave Lane on her own to deal with the whole mind-virus thing. We're winning this, no matter what."