Chapter 6:

Keeping the Dreams Alive

Location: Striaton City

"I love my Badge!" I sung for the world to hear. "One down, seven to go baby!"

"Calm down!" Bianca said. Cheren had already gone off to the Gym at this point. You can't blame him; he does like to prepare early after all. "Remember our plan?"

Ah yes. Today me and Bianca are going to do some training at the Dreamyard. She needs a counter against Water Types after all, so I presume that she would get Pansage.

"Bianca, I'm not like you. I don't have to do things ASAP. We have all day." Just then, I noticed a woman jotting some things down on a notepad. She was wearing a long white labcoat and had long, black hair. She had small glasses and a small bow in her hair that looks like a flower. She seemed invested, but she quickly peered up to see me. Her face lit up, as if she was seeing a friend for the first time in years. I can assure you I've never seen here before.

"Oh, my gosh. You wouldn't happen to be, yes you are! Hilbert and Bianca!" she said gleefully.

The two of us just looked at each other awkwardly.

"Yes, that's us?" I said unsure. "What's your name?"

"Okay okay, calm down. My name is Fennel, I'm a Scientist who researchers dreams. I also happen to be the bestie of Professor Juniper herself! She said to look out for you two if you happen to reach Striaton City which, news flash, is where we are!"

"Well, we're on our way to the Dreamyard" I told her. "We need training."

"Well," she said, adjusting her glasses. "Surely you two wouldn't have a moment to come to my house a minute, would you?"

I was not too keen with going in a stranger's house.

"I'm… not sure" Bianca said. "Maybe we could call Professor Juniper first?"

Despite her unorganized nature, Bianca always has good ideas. I tapped away on the Xtransceiver and got up Professor Juniper's number. Her face appeared pixelated on the screen.

"Hello Hilbert, how a-"

Fennel pushed my face away and took up the whole camera.

"Aurea, it's me! Fennel!"

Professor Juniper continued to smile. "Hello Fennel. I presume you've met our friends."

Fennel nodded. "Yes, and we're off to the Dreamyard after we visit my house."

Was she even invited?

"Nothing to worry about" Juniper assured us. "We went to Smogon University together, she's a nice person. Go and see what she wants."

Juniper signed off, assuring our safety.

"Well, I guess we could" I said. "Show us the way!"


Fennel led us to one of the many apartments. She was on the top floor and her room was, something alright. It had a giant machine in the middle that seemed to be pumping something. There was also a pink poster with flowers on it.

"Amenita?" Fennel yelled. "We have guests!"

A nerdy girl, maybe about 17, in a blue dress and round glasses peered over the machine at us.

"What has my big sister roped you guys into?" she asked. She didn't mind and went over to the kitchen to make up some tea.

Me and Bianca sat down on the pink sofa. We were starting to guess correctly what Fennel's favourite colour was.

"So, Hilbert. Word on the street is you got a Badge. Is that right?"

I took out my Badge Case and showed her my Trio Badge. "Yeah, I'm proud of it."

"Great! Then hold on a sec!" She went into her pocket and pulled out a HM. "You'll be able to use this since I don't have any Pokémon, at the moment. This contains Cut, allowing you to cut down trees outside battle."

This was helpful, I knew about the tree blocking the way to the Dreamyard.

"Thanks Fennel!" I said.

Fennel looked out the window. In the distance we could see the rubble remains of the Dreamyard. Fennel sighed. "That… was a day and a half. We tried making a Dream Mist from a nightmare produced by the Mythical Pokémon that causes them, and the whole factory exploded. I made it out alive, but no one else did. The Pokémon we tested on? I'm not sure. My dear, where are you?"

"Here we go again" Amenita said giving us the tea. "Always going on about the Dreamyard, Munna and Musharna. She lost them in the disaster, or so she thinks. She holds onto some hope that they're still alive."

I looked at Fennel. She was a lot less animated.

"Fennel, you can come with us to the Dreamyard if you want" I said. I mean, she had insisted she came along, but I could see why now.

Fennel peered in our direction. "Really?" she murmured. She wasn't crying, but she was clearly reliving not so fond memories.

"Yeah!" Bianca said. "I'm sure Munna is still there, and Musharna to! We can't promise anything, but we'll at least attempt to find them!"

Fennel adjusted her glasses. "Then so be it. To the Dreamyard!"


Location: Dreamyard

Fennel rubbed the remains of the stone wall, as a million memories flooded back to her, both positive and negative. Those are the bare basics that I know of. I don't know much about dreams aside from ones I can remember, like that time I was the size of a Joltik and everyone around me seemed giant. Or that time I dreamed I was skydiving from Unity Tower.

"I'm gonna see Panelope" Bianca said, as she spotted the woman in the short distance. She was inspecting a boy's Oshawott. Well, it wasn't actually an Oshawott. He had just painted a basketball white.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she yelled. "Come back with a real one!"

Fennel remained quiet, the complete opposite to what she was about an hour ago when we first met her.

"You can go home if you don't feel comfortable" I assured her.

"It's not that" she said. "Be quiet a minute."

I pricked up my ears a bit. Very, very faintly, I could her an echoed squishy sound.

"That's Munna's cry!" Fennel said. "It might be here!"

Bianca came back, Pansage on her shoulder. "Well, Panelope really wanted to check Tepig's authenticity. But hey, I got Pansage now!"

I had taught Pansear Cut, so I sent it out. "Okay Pansear, do your stuff!" Pansear swiped down the tree, and it fell. "Okay, let's find Munna and Musharna!"

We went round the corner of the Dreamyard and saw something in the distance. It was round, pink and had a purple floral pattern spotted on it.


Munna (ムンナ)

023

Psychic Type

Dream Eater Pokémon

2'00" (0.6 m)

51.4 lbs (23.3 kg)

It eats the dreams of people and Pokémon. When it eats a pleasant dream, it expels pink-colored mist.


"That's what the Dream Mist is" Fennel informed. She got a better look at the Munna. "Could it really be?" She started to tear up. "Munna!"

She ran up to Munna. Instead of looking thrilled, it seemed to crouch up a bit in fear, still floating on the spot. It shook wildly. Before Fennel could get a hug in, she stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You shouldn't be scared" Bianca assured it. "Fennel's your friend."

"It's not scared of her" a voice from the round the corner came.

Suddenly, two Team Plasma Grunts ran from round the corner, blocking us from Munna's view.

"Well well, lookie what we have here" the F Grunt said. "It seems that we have come into the presence of the one who disagrees with our lord Ghetsis. Funny that, I thought you would be too stupid to interfere with our operations."

"Take that back!" Bianca shouted, remembering that Munna was at risk. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be spreading your stupid propaganda?"

"That's not it" Grunt M said. "We want to use the Dream Mist to make people dream about liberating Pokémon. Munna, would you do so?"

Munna couldn't. It floated back slowly.

"Well, if that's how you wanna do it…" Grunt M kicked Munna backwards. It landed on the floor.

"MUNNA!" Fennel shouted.

"Leave it alone!" I said. "If you think that's anyway to treat a Pokémon…" I couldn't say anymore, I was fuming. "You want Munna, you go through us first!"

Me and Bianca stood in front of Munna. "Hilbert, what do you say to our first Double Battle?"

I tilted my hat. "I say that's a great idea Bianca."

"Don't even try!" Grunt M said.


Hilbert and Bianca vs Team Plasma Grunt M and Team Plasma Grunt F

"Oshawott, go!" I shouted.

"You're up Tepig!" Bianca replied.

"Patrat, go!" Grunt M commanded.

"Go get em Purrloin!" Grunt F said. "Start with Scratch!" Purrloin scratched Oshawott, who managed to nullify some of the damage using its scalchop as a shield.

"Oshawott, Water Gun!" Oshawott shot water at Purloin.

"Patrat, Bite go!" Patrat bit down on Oshawott as a revenge attempt.

"Tepig, Tackle it off!" Tepig tackled its body into Patrat, forcing it to lose grip.

"Oshawott, one more Water Gun!" Oshawott fired another jet of water at Patrat. It went flying and back onto the ground, fainting.

"PLAAAAASSSSMMMAAAA!" they both yelled.

"Nice!" Bianca said, as we hugged each other in delight. "Okay, back to the matter at hand."


"Enough is enough" I told them. "Leave this place."

Grunt M looked at Munna. It was starting to cry from fear.

"Just give up the Dream Mist!" Now he stomped on Munna, preventing any kind of escape.

"Right I've had it with you!" I said. I was about to rush forward and get physical when, I could see Ghetsis just behind them.

"What is this?" he said.

I stepped back. I knew better than to mess with the big man. He walked slowly to the Grunts, adding to the intimidation. They were quivering.

"Don't hurt him!" Bianca begged.

"Don't be ridiculous" he snarled. "It's them I'm concerned about."

At this point, Grunt M had taken his foot off Munna, who now scurried into Fennel's arms.

"Munna, I've missed you!" Fennel cried.

"I'm disappointed in both of you. Team Plasma's aim is to liberate Pokémon from human harm, and here you are beating up a wild Pokémon! I'll talk about your punishment later with the rest of the sages, return to the castle."

Both Grunts saluted. "Yes sir" they muttered.

Grunt F gave me an evil stare. "You may have won this time but mark our words. Team Plasma will prevail!" They scurried off; there was no point running after them.

We saw them go away, but when we turned back, Ghetsis was gone.

"Where are you Ghetsis?!" I yelled.

Fennel started laughing with Munna. "That wasn't Ghetsis, that was the Dream Mist! Only one Pokémon can pull off a stunt that perfectly!"

Floating onto the scene was a Pokémon that looked like Munna. However, it was larger, half its body was purple, and it lacked the floral pattern. It also had a pink mist emerging from its forehead.


Musharna (ムシャ-ナ)

024

Psychic Type

Drowsing Pokémon

3'07" (1.1 m)

133.4 lbs (60.5 kg)

The mist emanating from their foreheads is packed with the dreams of people and Pokémon.

Munna -Moon Stone- Musharna


"Musharna's alive to!" I shouted.

Fennel went over and hugged it, Munna to. "I've missed you both!" she wailed, tears rolling down her cheek and onto Musharna's plump body. "I'm sorry we made you go through this mess." Musharna smiled, indicating forgiveness. "Munna, let's go home. There is something I should do for both of you for your help."


Location: Striaton City

Back at Fennel's place, we discussed what just went down.

"Is Munna alright?" I asked. It was still bruised from the bashing from those thugs. "Team Plasma. I hate them with every fibre of my soul."

"That's a strong word" Bianca said. "But I can see where you're coming from. There is no forgiveness for what they did."

Amenita came over to us. "May I please have your Xtransceivers?" she said. "I'll only need it for a minute."

Me and Bianca gave them to her without hesitation. I then sent out Oshawott, who was exhausted. We hadn't even stopped at the Pokémon Center yet. Oshawott fell forward and went to sleep.

"Is it dreaming?" Bianca asked.

"Let's see" Fennel said. Munna went up to Oshawott and opened its mouth. Dream Mist started emanating from its forehead and an image started to appear. It was of a large 4 legged dark blue Pokémon with a mighty horn.

"That's a Samurott!" Amenita said, noticing what was going on. "Oshawott's final form in its evolutionary stage. Maybe that's Oshawott's dream; it wants to evolve!"

That was an understandable dream that many Pokémon do indeed imagine. I would make a promise to Oshawott that it would happen as I picked it up.

Amenita gave us back our Xtranscievers. "I've upgraded it to include a C-Gear. Now this is an upgrade that is in beta so it may be a bit glitchy now and different when it reaches store shelves, but you guys should be in contact easier with this. Tell your friend Cheren that I have one more for him to when you see it."

"We will!" we both said.


Team Plasma were at it again, but with teamwork, me and Bianca took them down. All this led to a lot of great stuff happening. Bianca got a new Pansage (though she wants to catch a Munna to) and we both got the C-Gear. With that, my time in Striation City has drawn to a close.