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Chapter II: Paranoia


I leaped out of bed before the ground had even stopped shaking, feeling much safer with my feet firmly on the carpet.

I whipped my head around to ensure my team was all right. Axle was rubbing the top of his head where a painting had fallen on it, while Jet was already on the ground and in an instinctive battle position away from where he was roosting. Victor was quick to make sure Axle was alright, while Somin, after gathering his bearings, shot me a look. Vita did much the same, but slithered towards the door and made sure it was secure.

"Was that an earthquake?! What the hell!"

There was still screaming coming from outside the room. I cursed under my breath.

"Alright! Somin, you're out of action, so I gotta return you. I'll head towards the lobby with Vita and Axle, help anyone out there. Victor and Jet, I wouldn't be surprised if people are trapped in the weaker parts of the building. Go and help them, and rendezvous with us when you're done. Go."

Everyone seemed in agreement. I crossed the room rather quickly and strapped on my belt, despite the fact I was still in pajamas. In one deft motion, I swiped Somin's Ultra Ball from the belt and returned the Zoroark, who seemed much too surprised to care about the fact he was being retracted.

Vita had since opened the door and was waiting for me out in the hallway. Axle was still rubbing his head while walking towards the door, but simply nodded when I asked if he was alright. Victor and Jet followed soon after, the Durant and the Braviary taking off down the corridor to the right.

The air around me was now very dust-ladened, though it seemed like no major structural damage could be seen. There were spots in which some of the cheap ceiling had fallen, but it looked like most of the damage had passed.

A thought crossed my mind right then.

"Guys, be careful… There's going to be a second wave soon… At least if I remember right, earthquakes have two waves."

Making sure I had affirmation, I lead the way down the hallway, nearly blinded by the amount of dust in the confined hallway. I heard no noise in the rooms I passed, and while I wanted to check on the people inside them, I knew getting to the lobby was more important.

As we approached, I could hear more yelling voices become more distinct. A red light was flashing, illuminating the dust every other second before going black again.

The voices up ahead were still growing louder. I recognized one of the nurse's, fearful and… Pleading? She was afraid, certainly, but it seemed like she was imploring someone. My concern grew worse as I began subconsciously breaking into a jog.

"I swear to god, if I don't get every single goddamn one you have, I'll leave nothin' of ya but a charred corpse!"

I was starting to get a general idea of what was happening. My pace only grew quicker.

In the lobby, the dust cleared considering the larger space it had to occupy, allowing me to see the scene laid out before me. A man, quite lanky and wearing a cap to conceal most of his face, was leaning over the counter and yelling at the nurse behind it. An intimidating-looking Bisharp stood next to him, while a Medicham strolled throughout the lobby, deterring any resistance from the few trainers who populated the area.

"I ain't got all night, bitch. Every single one. Now."

When the nurse tried once again to plead with the man robbing the Center, he simply snapped his fingers, cutting her off. In response, the Bisharp fired a hastily-made Focus Blast into the ceiling a few feet away from them. The room trembled once again as parts of the ceiling fell in clumps and created a new dust cloud.

I narrowed my eyes to see through the smog before quietly instructing the two Pokémon standing behind me.

"Axle, use Stone Edge on the doorway when I give the signal. We don't want this guy getting away."

Looking towards the area where the doorway should've been, I noticed all that remained of the sliding glass door was a gigantic, gaping hole. The thief had destroyed most of the entire front wall of the lobby.

"Just… Try to improvise. Vita, you got the Medicham. Axle, the Bisharp. I'll take the guy and make sure he doesn't have any other Pokémon. Be as quiet as possible, and don't attack until you're sure you can get a clean hit."

Though our vision was obscured, we still knew much of the scene ahead of us. I nodded, initiating the plan. Our main advantage lied in the fact they would have no idea we were attempting to stop them until we were already upon them.

Vita went her own separate way while Axle and crouched and approached the counter. I made sure to keep a hand on the Swampert so we could stick together until it was time to strike. The only noises in the room now were the pitiful squeaks of the nurse in the aftermath of the intimidating Focus Blast.

Following the terrified voice, I was able to discern where the thief stood. As I'd thought, his back was still turned as he came into view just a few feet in front of me. Exhaling in preparation, I tapped Axle and removed myself from him, getting into position.

"I swear to god," the guy said, reaching a hand down by his side. Following it, I was shocked to see a gun holstered. Before I could do anything, however, he'd drawn it and pointed it at the nurse. She screamed again.

"You have three seconds before I start shooting if you don't work with me here. Get all the 'mon you got healin' back there and put 'em in the bag. I'm not gonna ask again."

I swallowed. My throat was growing dry, and my teammates were no doubt waiting for me to make the first move. I remembered what happened the last time I tried stopping a man holding a gun and it made me feel sick to my stomach.

"One."

The man tapped the barrel of the pistol on the desk. I needed to act, but how?

"Two."

Oh shit… I just got to play this by ear.

The nurse wasn't moving, frozen in fear more likely than not. I narrowed my eyes and exhaled one last time.

"Thr-GAH!"

The pistol shot a round as I jumped into action, bouncing up from my crouched position and driving my right arm upwards into the man's own. As a result, the pistol was faced towards the ceiling as it went off.

Thinking quickly, I drove my left elbow into the man's ribs as I pushed him away. He fell on the ground, stunned.

The Bisharp, quick to action, threw a fist in my direction. Axle's gigantic hand, however, stopped it before it could connect. The Swampert waited just an instant before opening his mouth and buffeting the Bisharp with a scalding stream of water, pushing it back and on the ground.

My attention went back to the man, who had dropped the pistol on his way to the ground. It skidded along the floor and out of sight in the obscure cloud of dust.

I broke into a sprint as the man recovered and scrambled for the gun. He laid a hand on it, though only for a moment as I drove my heel as hard as I could onto the pistol and, subsequently, his fingers. I could feel a sickening crunch as the man's hand broke, despite the fact I wasn't wearing shoes.

Rather than pick it up myself, I kicked the pistol away further. It skidded completely out of sight, no doubt on the other side of the room and out of action.

In the time it'd taken to perform such an action, however, the man had scrambled to his feet, cradling his broken fingers. Using a free hand, and before I could send him back to the ground, he simultaneously clicked the buttons of three extra Pokéballs.

All I could do was back away slowly as the blinding light materialized into three distinct shapes, those of an Amoonguss, an Unfezant, and a Cryogonal.

"Unfezant! Clear the air!"

A blast of air hit my face as the bird-like Pokémon obeyed the request, flapping its powerful wings to push the remaining dust outside the gaping hole in the front wall. Vita and Axle had both incapacitated their respective enemies, but were now quite a distance from me.

"Both of you stay back!" the man yelled, enraged. "Or else your trainer's getting an Ice Shard straight to the throat!"

The Cryogonal made a robotic noise of affirmation. I froze in place, breathing heavily from my brawl with the man.

It was then he seemed to get a good look at my face. In addition, I was able to get a glance at his uniform and recognized it instantly. The long, black stripe running down the outer edges of a gray trenchcoat over a dark blue dress shirt. My heart rate only quickened further.

"Well whoop-dee-do. Turns out you stayed in Opelucid, huh, even after you saw yourself on television? Bet you heard Amaterasu went missing and thought we all just disappeared because of it. It was pretty hard to track you down until now, I'll give you that."

I should've guessed this was no common thief based on the pure fact he was causing so much havoc. Was his real mission to draw me out?

He used his one good hand to withdraw a radio from his side. He pressed the button and spoke into it, mindful of my two Pokémon on either side of him.

"Alston's still here, in the 18th Street Pokémon Center. I got him stuck."

A gritty voice of affirmation spoke through the radio in response, speaking words I couldn't quite pick up on.

"Copy."

He put the radio back in its spot on his belt.

"Look," I said, acting clueless, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Eh, even if you're telling the truth, I don't care," he said, snickering, "Return your 'mon. We're gonna do this as smoothly as possible."

I gave a sideways glance towards both Vita and Axle. They were both at type disadvantages here. The former was coiled up in an offensive position beside a knocked out Medicham and in front of a few younger trainers, no other Pokémon to be seen. Axle was still near the counter, and could probably knock the Cryogonal out of the way with a deftly aimed Scald if he wished, though I'd rather he didn't risk it without a suitable situation for doing so.

Seeing no other options, I grabbed two Pokéballs from my belt and rolled them on the floor towards the man. Smirking, he bent down to pick them up.

In that instant, my eyes locked with Axle's as I motioned down towards my hand. I had three fingers outstretched before I began to count slowly, retracting one for each count. My plan had to be timed perfectly.

The man picked up both balls from the ground as I reached one finger. He faced Vita first, and clicked the ball to return her.

Instead, the room lit up in yet another brilliant light as my count hit zero. Not a second later, Axle sent a Hydro Pump in the direction of the three opposing Pokémon, who seemed to line up perfectly for him.

Simultaneously, I jumped out of the way as the Cryogonal, as promised, fired off a miscalculated Ice Shard. I could feel the distinct searing of pain as a stray shard sliced through a portion of my calf. Despite being hit, the attack would've landed perfectly had I not leaped out of the way.

The light was soon to subside in the shape of Somin, who'd more than likely heard the entire ordeal through the ball. As Vita lunged forwards and connected with the discombobulated Unfezant, the Zoroark wasted no time in outstretching a claw towards the group of enemies, already encased in the telltale purple fizzle of illusionary energy.

By the time Axle and Vita had just started their onslaught, it was already over. All three remaining Pokémon on the opposing side began to screech and scream in their own native tongues as those who could grabbed their head in agony. It was a banned tactic of illusionary ability in battle, but this was hardly a conventional fight. All Pokémon were knocked out within a matter of ten seconds, leaving only the man.

Seething, I gripped my calf, where the Ice Shard had connected. A steady stream of blood was making its way down my leg, not gravely deep, but still enough to bring me mental discomfort. I put it aside for a moment, however, as I stood again, keeping weight off of the limb much in the same manner as Somin in his attempts to keep weight off of his own.

The Zoroark exhaled slowly before chuckling ever so slightly, swaying back and forth with exhaustion.

"Not allowed to talk, but I'm still allowed to put 'em to sleep?"

"Shut up," I shot back, breathless with relief.

Before any more damage could be done, Axle picked up and tossed the two empty Pokéballs, Somin's and Victor's, towards me. I caught one in each hand, and before the Zoroark was forced to stand any longer, I returned him to his ball. Using the kinds of Illusions he'd exhibited as one of the most draining things he could do, even without having the extra strain of his injury. I'd had no other option, but he seemed to come out of it alright, at the very least.

"Axle, if you would."

The man began sprinting down the hallway to the left, hoping to escape down an alternate route considering our blocking of the main path. Right then, however, with no less than perfect timing, Victor and Jet came from the exact direction in which the man was running. It seemed they'd heard the commotion, and despite not knowing the full situation, rushed to the scene.

The man stumbled backwards away from the Braviary and Durant, now completely cornered. Axle hardly had to slam a paw on the ground in order to initiate Stone Edge, the perfectly-crafted stalagmites created a pyramid around the man in an instant, trapping him where he was. The fight was over.

The first of many residual stings of pain registered in my mind, prompting me to wince. Cursing under my breath, I hobbled over towards the countertop, finding the nurse on duty hiding under the lip on the other side.

"Hey," I asked, grabbing her attention, "you got any bandages?"


The police and medical crews to arrive on the scene shortly after the incident were quite surprised to find the threat had already been taken care of. But, as the EMT's patched up the horizontal cut on the backside of my calf, I found my mind elsewhere. I was being pursued.

I knew exactly for what reason, but chose not to dwell on it. Most of the last year had been filled with futile attempts in suppressing the bile rising in my stomach as a result, and I thought I'd finally gotten past it all. Where one head was removed, two more grew, I supposed.

Somin, Victor, and Jet, retracted in their balls, were hanging at my hip. I'd been requested to return them so the investigation into what happened could go on unimpeded. It wasn't as if there was much to investigate, anyways. Cameras had captured the entire scene.

Vita and Axle, on the other hand, despite suffering only very minor injuries, were with the nurse, being cared for in one of the specialized machines behind the counter for exhaustion. Giving a full energy store, as the machine was designed to do, would rapidly enhance their healing ability.

It was well past midnight now, and I thought only of how to respond to the turmoil that was sure to ensue. The man, associated as he was with the villainous group I'd thought to be extinct, robbing the Center was certainly no coincidence. He'd done it to lure me out and capture me, if my guess was right. More importantly, it was known to his entire organization I was now nothing more than a sitting duck.

Telling Drayden and seeking asylum with him and Skyla, when she would arrive in just a few hours would be the logical next step. Was the Dragon Gym Leader worthy of my trust, however? I wasn't sure it was a risk I wanted to take. Paranoia was sweeping over me like a tsunami. What if they'd infiltrated the government to avoid capture? It made sense, certainly.

A group with no name, specializing in the trafficking of Pokémon and illegal experimentation, was pissed and on my trail. How would Skyla react when she would learn what I had done, prompting their pursuit of me?

I couldn't bear to think about it. At least before this incident, I thought I could try and hide what I'd done from her when she did arrive. Now, however, I was given two choices if I were to meet her again. Either keep my relations with the organization a secret and risk my own safety, or deal with how she would think of me after I told the truth regarding what I'd done. No option was a good one.

And so, when the police had concluded their investigation and I was completely patched up, I released Axle and instructed him to retract his previously-made Stone Edge, still encasing the man in rock. The police were waiting to handcuff him as the thief fell to his knees.

He laughed for a moment before smiling up at me with a cruel, wicked grin. He was barely older than I myself.

"Better watch out, Alston. We know where you're at, and there ain't no escape now."

His words only solidified my conviction in the decision I made.

I was running away, getting lost, and staying lost.


The team agreed with my decision; none wanted to see Skyla in the first place anyways. Tensions were still high over a related incident a few years back.

By the time three in the morning had rolled around, I'd already packed my things. I was now wearing jeans and a gray hoodie, the latter of which I threw up to conceal as much as possible. In order to attract as little attention as possible, I'd also returned my team, an action not without objection. The limp I now walked with, in my mind, was enough indication as to my identity, and the only Pokémon I would even consider allowing outside in a situation like this would be Somin, who I didn't want walking or expending energy for any great lengths. His role in defeating the thief earlier in the night had been more than enough contribution from the Zoroark.

Slinging my hiking backpack over a single shoulder, I crossed the room to the window. If people looking out for my harm were near, I certainly didn't want to exit the center in the most obvious area. The plan was to hide in the shadows until I was far enough away to escape notice.

Thankfully, my room being on the first floor, I was able to let my backpack fall quietly in the bushes about a foot below my window. I followed soon after, careful to close my window and make as little noise as possible.

Crouching, I moved forwards as fast as I could on my injured leg. Ahead of me was a six foot fence, which I was able to clear using my arms and my good leg. On the other side was a broad alleyway leading out to a street. Trying my best to act natural, I traversed the alley and stepped out onto the sidewalk as naturally as possible.

The streets, despite being in the center of a busy town, were completely empty, which helped none in calming my nerves. If I was only able to find a cab to bring me to the bus station. I'd let my paranoia deter me from calling one ahead of time.

I started walking to the west; I knew the central bus depot was only ten blocks in that direction. There would be buses driving to Mistralton at this time of night to make some early afternoon flights at the gigantic airport there, the only airport in all of Unova to handle international travel. From there, I planned to have Somin create a fabricated ID card and passport for me in order to leave the country. I would leave virtually no trail, and none would be any wiser. A Zoroark's ability was very broad, and I was proud to say Somin had gotten me out of more than one pinch because of his unique attention to minute detail.

I'd made it two blocks before a couple of people, laughing to one another, rounded a corner and headed my direction. Trying to give as little attention as possible to myself, I looked downwards to hide my face further and walked as close to the curb as my gait would allow.

Out of the corner of my eye as they passed, I could see they'd ceased in their conversation and were looking at me oddly. It occurred to me then how suspicious I must've seemed to any outside observer. I swallowed; my throat was now very dry.

I straightened back out and continued walking once they'd passed. I looked to my left and down the street from where they'd came.

It was relatively populated, much more than the area I was currently walking. I was trekking adjacent to the Opelucid Strip, which if it was populated at this time of night, there was surely a cab available and waiting. Part of me wanted to hide myself in the slow stream of people walking as well should something happen.

Hopeful, I started walking in that direction; the people and lights were merely two blocks away. I could see, in the distance, a single figure deviating from the crowd and walking towards me. I brushed it off as nothing more than another passerby, much like the couple I'd seen previously.

We converged paths as I crossed the street and got on the opposite sidewalk, though I was now much less careful, learning from the suspicious looks I was shot from the couple. Much to my chagrin, the man, now visibly dressed in black dress pants and a gray overcoat, seemed to recognize me.

"Ray Alston?!" he questioned loudly, prompting me to whip my head as I passed him. I instinctively whipped a hand down by my side, ready to release Vita if need be. Was I really that recognizable, or did this guy know my face well enough to pick it up on a dark street and under a hood? Certainly, my reaction was a gigantic indicator confirming I was who he said.

"Wow! What are the odds?!" he broke out into rapid conversation in a city accent. "The name's Sylvester Saint, and I'm reporter for UGM. Wouldya like to answer a few questions for me just real quick? I actually stopped by the Center you were stayin' at a while ago, but none of the nurses would let me in."

He chuckled for a moment as if he found the situation hilarious. Looking behind me, I ensured nobody was nearby and listening in on the conversation. My first run-in with the paparazzi of any sort, and it just so happened it was a gossip magazine 'reporter' randomly strolling the streets at 3 AM. Hardly coincidental.

"Look, I appreciate the gesture, but—"

"Reports tell us that you single-handedly stopped a nasty crook earlier trying to rob a Pokémon Center and the trainers in it. Tell me what you were thinkin' when all that was goin' down."

I was quick to drop any ounce of friendliness I had for the man.

"Thanks for your time, but I really do have to go."

Before he could interrupt me again, I began walking at a quick pace closer and closer towards the more populated area just down the street.

A hand then roughly grabbed my shoulder, confirming my suspicions of the man as hardly genuine. I wheeled back around, backhanding his forearm as hard as I could.

"Ow, jeez, you got quite a hit there, huh?"

"Back off," I said, slowly backing away myself, "I don't want to be inter—"

A pair of much larger hands grabbed either one of my biceps from behind, restricting my movement. Quick to struggle, I was able to see a gargantuan man had appeared behind me. I kicked my legs up in the air as 'Sylvester' simply sidestepped and advanced towards me.

I tried screaming, but the larger man was quick to move one of his hands to cover my mouth. Where I could move, I tried reaching over my pelvis in order to grab the first random Pokéball that touched my fingers.

'Sylvester' beat me to it, reaching into his coat and drawing what looked like a mask from it. In one swift motion, he pushed it roughly against my face, prompting me to recoil back.

He grabbed my wrist and wrenched it in such a perfect way that I could hear the bones snap as it was broken. Despite the sudden pain flaring up, though, I still tried resisting the larger man's vice grip as he brought the hand covering my mouth back down to the bicep of my now-broken wrist.

Despite breathing heavily, I was able to hear the distinct hiss of a gas filling the mask. I then took a deep breath in and held it, hopefully lasting as long as I possibly could against whatever gas was quickly occupying the mask.

"Aw, don't be a bad sport now," 'Sylvester' taunted, taking his free hand and slamming it straight into my gut with forces I thought weren't possible from a man of his stature. Simultaneously, I fell to my knees and involuntarily breathed in the pungent air.

I lashed out again, wrenching my shoulders back and forth in futile attempts at throwing off the larger man behind me. Maybe if I could reach Jet's Pokéball, he would be able to fight off the men and fly me out of the situation. I'd thought in the past I was generally too large for the Braviary to carry, but it was worth a shot.

That first whiff of the mystery substance was starting to drag me down, and I could physically feel the effects on my mind. My flails became more feeble, and despite my best efforts to hold my breath for long enough to get free, I couldn't succeed. I made one, final attempt to reach down and press the button of a Pokéball, but I stopped as Sylvester swooped in and snatched all 5 balls on my belt.

I looked up at him and his small grin as my vision faded to black.

As my vision faded to black…

As my vision faded to black…?

Why was I awake? I could still see the light of the street posts through back of my eyelids, despite the fact I'd already fallen to the ground in apparent unconsciousness. I couldn't move a muscle, but I could still see… Was I really awake, or was it a sick joke played on me by my mind?

I heard the area around me as well, and felt as the two thugs took the mask off my face. They seemed to be congratulating one another on a 'perfect catch'.

A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. I had no misgivings pertaining to the fact my consciousness was still present, despite multiple intimations it would fade in the instants that followed.

Yet, for whatever reason, that wasn't what happened…

I was vaguely aware of a small, anomalous warmth inside my chest, but I paid it no mind, struggling as much as I could to not get dragged down further. I was fighting a losing battle. The sensation, however, began to spread, filling first the entirety of my chest before my entire torso, the point in which I could no longer ignore it. The feeling it gave was invigorating, to say the least, as if the heat was exciting the very atoms at my core. When it finished spreading within me, from my toes to the top of my head, I felt as if I was easily able to fight off the clutches of unconsciousness.

I opened my eyes.

I was laying, stomach down, on the gray concrete floor, my head positioned so that I was staring straight into the street, still in the open. I could hear 'Sylvester' speaking into what I assumed to be a radio.

"... 'im. Could use an extraction, though, I don't think I'll be able to leave without drawing much att—… What the hell?"

The sensation had started tugging at my body as if it were a rag doll, begging me to stand, so I complied, getting to my feet in what felt like an unnatural movement. At the warmth's direction, I turned to look at the pair of men, the one who'd been behind me considerable taller and more bulky than 'Sylvester'.

"I gave you desflurane!" he shouted, shocked, "How the hell are you standing?!"

I could feel a buzzing as my broken wrist began to feel hot with the concentrated internal heat seemingly focusing on that exact spot. At the sensation's simple direction, though, I looked ahead as I could feel my bones rearranging themselves, snapping back into place with a sickening crunch. I could see a bright, pink glow emanating from my wrist as the healing process finished.

The two men were both too shocked to respond. They looked like they'd seen a ghost, but it seemed as if nothing about my outward appearance was any different.

A large device in Sylvester's hand, one I recognized as a walkie-talkie, started buzzing with speech.

'BZZT' "What's happening? Tell me! Do you have the target or—"

I didn't let the device finish. The pulsating heat coursing through my limbs tugged and lifted my arm effortlessly, my palm facing towards the flustered pair. Much to my own shock, I couldn't break myself from that position, forced only to move at the discretion of whatever was controlling me. I realized then I was simply listening to suggestion the entire time, and though I was conscious, I had no real control over my body. I was nothing more than a puppet.

If that were the case, what was controlling me?

The mysterious entity began to allow for the shift of the comforting heat within me. It felt like floodgates were closing and opening simultaneously, allowing for the sensation, what I took to be energy, amass in my outstretched hand while taking from the rest of my body.

Before I could object to what was happening, the pooled energy spiked one, final time, sending a harsh wave of air in every direction and sectioning the warmth in my hand off from that in my chest. My hair stood on end for a moment, as did the mens', before it passed.

A dot of light formed in my outstretched palm, slowly growing as I felt a portion of the warmth leaving my fingers. I had no control over it as it grew to the size of a baseball.

What is that?

The men themselves, too submerged in awe of what was happening to process the threat until it was visible, quickly got the notion to run.

But, not soon enough.

The sphere itself, while seemingly having no physical effects on myself, was devastating to my surroundings. It shot towards the larger man on a parabolic path, too fast for its target to dodge or react in any way. It hit him square in the side, blasting him a good ten feet into the building on my left. His momentum kept him there for a moment before he slid down and landed on the floor in an unconscious heap. The radio device he was holding was shattered on impact, mechanical parts and broken black casing scattered amongst the cement.

I had not the time to fathom what in the world was happening, when the being, never relenting in its control of me, moved my legs forward without a word. I could only watch through my eyes as 'I' raised my arm again towards 'Sylvester', still sprinting towards the Strip.

I could feel the energy constrict within my arm as if someone had squeezed it. In response, Sylvester stopped moving in an instant, frozen in the air.

I could feel my hand begin to sizzle on the inside, not unlike the sensation of pins and needles. 'Sylvester', however, let out a deathly screech as he was hoisted into the air and began to…

Well, there's no better explanation as to what happened to the smaller man than to say he had completely disappeared within five seconds, the remains of the poor man now nothing more than dust drifting away in the wind.

Before I could even process what had happened, my world began to fill with pink streaks, rising from the ground and encompassing me. The wisps of energy grew lighter, and lighter, and lighter, until they were so bright they were white. My vision filled with white.

In the seconds that followed, a singular voice was all that existed in the void. A female one, certainly, sounding like that of a child. One could even call it playful, despite the gruesome scene that'd just occurred.

"Sorry I had to do all that… Scary, I know, but I'm not about to let anyone else get their hands on you. I'm on your side here. Anyone bothers you again, and they'll have me to answer to. I'll see you again soon."

Everything went dark.


"Sir?"

Unghh… Just let me sleep.

"Sir? The flight has arrived in Lavaridge, I need you to wake up."

What's she talking about? I just wanna rest.

I groggily tried opening my eyes and turning my head, enough to give a sleepy stare at a hardly composed flight attendant. Her hands were found clasping one another in front of her uniform shyly after trying to prod me awake.

My head hurt beyond all else, and it took a few seconds of empty blinking to remember why. I groaned with the realization, not quite sure what to make of the situation. On one hand, I was safe; from what, I wasn't sure. Then again, there was that being, whatever in the world it was, and what it did to me. I could hardly remember, but… Did I kill someone? How?

Where was I? On a plane? It would seem so. Seats were lined in rows ahead and behind me, all empty.

The attendant was staring at me embarrassedly, and after realizing she was still present, I mumbled a quick thanks before getting up on shaky legs. If I hadn't grabbed the seat back in front of me, I would've fallen, either back into my own seat or off to my right, straight into the attendant.

She moved out of the way, and after testing my ability to keep myself balanced and clumsily swinging my backpack, suspiciously placed on the seat next to me, over a single shoulder, I was off, stumbling at times down the fuselage and out the door.

I hardly was able to gain my bearings before I was submerged in a throng of people. I turned every which way, disoriented as one would believe.

I noticed then the items I'd been subconsciously holding, a passport and a plane ticket. Destination? Lavaridge. Departure? Mistralton. All registered under the name 'Ronald Thompson' and featuring my face.

What the actual fuck?

I'd somehow bought a plane ticket using a fake passport I had no prior knowledge of, traveled across the world, and arrived all while blacked out.

I wandered aimlessly for a bit in the airport, trying to make sense of the scattered puzzle pieces that made up the events before I fell unconscious.

I was being attacked, undoubtedly in an abduction attempt by my pursuers, before I was put to sleep. But, only half asleep? The details were fuzzy, but I distinctly remembered some alternate entity controlling my movements and the supernatural actions to follow. It was female, and relatively aloof at that. It almost sounded like it thought I wouldn't be the least bit confused over the fact it made me kill a man using nothing short of magic in my eyes.

He… 'Sylvester'... Actually disintegrated before my very eyes, right after I'd flung another man into a wall with enough speed to crush him.

No, that wasn't right… If it was, how did I get on the plane? Did I black out, buy a ticket, and board myself? Did the entity continue possessing my body after I'd blacked out? How else would I have gotten to the Mistralton Airport? A six hour bus ride? There were so many questions.

Someone in a rush bumped into me just then, knocking me aside and disorienting me yet again. I figured I had to stop standing in the middle of the moving mass of people.

I began moving with the flow. Thankfully, no one seemed to recognize me as the world's newest eight-badge trainer, and I had no interruptions. I just let them pass by, staring through them in my trek.

I did know one thing, though, and that was the fact that I was scared. I caught myself, multiple times, looking over my shoulder to see if anyone, whether to kidnap me, take over my body, or who knows what, was following me. It almost felt as if I were alone in a haunted house, always on guard against an imaginary Gastly or Litwick that would pop out and startle me.

That aside, confusion was easily able to drown the burning fear within my chest. My head was starting to hurt from vain attempts at connecting all the dots, accompanied by a burning desire to vent out my frustrations until I could no longer.

In short, I had a lot to discuss with my team...

Finally, after a few minutes of searching, I was able to find what I was searching for: a Station. Pokémon Stations, commonly shortened to Stations, were designated locations within the terminal, and beyond security, in which people were allowed to release their Pokémon. I was more than willing to hurriedly check in with my new, fake name, and start trying to figure out what had transpired with my team present. I was sure, or at least hoped, that they would be just as confused as I was.

The area itself was fairly large, but not giant, as there were multiple other stations in the terminal. Regardless, populating the spacious area were at least ten other trainers, mostly with unevolved Pokémon, mulling about the grounds. Some exercised on the play-structures with their Pokémon, while others sat on the many benches and chatted with one another. The astroturf grass, while not in any way real, was nice to create a semi-natural setting, and a definite step up from tile floor.

Unoccupied at the time was a single battlefield near the back corner of the large room. Seeing as it was void of people, I decided on a bench in the general area and started to walk towards it.

More people would be able to recognize me here, I figured, considering many aspiring trainers would look up to those featured on the trainer channel, where I had been broadcasted. In fact, after giving a dejected look towards one of the many television screens set up around the walls of the room, I was unpleasantly surprised to find a few of them were actually broadcasting a replay of my battle with Drayden. Currently, it was showing Jet's fight against the Druddigon.

Instead of reacting, I just pulled my hood over my head, hiding as much of my face a possible. Sighing, I sat on the bench, placing my backpack on the ground a few feet away. After opening it, I grabbed and held five shrunken Pokéballs in my left hand for a moment, relishing the one constant I'd been gifted in the chaos and uncertainty surrounding the situation I was in. With a fake, troubled smile, I let all five all five fall to the ground simultaneously, each releasing their contents in a brilliant, collective flash of light.

The light hadn't even faded before a semi-formed shape merged from the rest, propelling itself into me and knocking me backwards, off the back of the bench. I lay on the ground for a moment, stunned, before the shape fully took form and color, when, with much shock, I recognized it as Somin. He had me pinned against the ground, an elbow digging painfully into my ribs.

He was snarling. At me.

This expression, though, wasn't one of annoyance, or even humor, as was predicted from the Zoroark. His fangs were fully shown behind a cocked lip, making himself look as intimidating as possible. A deep, throaty growl emanated from his chest, successful in chilling me to the core. I'd only seen this look a few times from him before, most cases of which I'd rather not delve into. He was out for blood.

The worst part of it all, though, was the fact he had a claw to my throat.

My mind's commands to the body were rendered useless when everything locked up. I was left staring, dumbfounded, at the now-aggressive Zoroark.

He blinked once. Twice, before his glare started to lose some of its vigor. His eyes clouded over in heavy confusion as the claw started backing away from my jugular. While his snarl lost most of its vitality, there was still a look of resentment in his eyes.

My heart's pounding was potent enough to create an incessant 'THUMP' in my head. I let out a shaky breath, one I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Formulating words was out of the question, as every time I tried to open my mouth, nothing came out. His glare might as well have been corporeal, as it was incredibly effective in keeping my mouth clamped shut.

Turns out, I didn't have to speak first, as Somin started a few seconds afterwards.

"I want to know what the hell happened… Right. Now."

On instinct, I turned towards the general population of the Station, hoping no one was gawking at Somin's behavior. Before I could get a decent scope of the scene, though, his voice reappeared in my head.

"Don't bother. I threw up an illusion as soon as you released me. What. Happened."

"I don't know!" I spurted without thought, making sure to keep my hands still at my sides, as to not agitate him. "Guys attacked me, something took control of me, no idea what the hell happened! I'm just as confused as you are!"

After finishing, I realized I hadn't heard anything from the rest of the team during our exchange. A small glance behind Somin revealed, though, that they were all knocked out. Every single one had been asleep since they'd been released. Otherwise, I was sure at least one of them would have intervened by then.

"What happened to them?"

Instead of answering my question, he continued in his own inquires. "Where did Vita and I evolve?"

"What does that have to do wit—"

"ANSWER THE GODDAMN QUESTION!" To accentuate his point, he threateningly pressed his claw back against my throat, to the point I could feel its cold touch on my skin, threatening to pierce should only a small bit more pressure be applied.

My eyes widened once more as I let out a mix between a grunt and a whimper, looking off to the side and clenching my eyes shut; anything to avoid his deathly glare. "Twi-Twist Mountain! Please, get off of me!"

I had an inkling at least one member of the team would know of what had happened while they were locked away, but I certainly hadn't gauged this kind of reaction. Behind the sudden fear of my best friend threatening to kill me was even more confusion, compiling on the mountain of questions I had intended to find answers to.

Much to my immense relief, Somin backed away, slowly. He stood, bent over so he could still position his claw against my throat, before removing it entirely.

I sat up and scampered away from my impromptu position on the ground to watch Somin as he brought both sets of claws to his face and vigorously rubbed it up and down in a strangely human-looking gesture of frustration.

"I… Arceus… I'm glad you're okay. Sorry about all that; just… Shit, man, you scared me."

"I take it you saw everything, then?" I replied with a bit of chagrin. I certainly didn't appreciate the greeting I'd received.

"Yo- You just disappeared. I had t-to watch you die… I… You WERE dead. I thought the person who released us was one of the guys who killed you and I just… Snapped." Somin sat down, his back facing me. His gaze was directed at Vita, but I could tell he was only staring through her.

I was fully standing by the time he replied; my eyebrows raised when he spoke. "What?"

"You're okay though, right?"

"I- uh… Not really. A lot happened, and I haven't really had a lot of time to think about it. Just shaken up, bit scared, but I think I'm okay in body. We all need to talk, though."

"Right," he said resolutely, though I could tell his voice was lacking its usual liveliness.

Somin explained what he 'saw' from inside his Ultra Ball while we waited for the others to wake up. I still hadn't gotten an explanation as to why they were all unconscious, but seeing as Somin seemed to know, I inquired about it.

"After you disappeared, I tried breaking out, kill whatever killed you. Goddamn ball wouldn't snap, so I was basically just discharging energy. Something… Else… Was where you were… I'm just… I don't know..."

"It was still me," I said, trying to tread carefully. I rarely ever saw Somin so emotional, and didn't want him to get upset again, preventing another overreaction. When I saw his confusion, I continued. "They used anesthetic to knock me out. I still don't really know what happened next. It was like I was possessed; something controlled me, and," I paused, sighing as I was forced to remember what happened next. "I think it made me kill them, just left 'em there afterwards. After that, it…"

"It what?"

"It talked to me," I said plainly. "Telepathy. It was a girl, and thought the situation was pretty fun. I black out there, on the street, and the next thing I know, I'm waking up on a plane as it arrives in Lavaridge. I came straight here."

I looked up, expecting some sort of stupification from the Zoroark. Instead, though, I got a look of indifferent understanding as he let out a small, "Hmm."

"That's it?"

"Huh?"

"You don't seem really surprised about what happened, you got an explanation?" I questioned sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"No, but yours explains a lot. Probably blocked out your life force with its own when it took you over. You just went 'poof'."

I cocked an eyebrow, making no sense of his explanation, or lack thereof.

Noticing, he shrugged me off, saying, "It's complicated. I didn't see much else, anyways… Whatever it was put us all to sleep before I could build up the energy to break out of the ball. I wake up when you release me and I just… Well, you know the rest."

"Whatever," I sighed as I let my chin rest on my palm. "How're you holding up?"

Somin laughed for a moment, "Dude, my leg hurts like shit right now."

"Damnit, Somin," I sighed.

"That's what happens when I tackle you to the ground, I guess… Nothing too bad. What about your leg?"

My leg… I'd been hit by the Cryogonal's Ice Shard the previous night. Why did I no longer feel the pain? With all that had happened, I hadn't even given it any mind.

Curious, I rolled up my pant leg and removed the white bandage surrounding my calf and shin. After it was gone, I simply sighed and slouched my shoulders. No trace of the injury remained.

"I… Somin, what the hell's happening to me? The guys broke my wrist last night, too, but it feels perfectly fine now. I don't understand…"

"Hey…" he said tentatively, "Look, you're safe now, right? We're all still here, we're all still in one piece."

"Somin… I think that thing is the reason you're alive right now. I know it sounds horrible to say, but—"

"I know… It healed me like it healed you, and if it didn't, there's no telling where I'd be right now."

"You're taking this really calmly."

"I had a hunch," he shrugged, chuckling with a hint of bitterness. "There's really nothing we can do, though, is there? Do we have a plan?"

I shrugged. "No… I guess at the very least we somehow ended up where we agreed we wanted to go after you healed, right?"

As soon as I'd finished saying it, silence fell over the both of us… Whatever had controlled me after I blacked out had known I wanted to go to Lavaridge. Was it spying on our group's conversation the previous night?

"You're thinking what I'm thinking, right?"

"Yeah, it might still be watching now… This thing's been following me for at least a few days, then…"

We let that information sink in separately for a few moments. This was becoming too much to process.

"Okay. It's better we don't think about that right now. I'm going to get us a place to stay so we can figure everything out as a team."

"With your name?"

I tossed the Zoroark the passport I still held in my hand.

"Whatever we're dealing with is also really good at forgery."

"Damn… Probably better than I could do. This is real, too…"

"We're being stalked by a professional counterfeiter, taking over bodies is just a hobby."

"People'll be less likely to recognize you here with only your face. But-"

"Still be careful, I got it… We'll talk later with the rest of the team and figure out how to move forwards."

"What's the plan if it happens again?"

"A kidnapping or something stealing my body?"

"Both."

I blinked for a moment, opening my mouth to answer before realizing I had none.

"Honestly, I don't think there's anything we can do about it. If the thing that controlled me was benevolent, it should help me out again if something happens. It already did it once, and by the looks of it, it needs me for… Something… I guess all we can do is wait and try to find answers. Keep our guards up 'till then, don't go anywhere alone, that kinda crap."

After finishing, I raised my gaze to meet his once more, hoping for some sort of positive response; or any response in general. Instead, I saw Somin had turned towards the sleeping form of Vita, his eyes clouded and troubled.

"Just take it as it comes, huh?" he voiced, not moving an inch. "I guess that's how it's always been, hasn't it. And it's gotten us this far? I think all of us can take whatever's coming. One of the best teams in the world, right?"

I was about to respond with an affirmative when his words sunk in. I hadn't even thought about our team like that, and the realization I'd actually accomplished my own, and many other's life goal was breathtaking.

"Wow," I chuckled, feeling chills run up my spine. "I guess you're right."


While we were in the Station, I had made arrangements to rent a condominium, rather than stay in a hotel room, while we were there. I blanched when I saw a few more zeroes than usual when checking the balance on my bank account.

Being a trainer only pays well when faced with the last few Gyms. If I remembered right, I'd only gotten a 20 Poké prize for beating the first Gym. Now, after my battle between Drayden, I was a millionaire with no conceivable way to spend a fortune. I had no interest in settling down. It certainly was subject to thought.

There was a 6 hour time difference between Mistralton and Lavaridge, meaning while it would be 6:00 PM there, it was only midday at the present time. One benefit to blacking out for so long recently meant I was already acclimated to the difference. I must've been asleep for around 16 hours.

After being processing through customs and finalizing any other transactions necessary, I was out the front door of the airport, breathing in the humid, hot air of Hoenn.

It seemed tourism was the number one source of income in the city, seeing as a lot of the shops, stores, and more, were leaned towards that market. There seemed to be only one center of urbanization, and everything outside of that was either suburban or wildlife; and quite a beautiful one at that. Palm trees dotted either side of the building, and I was able, every so often, to catch glimpses of Hoenn-native Pokémon with their trainers; ones I had yet to familiarize myself with.

The air, surprisingly, was clean, given the world's largest volcano rested only a few dozen miles away. I'd found in research about the area that, due towards the constant, northward wind, all of the ash and dust was sent in that direction, towards another town called Fallarbor.

From what I gathered about the area, I was able to infer, though we were pretty far inland, that it was consistently hot and humid. While not exactly my preferred climate, I was happy Winter was soon to come.

Best of all, though, was the fact that there was green EVERYWHERE. The tropics surrounding the town seemed so luscious and alive, much more than Unova's temperate climate. Even if I would choose forest over tropics any day, it was refreshing to see something so boisterous, yet so serene.

In a matter of minutes, I was inside a cab and on my way to one of the many resorts in the town. The condominium I planned to rent had a very modern feel, white-on-black, boasting the whole 'updated' look. While it only had two bedrooms, a single bathroom, living room, and kitchen, it was more than enough to feel like home—for now.

As far as payment went, however, I became concerned as I handed the attendant my debit card to pay for the reservation. They didn't seem to recognize my name on it, but I was paranoid nonetheless. I only realized after the transaction was completed that my pursuers could potentially track my bank account and deduce where I was as a result.

Though, before I could give it further thought, an odd and certainly strange sense of wellbeing fell over me like a smooth wave of emotion. It told me not to worry, and after little mental debate, its odd thoughts became my own.

If I were to get in trouble again with the unnamed organization seeking my capture, the entity that'd protected me before would certainly intervene again in my stead. It would keep me safe.

I shook my head rapidly. Where'd that thought come from? Was it my own? Somehow, my thoughts hardly sounded if they were my own.

I blinked rapidly as I thought long and hard on the issue. The train of thought wasn't exactly wrong, but it felt so artificial in nature. I supposed, with the harsh treatment I'd shown against the two men who'd knocked me out, nobody would be very eager to begin chasing me again.

They, like myself, were dealing with something outside of both our realms' of understanding. By the time I'd finished my introspection, I'd made it to the front porch of the condo I was assigned.

I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving to find entertainment within the small area was boundless. The main room alone was situated with a pristine-looking Ping-Pong table, an impossibly comfy couch, and a coffee table filled with various board games. Much like the exterior, it boasted a modern feel, with a sliding glass door in the back of the main room to provide most of the natural light. I could see Mt Chimney in the distance as well, the clear day providing for quite the stunning view over the city.

I turned away and sat on the couch, reaching down for my belt and detaching all five balls. I closed my eyes, preparing an explanation as I dropped them all simultaneously.