Being an adult blows. Stuff's piled up, and I had no time to work on this, but it's here now.

I still don't own anything.

Just as a quick note, because it's come up in the comments several times, the French is part of the world building process. It exists for several reasons.

1. Helps showcase the OC's initial unease with being in a foreign country and not being able to understand the local language.

2. Shows the continued challenges of being in a foreign country where the local language is not your native tongue.

3. Reinforce the French culture of Kalos, which is canon, and there is literally French in the English version of the game for that exact same reason.

The French is not going away. It will be greatly reduced, and translations are provided at the end of the chapter if they aren't immediately given in the story.

Please enjoy the cultural enrichment it provides.

Chapter 19: Seiche

I lightly spun the pokéstop in front of Trevor's house after he and Tierno were safely tucked inside. I'd managed to convince both boys that Loxley's strange behavior was just him as a psychic picking up on all the stress in the city, and they'd finally relented to staying put and letting me head back to the hotel on my own. It was sweet that they were worried about me, but terribly ironic considering they had been the ones in danger.

Scooping Loxley up as soon as we were out of sight around the corner, I broke into a jog. He quickly wiggled up to secure a spot on my shoulders as I hoofed it back to North Boulevard. His claws scraped lightly against my scalp as he looked around, nose up and ears twitching. But despite both our nerves, nothing happened as we made our way around traffic cones and hazard tape back to the hotel.

Not feeling up for either of the dungeons I currently had available, I dumped my backpack back into my inventory screen and summoned the Super Training dungeon almost as soon as I shut the suite door behind me.

Gamer's Mind be damned, I needed to work off some of this stress before I snapped at someone.

Welcome Back to Super Training! In this Instant Dungeon you can -

I dismissed the rest of the introduction box and let my pokémon loose in the gymnasium with me.

"Alright everyone!" I clapped, mostly to get the attention of Zen and Levi who were bouncing around again. "We've all been in here before, so…"

Several groans echoed up at me from my pokémon. I gave my team a flat expression. They returned it with a barrage of soulful kicked puppy looks of their own.

"I don't like it either," I admitted with a roll of my eyes. "But our only other options are either more bugs or freaking ghosts so suck it up." I ignored the huffs and whines I got in response. "Look you guys," I cajoled, "The balloon sessions suck, I know. But if we get them over with we don't have to use them anymore."

I gestured widely around at the various equipment filling the dungeon's floor. All but two machines were greyed out, unable to be used.

"Today's goal is to complete the different sessions and unlock all this stuff," I continued despite my unenthusiastic audience. "I want to be able to actually use this dungeon without having to kick footballs all day. We need the stat points, too, since there seems to be no end to trouble around here."

There were still several grumbles, but before I could say anything else Loxley let out a sharp yip and started growling. Frustration grated across my mind. Images of game windows. Danger. Unseen enemies. A longing to win. Determination.

Delacour answered with a defiant chirp, standing straighter with a ruffle of feathers. The other four looked resigned, but seemed to understand.

Loxley nodded once, and then turned to me with a foxy grin.

"You're the best," I praised. "You all are. Which is why we're gonna finish this stupid dungeon's balloon sessions so we can start using some of this equipment." I took a moment to eye the greyed-out weight bench Tobio and Delacour were perched on. "Or at least I will. Or you." I swung a calculating gaze to Loxley, who looked alarmed. "I have been neglecting your physical stats."

My starter grumbled, looking between his admittedly small paws and the human sized weight bench. He gave me a grumpy look before summoning a blue display panel on his own to show the various options for the dungeon.

Loxley snickered as I gaped at him.

"When did you learn how to do that?!" I demanded, completely unnerved at the braixen's ability to manipulate the Game. I knew he could use windows already open, but I'd never seen him call one up before.

The only answer I got was another cheeky grin as he tapped through the menu options. I muttered half-hearted objections under my breath as my starter showed a curious Basil the different sessions, growling what I could only guess were explanations.

"And I suppose you can understand all of it too?" I asked, still stuck on how quickly Loxley had learned how to use my Gamer abilities.

"Rais!" he nodded, still grinning.

"Of course you can," I muttered, torn between terrified and proud of his rapid mental growth. Were all psychic pokémon this clever? Or was it the Game again?

"Brai!" Loxley cheered again, and beckoned me over to the screen.

Curious as to what the clever fox wanted, I peered down at the selected program. And blinked.

"Loxley, no."

"Rais!"

"Are you crazy? No!"

A wave of mental irritation stormed over my frontal cortex, giving me the beginnings of a dreadful headache. I refused to give in, and glared down at the yellow vulpine.

"I don't care if it does increase the wisdom stat. You are a fire type," I snapped at my starter through the grating sensation and pointed accusingly at the tentacool he had highlighted. "That is a water-based challenge. You don't even like to get dripped on, there's no way I'm putting you in a pool! Not to mention the damage it would do to you!"

"Ririri!"

Levi bounced over, interrupting the impromptu glaring contest between Loxley and me before it could really take off. He hopped cheerfully between us, cuddling both of our ankles and purring loudly between his happy chirps. It was obvious he wanted something.

Loxley twitched his ears at the little blue mouse, before folding his arms and looking away with a grumble.

I snickered, realizing what Levi was trying to get.

"It's a water thing," I repeated. "Makes sense to let him try it first."

Loxley huffed a puff of smoke as the smallest member of the team cuddled him even harder, purring loudly the entire time. But he nodded once.

"If it's not too terrible you can go next," I promised, reaching down to rub one steamy ear. "Improving our mana reserves is a good idea, but tossing you in a swimming pool is not."

Loxley grumbled a bit more, but let himself be pulled back into his pokeball with all the others except Levi.

"Alright Levi," I forced myself to be cheerful as I scooped up my azurill. "Let's do this."

What followed was the worst drenching I had ever received in my life, and that included the time I got stuck in Florida during a hurricane.

After tucking everyone's pokeballs into my inventory for safekeeping, I summoned the tentacool super training program for Levi and me. I'd been right to stop Loxley from doing it, as the gym had immediately faded into a tiled aquatic basin and filled with lightly salted water up to my knees. My starter would have barely been able to keep his nose above the surface. That was a trip to the Pokémon Center I would gladly do without.

Levi just chattered excitedly as he bobbed around and dove in and out of the water, using my arms as a springboard as he reveled in being back in his element. He might not have been a proper water type just yet, but his (hopefully) rapidly approaching evolution was only a matter of time .

A tentacool balloon inflated in the center of the pool and a cascade of colourful beach balls instead of the black and white footballs I'd been expecting fell from between bright aquarium lights to fill the water's surface. Levi had fun bouncing a few of them up on his head.

And then the geysers started. Gushing up from under the water to almost the ceiling, columns of rushing water created walls that went over my head and sent me tumbling face first into the pool. Levi cheered as his tiny body was lifted, along with the beach balls, along the top of the torrents, and then allowed to drop as the geysers shifted.

Left. Forward. Left. Forward. Right. Back. Left.

There were no sockets in the floor tiles to hint at where the water was coming from. But eventually a pattern emerged. Problem was, every time I got knocked off my feet it changed.

Left. Left. Back. Right. Forward. Right. Back.

Right. Forward. Left. Forward. Forward. Right. Back.

I fell into the pool again, spluttering as salt water went up my nose. And of course Levi was too busy laughing at me pay attention to the geysers. Eventually, I just grabbed him as I dragged my way through the watery maze. I went under so many times. So many times.

But eventually I got us close enough to the tentacool balloon and gently tossed a still-laughing Levi over the last cascade. It took him less than a minute to deflate the balloon by batting beach balls at it with his tail. I slumped as the geysers all stilled, falling to waist height for a brief moment before disappearing completely.

There wasn't time to even contemplate reaching for a towel as the gym reemerged in a ripple of pixels, because I was immediately knocked off balance (again) by a bouncing Levi. His peals of laughter echoed in the wide room as he hopped up and down in my arms.

"Well, at least you had fun," I groused down at him. Levi was lucky he was so cute, little blue bouncy ball that he was; it was impossible for me to be too grumpy with him. Especially with him chittering and nuzzling into my arms.

[Quest Update!]

Super Training Part 3: Complete! +1 WIS, +1 S WIS bag, access to the DM Machine

The game windows automatically reappearing were still more of a surprise than they should have been. I had gotten used to having pop-ups minimized as alerts for every day functioning, having them open automatically in dungeons again was a little jarring but I was over a month into this new life and I kind of hoped I would have adjusted by now. Guess not though. And I hadn't forgotten that completing the Super Training Routines was a full-on quest, it just hadn't been a priority with everything else going on in my life.

But what in the world was a DM Machine?

Following the alert icon to the newly full coloured equipment, I was honestly a little baffled as to what it was. A low circular railing surrounded a black cushioned platform and three by three grid of punching squares rose in front of it on a curved bar. It was definitely the weirdest piece of gym equipment I'd ever seen…not that I was an expert by any stretch of the imagination I tapped the oddly shaped … thing for an explanation.

[D]ance [M]aster Machine

This machine helps you raise your WIS by providing patterns for you to follow with dancing and hitting. Correctly completing more complex patterns will grant you higher gains in WIS.

My head dipped into my hands and I rubbed my temples in the vain attempt to curb my burgeoning headache. This stupid ass game had given me freaking Dance Dance Revolution. This wasn't gym equipment, it was an arcade game!

And one I sucked at to be perfectly honest. Several friends from Earth had adored the game, and often cajoled me into taking a turn despite my utter lack of skill. Years of hilariously bad losses loomed in the back of my mind, along with blurry smiles and faces I was starting to forget.

"You know what Levi?" I blurted out to the little azurill still cuddling into my ankles. Nothing like a change in subject. "There's another water course. Let's do that."

Levi cheered in excitement as I turned heel away from the dance game. A quick swipe of my hand brought the Super Training window back up and I pressed my full palm into the icon for the HP regimen.

The gymnasium faded once more into the pool area, but this time the rising water didn't stop when it reached my knees. The latest challenge seemed determined to make the dunking I got in the previous round look like a splash through a puddle. Levi chirruped curiously from his spot on top of my head as the water level rose higher and higher. I made a mental note to get myself a swimsuit as I was submerged past my hips. I raised my arms, frowning down at the pool as it inched up. My navel was covered, then my waist. Grimacing, I lowered my arms as much as I dared as the water finally stopped just under my chest. It was only a matter of time before I was thoroughly soaked again and wading through the deeper water was much slower going than before.

"You're gonna be pretty much on your own for this one," I told Levi before he dove off my head with a laugh. I pulled my ponytail into a wet bun as he splashed around me.

A whirring noise at the far end of the pool caught our attention. A giant wailmer balloon, and by that I meant life-sized at two meters tall, made of heavy rubber floated out of massive grate in the wall. It wobbled from side to side for a moment before another, louder, mechanical noise echoed over the tiles. Suddenly, the water I was standing in started to move.

"Oh no," I muttered, lifting my arms higher as the gentle waves of the pool turned into a steady stream. I angled myself toward a wall, hoping for support, when I lost my footing. With the water still speeding up, it felt like I'd been caught in the edges of a riptide. The current carried me several meters sideways and deeper into the pool before I was able to stand again. I broke the surface to Levi's concerned cries, the little mouse swimming in circles around me in the water, still perfectly at ease despite the torrent. He headbutted me, trying to push me toward the wall like I wanted, but definitely not paying attention to anything else.

Like the giant blue balloon that was headed right for us.

"Levi, look out!" I screeched, ducking back under the water just in time to avoid getting completely pummeled myself. I still got rammed in the shoulder, the heavy inflatable knocking me to the side again. I spun in the water, flailing wildly and losing even more distance as I tried to get my bearings.

My azurill had nimbly danced to the side, avoiding it entirely.

I spluttered back upright, giving the passing whale balloon a disgusted glare as I spat salt water out of my mouth. As it floated past it seemed that far end of the pool was much further away than before. And it didn't look like the rubber float was getting any closer to it.

A low drone buzzed from the far end again, distracting me from the reality warping abilities of the Game, and another wailmer balloon drifted out into the pool.

Spitting curses, I gave up on wading and outright swam to the wall, angling myself back so I didn't have to fight the flow of the water. The safety of a solid surface was well worth the dozen or so meters I lost to the current, and I clung desperately to the tile.

It didn't stop the wailmer from angling straight at me though. I gulped as I watched the oncoming float with a sense of helplessness. It was obviously made of incredibly durable material, more like an inflatable boat than a toy balloon. The sides of the pool were practically smooth under the water's surface with nothing to grab onto, and the current was only getting faster, with swirling eddies now appearing in ripples. Diving to avoid a collision again would get me swept away for who know how far. And if I didn't dive I was definitely going to get squashed and it was absolutely going to hurt.

I seriously considered ending the VR program right then and there. Distracting myself from my depression was not worth this shit.

Thankfully, Levi seemed to have finally realized just how much danger I was actually in and shrieked in offense as the wailmer balloon toppled ominously in my direction. Jetting through the pool fast enough to create a wake, Levi rammed himself head first into the side of the rubber whale. He bounced off, dazed and shaking his head, but he'd been successful in knocking it off course. It drifted by, bobbling innocently.

Another buzzer, and another balloon came out of the gate.

With a heavy sigh, I rolled my eyes up to the ceiling.

Gripping the tile for leverage in the now swiftly flowing waters, I began the painfully slow process of pulling myself to the front of the pool.

XYXYXY

Sitting on the seat of my newly accessible rowing machine, I waved cure over myself and shivered. It had taken over an hour to complete the one, single session, and I'd been pulled under too many times to count. I was cold. I was wet, I was tired, and I was cold.

Loxley stood beside me, grimacing at the salt water still pooling under me as he wafted warm air around my body.

"And you are NEVER doing either of those regimens," I grumbled through clattering teeth.

To his credit, Loxley simply nodded and spun another layer of heat into the air.

Groaning in relief as the warmth wrapped around my body, I slowly stood up and began peeling off my still soaked clothes. I tossed them haphazardly over the machine to drip dry as I pulled a pair of towels and clean clothes from my inventory. It's not like I was going to use the thing any time soon. The stupid rower would only provide five measly HP for every twenty minutes working on it. Of course, the damnable wailer regimen only earned me 25 HP for all the misery it put me through, so the machine was actually the preferable option.

I freely admitted to feeling rather pissy about the entire thing. Any motivation I'd had to finish unlocking equipment was well and truly dead in the water. Pun intended.

"Ririri!"

The glare I had going softened as Levi cuddled into my ankles again. The little mouse had really gone all out in the pool, knocking wailmer balloons sideways one after another before the Game had decided it was enough. I knelt down to rub his tiny ears very gently. I'd forgotten, in the time spent as a Gamer, in how long I'd gone without a trip to the ocean or a lake or even really swimming at all, just how dangerous water could be. I was rather glad to have gotten the reminder here in Super Training before I'd done something stupid out in the wild.

"Save Game," I murmured to myself, feeling rather than hearing an odd ringing click that followed the command.

I needed to figure out exactly how the save feature worked. Preferably before I actually needed it. But right now I was all too done with the game.

A simple command, and the Super Training gym fizzled away, leaving me and my pokémon standing back the lounge of the hotel suite. Tucking everyone back into their pokeballs, I wandered downstairs in hopes of finding something ELSE to do.

XYXYXY

"…Room 524 wants a basil and tomato omelette with brioche and tea à la fragilady, not that I know what that is, 533 ordered the gratin à la pitrouille with merlot, and despite me being very clear about the ovens not working 549 insists on confit de couaneton… Maybe a pan sear will do instead?," I finished with a helpless shrug as I handed the list over to a frazzled Monsieur Arnou. He made a few notes in Kalais on the paper before promptly tossing it to one of the runners from the kitchen.

The poor manager had been down at the front desk all day, trying to keep the hotel running with minimal power and what little staff had managed to make it through the blackouts. With the road blockades stopping cars and the metro lines all down it hadn't been many. When I'd arrived at the front desk looking to help out the man had looked about ready to faint in relief. I'd been handed an apron and sent to collect room service orders in person, as the phones were all still down.

It helped, for once, that Kalais wasn't my native language. A large number of guests were from abroad and most had used either Common Pokean or, enjoyably, Kanjougo. Apparently, the Kanto region had dominated the International League for the better part of a century, so the language was pretty important for international business. Kalais still dominated Western Prima, but not needing it today still amused me considering how much trouble I'd been having with people trying to speak over me with it.

After delivering the latest batch of orders to Monsieur Arnou, I reported to the hotelier's chief assistant, a stern but lovely older woman, who had carefully loaded me up with a pair of baskets to deliver orders to the fourth floor. The elevators were still out, and Madam Camille was not ashamed of taking advantage of my youth. The actual floor staff would do the deliveries to the rooms, I was just in charge of lugging everything up and down the stairs. None of my pokémon were large enough to carry anything by themselves, but Loxley had been met with cheers in the kitchens, and was happily burning away at whatever the chefs could manage.

The hotel, was in short, a mess and I was running around in a mindless blur from the moment I'd made myself available. Which was exactly what I wanted, and I threw myself into the work with reckless abandon. It was several hours later, and several points to my DEX and STR from all the deliveries, that Monsieur Arnou finally had to insist I stop. Dusk was settling in the sky outside when one of the chefs had returned a grinning Loxley back to me with an entire pot of beef burgundy, two baguettes, and bottle of very fancy looking fruit wine.

[Quest Update!]

Hotfoot Hotel: Complete! +50 EXP, +€2000, +100 [REP] with Hôtel le Crésus

You've unlocked Daily Quests!

The rest of the game alert went unread as Loxley, Basil, and I were trying to organize the pot, and the necessary bowls and cutlery, for the trip back to my suit. Before I could get anything settled however, Loxley trilled, ears erect and focused on the main door. My father and Lt. Moreau had shambled into the front lobby. While my father still stood perfectly straight, there was an air of weariness that seemed to weigh him down and his normally perfectly combed hair had a new, distinctive upsweep to it. James looked outright tired, red beret missing and his short black curls twisted in lumps. The ranger slumped into my father like he was the only thing holding the lieutenant up. Both were covered in an assortment of brambles and heavy layer of red dust, clothes pulled out of place and torn at the hems. Sarge and James' furfrou limped in behind them, just as exhausted and rumpled looking.

"Dad!" In my shock, I dropped the pot into Basil's vines to rush over. Patrick Higashi never looked that disheveled. Never.

The Pokémon Ranger moved out of the way in time for me to hit my father with a tight hug. Dad said nothing, just pulled me closer and refused to let go. I sniffled into his shoulder.

Whatever they'd found at the power station, it must have been bad.

And I was the one who sent them there.

XYXYXY

Lt. Moreau left as soon as he'd showered, sharing a nod with my father as he slid out the door.

After dad had showered himself, he sat with me, quietly eating his own stew as I nibbled the end of the last baguette.

"We'll be checking out in the morning," Dad told me softly. "I had planned to wait a few more days, get a few more things settled…" He sighed. "But the power outages in Lumiose are unfortunately going to continue for at least a few weeks." Trailing off, Patrick took a moment to eat another spoonful.

"Was the power station damaged or something?" I asked.

"Yes," he confirmed, but didn't elaborate. Instead he continued with his previous line of thought as if he'd never been interrupted. "Your … your mother and I invested in a small apartment building here in the city after we were married. We kept a unit open in case we needed it…I still want you out of the city as much as possible, with everything going on. But your contract with the League will keep you in Kalos for at least the next year, and you need a place to call home while you're here. It's best to have somewhere more secure than a hotel room."

I hummed thoughtfully as he went back to picking at his food again. Several memories from 'my' childhood had been unlocked, mostly of school, of classes and award ceremonies and awkward friendships. But none of visiting Kalos before I'd been brought here. And none of my grandparents either; they only time I'd ever seen them was when they'd picked mom up from the Ranger station.

"Why did we never come to Kalos when I was a kid?" I couldn't help but ask. "If mom's from here, and we had a place to stay…"

Watching my father, I could see his face fall as he considered my question. For a man who always looked so calm and collected, it was a heartbreaking expression to see.

"Sorry," I mumbled, turning away to hand Loxley the last scrap of bread crust. The braixen happily inhaled it with a crunch.

Silence rang through the room as my father took several slow, deep breaths. It was a familiar practice, and I wondered if, in this life at least, I had learned it from him.

"Your mother's parents did not approve of … a great number of things," dad admitted at long last. "Her career and our marriage being only the top of a very long list. Your mother and I may have come to disagree on many things, but keeping them away from you was not one of them."

Which… well… yikes.

There wasn't much that could be said after that, and my father and I sat together quietly until the stew and wine were gone. I would admit to having entirely too much of the latter than was probably healthy for my age, but after what I'd just learned?

Being Gryffin Higashi was starting to get way too complicated.

XYXYXY

Thankfully, the Game had not seen fit to stick me with a Landlord Feature. Instead...

Congratulations! You have unlocked [Home Base]!

A Home Base provides you with a safe location to live and organize your life.

A Home Base allows you and current [Team] and [Party] members to regain 100% HP, MP, and ED immediately.

A Home Base also provides a safe place to access and practice skills, such as [Cooking].

How you style and decorate your Home Base can also affect your Charisma and Reputation with various factions.

Would you like more information?

Swiping away the screen with a "No", I turned my attention back to my father, who was organizing suitcases on the sofa. Or at least I tried to. The sofa had a ... rather interesting upholstery. Which clashed rather dramatically with the wallpaper. Which also clashed... with the other wallpaper.

"Um...Dad?" I tried.

To my surprise, he actually laughed. It was a soft sound, low and rich; and something in my brain told me he didn't do it often.

"It's pretty bad isn't it?" he chuckled, eyes crinkling as he looked around the small sitting room.

I scoffed a single laugh, unsure of what to say.

The apartment had looked so nice on the outside. A neat and tidy four story building, with white plaster and dark blue roof and trim; it was an adorable example of traditional Kalos architecture. Even the inside was promising, with polished oak parquet, classical sconces, and iron-wrought bannisters up the staircase.

Once you opened the door to the apartment however ... not so much. Oh, everything was clean, to be sure. And the furniture and appliances were all well made and functional. It was just...

"Has it been renovated at all in the last century?" I wondered.

My father looked around at the different wallpapers on the walls and the odd blue and orange vine patterned carpet that cut off into black and white linoleum in the kitchenette.

"In the last century, certainly. But probably not in the last few decades," he admitted. "There were some standard renovations in the other apartments when it was purchased, so they could be rented. But Grace and I ... we never got around to this one." He gave me a bittersweet smile. "I guess that will be up to you now."

I heaved a sigh, but smiled back at him.

"You have to leave again, don't you?" It wasn't really a question. Patrick Higashi was the Head of Intelligence and Interpol's best detective. Gryffin's childhood was studded with his long absences as he managed high-profile cases all over the world.

"Unfortunately, yes," dad confirmed, "I'll still be working with the investigation into Team Flare, so I will be back and spend time with you. But there's several cases ongoing in Alola that Director Nanu needs assistance with." He sighed and shook his head, not explaining further.

"I want you to call me if you run into any trouble," my dad continued. "Even if I'm not here, Lt. Moreau has agreed to keep an eye on you for me."

"Really, now," I smirked at my father. "And why would he need to do that?"

Dad bopped his file portfolio down on my head with a roll of his eyes and went back to rolling his clothes tightly to fit everything into the suitcase. Meanwhile I was unfolding clothes and putting them away in an old oak wardrobe tucked into the second bedroom. The afternoon passed in a comfortable silence, a few small snippets of conversation, but for the most part my father and I just enjoyed each other's quiet company.

Tomorrow he'd head to the airport, and I'd finally get started on Route 5.

XYXYXY

To Dir. N. Kahananui:

Attached is a collection of photographic evidence obtained from Kalos Professor A. Sycamore. It was intercepted while being delivered to a third party for possible evaluation. The pictures appear to be of an incident involving the current regional criminal organization that had lethal consequences in the local area. You should have already received the unaltered ranger reports of said incident in my previous email. If further information is needed, KPR Lt. J. Moreau is the suggested contact.

It is unknown at this time if Prof. Sycamore contacted the International League with this information himself. However, the source has taken the liberty of forwarding the information on their own.

I will continue my investigation as time allows and report in person when I return for the promotion ceremony of Dir. A. Hale.

Respectfully,

P.H.

XYXYXY

To Hon. Pres. Erma Lambert R.U., CC Dir. Gen. Falcone

I'm requesting an immediate internal investigation into Le Préfecture de les Rangers Régionale de Kalos. To put it bluntly, someone is tampering with evidence. And badly. The attached files show Witness Reports have been doctored to remove accounts of organized criminal activity. Physical certified copies of the original reports will be forwarded to Ranger Union International Headquarters by secure courier and should arrive no later than April 3.

Furthermore, the altered documents were provided to the International Police as primary evidence. Inspector General P. Higashi became involved with the case as his daughter and a friend were primary witnesses. He noted differences in their verbal recounts and the documents he was provided and sought clarification. The tampering became immediately obvious. Higashi has confiscated all original documentation; certified copies were made prior to confiscation.

It should be noted that on the Inspector General's recommendation, the International Police have opened their own investigations into both the incident in Santalune and the evidence tampering.

Best Regards,

Lt. J. Moreau

XYXYXY

To A. Sycamore

So I just got an email from the new sponsorship trainer of ours with some incredibly bizarre photographs. You'd better have a good explanation for this, Augustine, because that creature looks nothing like any of the species you listed in the notes for the regional Pokedex you sent me. Are we dealing with a new species? A potential legend?

And why didn't you send me these images yourself? I thought I made it clear that the League is very upset with the way everything's been handled so far. You can't afford to hold back research like this with the International League already funding such a big project!

Email me. Heck, email Rowan. Goodness knows he'd love to hear from you. But keep us in the loop!

Sincerely,

S. Oak

PS. Tell this Lysander to email me his take on it too, will you? My grandson got ahold of the pictures and is now asking all sorts of questions that I don't have answers to.

Lambert is one of the alternate names for Lamont, one of the founders of the Ranger Union. Erma is another one of the founders, along with Prof. Hastings. I'm pretending she and Lambert are married, and that Lambert is a last name. Because in no way shape or form I writing that monstrosity.

Jean-Marc Falcone is the current Chief of Police in France. I am blatantly stealing his name for my story.

MiharuTousaka: I'm glad I could inspire you to pick it up again. I still think it's one of the best games in the Franchise.

CookieMonstaWasTaken: Yes, chapter 4 was definitely dangerous, but actually dying rather defeats the point of a story, you know? Besides we've all had boss fights we barely squeak through. LoA is certainly doing it to me…

OllieZ: thank you for pointing out the mix up with the stats in ch 18