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Chapter XVI - Irregular


I huffed, staring out into the night sky through a tinted window. The view from the hill Drayden's Gym rested on was astounding, to say the least. Despite the lack of stars, we sat high above the majority of Opelucid, allowing me to peer out over both the stationary lights of the city and the snaking white and red of a highway.

My mind, once again, went over the conversation I'd started with Skipp after Misa had gone off to explore.

I'd asked him about the 'sparring' match between him and Drayden. When asked about it, the Flygon seemed oddly reserved.

"Drayden and I've been together a while," he explained, "just like the rest of the team. We train together sometimes to pass the time."

"Yeah, but a human shouldn't be able to be that strong," I argued, and, as an afterthought and an attempt at concealing my knowledge, I added a, "right?"

"Well, probably no…"

"Then why's Drayden like that? What makes him so special?"

"He's, uhh… Spent most of his life around dragons, and only dragons, Nox. He, uh… got stronger, I guess? It's kinda just normal for us, nothing really off about it. He's just one of us, you know?"

He opted to leave it at that, using the response of, "nothing's wrong," whenever I tried questioning him further.

Just another thing to add onto the pile of stuff I've gotta explain and try to make sense of.

"Arceus," I whispered, lowering my head onto my pillow. "I have no idea what I'm doing…"

How did I get to where I was? Two weeks ago, I was simply on vacation, celebrating the fact I'd finally achieved my reward for years of work.

Never had I imagined I would be the subject of a legendary's affection. For those few, fleeting moments after the shock had subsided when meeting Mew, I simply thought it signified a new, happy chapter in my life.

Here I was now, though. Uncomfortable and alone, slowly adjusting to a body I wanted absolutely nothing to do with. The promise of increased interaction with my team lightened my spirits somewhat, but I would've given anything, at that moment, to just go back to the daily leisure of training and traveling.

Why was it that I was now stuck, alone, trying to assess the oddities of the world around me? Some mysterious figure I'd never heard of, a stupid and rather adamant criminal organization, and on top of that, the incredible physical feats of a Gym Leader.

In retrospect, that last point hardly seemed worth the attention I was giving it. Knowing Drayden, he probably felt physically inferior to his dragons, and had worked for years to raise himself to their level… Hell, I sparred my own Pokémon from time to time, though I certainly wasn't strong enough to launch them as I'd seen earlier.

With my train of thought moving along steadily, I found myself eyeing the long television on the far side of the room.

No, even if I want to know what's going on, there's no point to it… If anything, I'll just get myself pissed off again and found out…

I shifted my gaze towards the closed door. Yellow light seeped in the gap underneath. Having been nearly three hours since we'd been sent to bed, I was quite surprised to hear Misa softly snoring from the other bed in the room. I could've sworn she would try to pry me open for information, considering we'd been given a room to share, alone.

Skyla, whom I had not seen since the train, apparently took up one of the guest bedrooms, and hadn't come out since.

I'm getting off track. There's so much going on… I just need to evaluate what I know and go from there. Theorize if possible.

Something was wrong, that much I knew. Everything had been so skewed and backwards since we'd been taken from Twist.

Drayden's behavior in particular had been the most odd. While I hadn't had much time to give an initial evaluation of his character, I still had enough information to know something was off.

From what information I'd gathered, I could conclude he was under the control of third-party interests, in the form of this mysterious man 'Vicus'. The Gym Leader wasn't exactly one to accept bribes, though, was he? Drayden hadn't been the mayor of Opelucid for years. Was this a political friend of his?

Of course, there was still the possibility I'd misheard what I'd eavesdropped on the train. Despite my best attempts to get the conversation out of my head, I couldn't get one thing out of my mind.

This Vicus guy… He wants Misa and I for something, and I don't think it's gonna be good.

I groaned with the thought.

Damn it! None of this makes any sense! On top of all of that, there's still the guys who tried killing me that I have to worry about! If they were the ones responsible for the attack yesterday, they're going to try again! What do I do?!

I took a deep breath, trying to stop myself from fuming further. I directed a glance towards Misa, quietly making sure she hadn't woken from my silent agitation.

I never thought I'd say she's been the least stressful part of all this… I'm gonna snap eventually if I keep having to play this goddamn part.

Maybe Mew can help?

Doubt it… She's in the Master Ball, and she already made it pretty clear something malicious in my body is blocking her out… She can't do anything.

I shifted my body, laying my head down. I made my decision, now able to fall asleep without any extra turmoil.


"Hey."

"Hi."

After giving Mew a curt smile, I took a glance around the surrounding area. Contrary to the void I expected myself to wake in, grey, stony walls surrounded me on two sides. It was seemingly a tunnel of sorts, the area beyond my immediate radius growing dark.

"This a dream?" I asked, looking over my human hands, back where they belonged instead of paws. The answer was evident by the form I took.

"Uhh… Kinda."

The legendary looked somewhat serious, and even worried to a degree. Excepting the anxiety her eyes held, however, she looked absolutely normal.

"Kinda?" I asked, narrowing my eyes in confusion. "Something up, Mew? What happened last night, and we didn't talk."

"Well, uh… We gotta talk to you, Ray."

"Yeah, I gotta lot to talk about t-... We? Who else is here?"

"Yours truly."

I spun my head around, eyes locked on the source of the familiar voice. Out of the shadows down one end of the tunnel, a Zoroark stepped forth. He cast an indifferent glance upon the both of us.

"Mew! What the hell?!" I protested instantly thereafter, turning away from Somin and sending an angry gaze towards Mew.

She wore an apologetic glance. "Ray, we-"

"We made a deal," Somin interjected. I redirected my hateful stare to shoot towards him. "I still don't like her, but we were able to reach common ground."

"I'm not talking to you," I said curtly, "You think I care you found something to agree on? I'm pissed at you, Somin. It's going to take a lot more than being civil for the first time towards her to make me forgive you for lying like that to my face!"

"You don't gotta forgive me," he shrugged me off. "You don't even have to talk to me, so listen up, and take a good, hard look at your surroundings."

"What about them? It's a cave, so what?"

"This is where we all are right now. The team. All here in this cave. This is so I can show you, in case you pick up anything from wherever you are."

My glare remained firm on the Zoroark's snout. He huffed, as if sarcastically chuckling.

"What, you gonna look at me like that the whole time? Expecting some sort of reaction to you being human right now? I'm a Zoroark, Ray. Illusions are my thing, and dreams are just one, giant Illusion. I know more about this whole 'in your mind thing' than almost anyone."

As if silently asking to just leave, I sent an irked glance towards Mew.

"She's staying out of this unless I ask her to. Part of our little agreement."

"Please," I replied sarcastically, "enlighten me on this 'agreement' of yours."

"Gladly."

He raised a claw, waving it fluidly past his face and neck in a single motion. A purple glow formed, soon to subside and give way to a dull, grey metal in its place. It wrapped around Somin's neck in a collar-like object.

"Know what this is?"

I shook my head, sighing angrily.

"It's an insulator. I'm the only one on the team wearing one. Basically takes out any chance of using illusions. It detects a single one being formed, I get knocked unconscious. Simple as that."

"Alright, so you can't use Illusions. So what? Isn't the rest of the team able to get out? You and Victor know Dig."

"Tried it. This whole cave system is weird, almost fake. The ground, walls, and ceiling are all way too hard to break through, somehow."

"The door?"

"Move-proofed," he replied, turning and raising the same arm as before. His claws took on a purple glow as the scenery shifted around us. Within a second, we seemed to be standing within a large cavern, stretching high into the ceiling.

"This is where we're staying, eating, and sleeping for the time being. The rest of the tunnels," he said, waving towards multiple dark entries in the far walls, "only go around in circles."

"They're closer to me than you are," Mew announced, adding into the information pile. "I can't tell which direction is which, but they're closer to wherever I am, for sure."

"Drayden's Haxorus said something earlier about his Gym being built above an underground cave system," I explained, setting aside my grudge for a moment to exchange valuable information. "Now I at least know where you all are, even if I can't get down there. If you're all closer to Mew, though, it means Vicus is down there too, right?" I asked. I noticed the door Somin had referenced earlier, and walked briskly past him to examine it. Solid steel, by the looks of it. "There's something really off about him, but we already knew that. Drayden's acting weird about it, too. He still close to you, Mew?"

"Always."

"The hell's Vicus?"

I turned towards Somin, sending a harsh glare at his interruption.

"Some weirdo," Mew explained before I could snap at him. "Power level's pretty insane, and apparently Ray heard a conversation about him on the train ride here. Drayden's boss, by the looks of it."

"Is he human?"

I gave the Zoroark a stupid look. "Of course he's human! Why else would Drayden answer to him! I think I would've noticed if Drayden said he wasn't human."

"Just saying… From what Mew's saying about his energy, he sounds inhuman."

"No Pokémon I know has that unique of a core," Mew piped in. "He's human."

"Okay, okay," Somin relented. "So, Drayden's taking orders from a dude with an unnatural amount of energy?"

"That's as far as I know right now… I'm still trying to find out more."

"Eh, do whatever you want. At this point, it's not like any of it matters anymore."

"Piss off, Somin. I'm trying harder than all of you combined to get us out of the mess you put us in! Do you have any idea how hard it is to act like what I look? Every second of the-"

"Don't start, Ray," Mew interjected, flying lackadaisically between us. "Better learn to get along, cause you still haven't heard the second part of our deal."

"What are you talking about?"

"Our deal," Somin responded. "Because of this goddamn insulator, I get all fidgety. Not being able to cast illusions absolutely sucks. But, lo and behold, guess who comes to see me last night while I'm sleeping?"

"..."

"When I'm self-aware in my dreams, I can reinforce them using energy I can't use while conscious. So, in exchange for sentience when I'm asleep and the chance to talk to you, I said I would do what I can to help her escape, and help her with something she wants."

"Which is?"

"Both Vita and Mew want me to teach you to fight."

Rather than give a response, I slowly shifted my attention between Mew and Somin without uttering a word.

"Why?" I asked tentatively, narrowing my eyes.

"Well, from what I heard you got the shit beaten out of you yesterday and you couldn't defend yourself. I think the answer's pretty obvious."

I glared at him. "It was chaos, Somin. I hardly knew what was going on, let alone figure out how fight back."

"It brings up an important point, though," he responded. "Since it's obvious you're gonna be away from us for a while, what's the downside of learning to protect yourself?"

"So what is this, then? You're just going to teach me through your dreams? Not to mention stupid, just by the sound of it I can tell it's not gonna work."

The Zoroark smirked at me deviously. I was in the process of asking him what he thought was so funny when I noticed his eyes take on a purple glow, only seeming to increase the intensity of that dastardly smile.

"W-what the hell are you doi-" I tried spurting out before undergoing an intense feeling of vertigo. My entire body, stemming from my feet and rapidly spreading upwards, was soon engulfed in the same purple fire of his eyes.

I closed my eyes in surprise as the light engulfed me entirely. Perhaps two seconds passed before I could perceive the glow dim down through my closed eyelids. Tentatively, and bracing myself for what was ahead, I let my eyes open ever so slightly.

I wasn't quite surprised to find myself now maybe a tenth of my original height, staring straight up towards a hardly-composed Zoroark. As I grudgingly looked over my Zorua body, he broke out into full-blown laughter.

"It's not funny, Somin," I seethed.

"No, no," he wheezed between breaths. "I just can't believe how unbelievably easy that was! No energy drainage at all!"

"We're technically in a dream," Mew commented, "It would make sense that Illusionary power backs up what you envision. The possibilities here are infinite."

"I knew that much," he beamed, "I just had no idea it would be this easy to do whatever the hell I wanted."

"Don't get too many ideas. I still haven't agreed to any of this," I warned.

"Well, Ray, to put it simply, you don't have a choice. I don't care if you hate me, and I really don't care if you hate Mew for it. The whole team agreed, and we're pushing you through it anyways."

"I'm the trainer, Somin," I shot back. "I have final say."

He stared back at me amusedly, narrowing his eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm what you might call an 'interim' trainer. Your trainer." He snorted before breaking the stare, finding the whole situation all too humorous to handle.

"Somin, I'm not joking!"

"Relax, relax, I was screwin' with ya. Just do me a favor and don't think of just yourself here. None of us want to see the shit beaten outta you, so keep an open mind for a sec. What happens if, say, those people chasing us come back out of nowhere and they have a Gothitelle trapping you in telepathy?"

"..." I felt my stare slowly lessening in intensity as his words snaked their way into my mind.

"Here's a better question, then. What would you do if I were in that situation?"

The words spilled out of my mouth, though I tried my best to maintain a miffed tone in my voice. "Night Daze. Super-effective and a wide-radius attack, so you don't have to aim."

"Of course, you're not gonna be using Night Daze anytime soon, but you catch my drift. Rewind, though, to when I was a Zorua. What would you have me do then?"

I sighed, not quite grasping his point. "Feint Attack, and probably a follow-up or status move, depending on the situation."

"Ray, there's no point in having what you know if you can't apply it. Even the team can't think strategically as well as you. Think about it. All you need are the tools to finish the job."

I looked away in contemplation. As my disdain against the Zoroark started to fade temporarily, I realized I simply didn't want to learn because he would be the one teaching. I'd been completely open to Jet's secret instruction on Twist.

"And in the end, man, I'd much rather come out of this whole thing with you alive rather than dead. Be mad if you want, but look past it a little while to make a smart decision. If not for me, do it for Vita."

"Fine! Fine, just cut it out with the whole guilt tripping bullshit. I'll do it."

Both the Zoroark and Mew stayed silent for a few moments, absorbing my decision.

"I better not regret this," I warned, narrowing my gaze specifically on Somin.

"You won't," Mew's voice appeared behind me. I turned to face her. "I have to go… Somin asked for it. The whole 'secrets between species thing'."

"What? Why? What species secret do you honestly not know?"

"It's a formality, Ray. You know Somin and I don't like each other much, and we'd rather not stir the pot even more."

I shifted glances between her and Somin.

"I'll be back in a little while. Remember you're doing this for a good reason."

Before I could protest further, she, very frustratingly, waved goodbye before popping out of existence.

"You wanna get started? Sleep doesn't last forever."

Groaning under my breath, I complied with the Zoroark's wish, turning and stepping towards him.

"Three types of illusions," he started. "Explain them to me."

I gave him a stupid glance. "We're doing this right now? Right into it without any time to talk?"

"Don't be like that, man… Cooperate or don't do this at all."

"Fine, jeez. Give me a second."

I fished through memories of the conversations we'd had on the subject.

"Connecting Illusions only work on people you send a connection to, and don't actually have any effect outside their mind. Physical Illusions don't need connections and actually exist and can affect the world, but are almost impossible to conjure. Then there's perpetual, which will stay conjured for as long as the energy you put into it lasts."

"Alright. To put it nicely, you're just too inexperienced right now to cast any other type of Illusion than those that need connections."

"Fine, fine. What's the plan, then?"

"All I can do right now is show you what it feels like to use certain moves. Now, what you're gonna feel is basically entirely from my memory, and I haven't been a Zorua for years, so it may be a bit off. When you're alone, experiment for a bit and see what works for you. It's different for almost everyone."

"Wouldn't it be better to teach me actual moves? I'm kinda getting the hang of using Illusions on my own."

"Confusion is a Zoroark's strongest weapon, my student," he joked, half to himself.

After sending him a glare for the jab and the nickname 'pupil', I reluctantly complied.

Just ignore him… He's always been like this, and it really shouldn't surprise me… This whole thing will go a lot faster if I just do what he says.

"Got it," I announced after a few seconds of searching, eyes closed. I focused on the faint buzz emanating from my chest.

"I can't teach you about agility. Not here, at least. I don't remember that much about movement when I was like you, so I can't recreate it. You'll have to work on that on your own also; dodging and stuff."

Already done. Jet taught me a lot about it, but I'd imagine Somin would get pissed if he heard about it.

"As for your core, focus on the energy coming out of it. You can feel the flow in your limbs, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it," I snapped, "Just tell me how to do it."

"Patience, Padawan."

"Somin, please cut it with the bullshit and just tell me what to do."

I threw my eyes open to glare at the Zoroark. He eyed me back agitatedly.

He raised a paw, leading me to believe he was going to use another illusion. Much to my surprise, though, a small mass of black, volatile energy formed at the zenith of his center claw. I hardly had the time to jump out of the way before it arced towards me like lightning, rebounding and dissolving after it hit the exact spot I stood.

"There. That's what you do. Do you need help, or are you able to do it without me teaching?"

"Why did you even come to train me if you were going to make it miserable for me?!"

"Oh, Giratina," he responded, rubbing the bridge of his snout and closing his eyes. "You're making it horrible for yourself, Ray." Opening the claw in an exasperated gesture and opening his eyes, he continued. "Admit the fact you need help and I can work to help. But if you're going to pout the whole time cuz of the fact I'm higher on the food chain, that's your problem."

"That's not what this is! You're bigger than me, so what?! Your being an ass is the problem here!"

"Back up your words then," he said, crossing his arms. "What are you gonna do if I, say, call you a shrimp?"

"Cut it out, Somin."

"Ooh, someone's gettin' angry, aren't they? Can't hear you, though. Voice is a bit too weak, don't you think?"

"Somin," I said, seething. "I swear to Arceus I'll-"

"You'll what? What?" His body was soon to be enveloped in a purple haze. When it faded, a Zorua, one quite small and scrawny at that, appeared. I could see his bones under some thinner sections of fur. He seemed frail, above else.

"What are you gonna do, runt?" he heckled, smirking that devilish grin I'd come to hate.

I wanted nothing more in the world than to knock that grin off his snout.

Yelling, enraged, I charged at the Zorua, energy rushing to fuel my muscles. Replacing adrenaline, I could feel myself multiple times lighter as I sprinted forwards. Lowering my head, I tried simply ramming into the false Pokémon.

Somin simply disappeared, grin still intact. I ran straight through empty space on my blind attack.

"Come on," he teased from somewhere behind me. I turned to face him, cursing internally at the fact the grin had only seemed to grow wider. "I thought you said you weren't weak."

Breathing heavily, I tried again, rushing straight towards the apparent Zorua. I tried simply tackling him yet again, only to phase through the body as I came upon him. I stumbled and fell in the aftermath.

A tantalizing chuckle reached my ears, only deepening the shade of red engulfing my vision.

"I'll show you, bastard," I cursed under my breath, getting back to my paws. One last time, I located the Zorua I'd come to hate so much and charged once more.

This time, though, instead of simply disappearing with illusions, Somin attempted sidestepping to further my humiliation. I took note of it and adjusted my course.

Much to my dismay, as I was about to impact the false Zorua, he leaped, easily clearing my height. A well-timed landing allowed him to kick my legs out from under me. This time, I stayed on the ground as I fell roughly.

"Fucking asshole," I coughed, breath knocked out of me.

"You gonna get back up, or prove me right?" the Zorua responded. I couldn't see him from where I lay, but I could hear him approaching.

"Hell no, not if you're gonna pull that kinda shit with me."

"You're weak, Ray. That much is pretty easy to tell," he sounded as if he was directly behind me. "All you've done is throw a pity-party for yourself since this whole thing started."

I stayed silent, hoping to regulate my breathing.

"'Oh, poor me'. 'Oh, why did this happen to me?' Bad shit happens to everyone, Ray. Get over it."

That was the last straw… After all he'd seen me go through, he seriously had the audacity to compare it to nothing. He had absolutely no idea what kind of toll this entire ordeal had taken on me, and I doubted, with his personality, he ever would.

I could feel my energy, very gratifyingly, spike with my anger.

You want me to use a fucking move? Fine by me…

Improvising completely, I let my rage guide my energy into my right paw, specifically. If illusions were sent out like a sticky string, what were to happen if I were to pool and expel energy in the shape of a ball? A very violent ball.

Once I had gathered a considerable amount, I sectioned it off from the leg and, acting on instinct, spun around and ejected the energy outwards.

When I absorbed the sight before me, however, my spirits sunk faster than a Regirock.

As expected, a scrawny Zorua stood before me. All I could manage to see before collapsing into exhaustion was the tuft of hair atop his head sway ever so slightly, as if in a breeze.

From the ground, I constantly switched between shooting nasty glares at the creature and groaning.

"Well, it's a start?" he half-asked shrugging. With a blinding purple flash, he reverted to his regular form. He started to approach me calmly.

"Fuck off!" I yelled, raising my head as he drew near.

"What? Why?"

"Get the fuck over this? That's what you want me to do? You don't care at all, you prick!"

"Do I really have to explain it was a façade, Ray? It was pretty obvious, wasn't it? Get a rise out of you for an instinctual reaction and a move?"

"You think I care?! I don't! You went way too goddamn far, Somin!"

"Jeez, man, cool it. The point was to get you pissed. Quit being so sensitive about it."

"Somin, I don't know if you've fucking noticed with how little you care, but I am a fucking newborn Zorua. Not a human, like I've been for my entire life, but a ZORUA! Do you have any fucking idea how confused I am, how disoriented I feel?! I'm not in my OWN GODDAMN BODY! You capitalized on that, when you know nothing!"

"Eh, I actually know a lot of what it's like to be in a foreign form," he brushed me off, shapeshifting into multiple different Pokémon before reverting to a Zoroark. "And really, if I didn't care, why would I be here right now? Just because I don't really emote in general doesn't mean I'm insensitive. I feel for you, Ray, I really do, but I'm not gonna throw a pity party instead of moving forward and trying to get out of this hellhole."

"One that you landed us in," I snarled, looking away.

"Yeah, it's my fault. I can admit that much. I had my reasons, and they were the wrong ones. If we're handing out fault, though, we should focus on-"

"Let me stop you right there," I snapped my gaze back towards him. "We are not bringing Mew into this. It's between you and me, nothing else."

"Then what's the argument? I've already said us being here is my fault, so what's the problem?"

"Oh, I dunno, maybe the fact you went overboard with the insults? 'Weak', 'runt'? Where the hell did those come from?"

"I told you why… It was my job right then to get you pissed, and I think I succeeded. I didn't pull those words outta my ass, either. It's stuff you're gonna hear as long as you're like this, and frankly, you gotta learn not to be so damn sensitive about it."

I maintained my silent glare. Somin sighed.

"Be stubborn if you want. Only tryin' to help you. We need to get back to work, though, and not have another outburst. Sleep doesn't last forever. Now come over here."

Remaining silent in my contemplation, I complied, stopping a few feet short of the Zoroark.

"I was just dickin' around with you earlier. I can't teach you anything else about Illusions, it just takes practice. So yeah, I am gonna teach you moves. They're a ton like Illusions, but easier to maintain. On the other hand, Illusions are easy to conjure, but keeping one open for a long time gets difficult. Once you have a move ready and set, though, you're pretty much good to go."

"Fine. Tell me what the hell I'm supposed to do, then," I spat.

Ignoring my resentment, he continued. "Until you really get a feel for using energy, there are a few steps you gotta walk through in your head every time. Start by closing off the flow of energy in your body to anywhere except where you want it to go. Pool as much as you can without expelling it."

I shifted my eyes to meet his and complied without words. To spite him, I narrowed my eyes in a glare. As a result, I gave little introspection, but was able to direct energy into my paw nonetheless. I felt an decently intense buzz in the area as a result.

"Done," I announced angrily.

"No you're not," Somin replied, leaning back against the cave wall.

"Wanna bet?" I asked in response.

"I'll know it when you're putting enough energy in for a move to work," he replied nonchalantly, sliding down to sit. "Like I said, it's a lot harder than Illusions to start up."

"Yeah, but I'm doing it," I protested. "Or is this just another fucking joke?"

"Chill, man. Concentrate and quit having your attention on me," he said, lowering further to lie on his back, facing the ceiling. Raising his arm nonchalantly, he continued, "I can tell you're putting twice as much energy into that glare than you are into your preparation."

I growled.

"Your loss if you can't concentrate long enough on your energy to do anything with it. We're gonna be here a while."

He's just toying with me. I already know I have it down.

Grimacing, I focused on the buzz in my paw, and much like before, expelled the built-up energy. Again, I shaped it into the first shape I could imagine, a ball.

Much to my amazement and rage, however, much of the same effect as before ensued; I simply saw Somin's fur shift as if in a breeze.

"Yeah," the Zoroark said. "I won't say I told you so, but just know I'm giving you infinite endurance to do this. Part of being my dream and stuff. Pull something like that on the outside and you're done. KO."

"What the hell am I doing wrong, then?" I retorted.

"Not concentrating, like I said. Meditate on it or something; you'll know when you get it done. It's about time I go anyways."

"Wait, are you fucking serious?"

"Nothing else I can tell you, man. Even if there was, I always get this feeling of vertigo when someone's trying to wake me up. Like the one I got right now… Either way, you're pissed at me, right?"

I didn't give an answer. His form started to fizzle and fade from existence.

"Guess so. Practice on your own, then. This isn't something you can do while constantly angry at me, so all I can really say is good luck. You'll know when you have it down, but don't even bother trying projectiles yet. If you do end up getting it, just smack something with your paw and see what happens."

"Somin, wai-"

He was gone. The cave around me disappeared from existence, swirling away with the Zoroark himself. I was revolted at what I recognized as one, final smirk before he left.

Fucking asshole.


"Nox, you'd better get your sleepy ass up before I kick it into high gear."

I mumbled something indistinct, burying my face deeper into my pillow to escape the harsh sun peeking through my eyelids.

"Go bwather shumun elss fo unce," I slurred, squinting my eyes.

"I'm warning you."

"Bite me," I concluded, letting off a small smile when I heard no more from the Axew. It seemed as if I got little to no mental rest while in my sentient 'dreams'. I was exhausted, feeling as if not a single wink of sleep had come.

I shifted, hoping to fall back asleep as soon as possible. I doubted anyone would be angry with my sleeping in, other than the single creature, to whom I was regarded as a slave.

My tail brushed up against something hard, but I chose to ignore it.

Ignore it, of course, until a sudden jolt ran up my spine, waking each and every muscle in my body as it passed. My eyes shot open and, despite my best efforts, I let out a painful yip.

Unlike the bite Misa'd given me in the exact same spot two days prior, though, this one was brief. I simply turned towards her as her jaws unclamped from around my tail.

"HEY!" I yelled, giving no mind to the injured appendage. "What the hell?!"

She spat off to the side, saliva landing clumsily on the bed. "You still taste disgusting. You're up now, though, ain'tcha?"

"I swear to Arceus," I seethed, standing up. Thankfully, my injured thigh gave little protest. "You're gonna gnaw that thing off one day if you keep biting it for no reason."

"Yeah, definitely awake, and as un-fun as ever. Lighten up for once, pipsqueak, or maybe listen to your master every once in awhile, and I'll leave it alone."

Satisfied, she stepped towards the side of my bed, making a big show of jumping off it and onto the ground.

Another day… Same stupid dragon.

Of course, I found it odd she didn't immediately interrogate me regarding my name or my affiliation to Drayden. A part of me wished she'd simply forgotten about it, but I knew, with her stubborn head, something had to have happened.

Maybe Mew had finally organized a decent conversation with her. I knew she wasn't talking to the dragon the previous night, but she may have done it while Somin and I were training. Misa had dodged my previous line of questioning regarding the legendary, so it was surely a possibility.

Mew had left before I could ask her anything, anyways. She hadn't returned after my 'training' with Somin, either. Perhaps it was close to morning by the time he'd finished. I certainly didn't feel as if any sleep came.

Reluctantly, I followed Misa off the bed and onto the ground, mindful of my thigh. I couldn't help but feel a small sting upon landing. Thankfully, my front, bruised leg was feeling much better, to the point I felt comfortable with walking on it.

"They're going to be mad if they see me up," I said.

"Eh, don't really care. Tell them you feel better and you'll be fine. Hell if I'm gonna stop myself from battling cuz I gotta wait for you."

"They're not gonna let you battle today, Misa. First, we hardly know anything about it, and second, what's wrong with waiting a little bit more?"

"No problem with wanting to do something useful," she replied. As we approached the door, she reached out to open it with a smaller latch at her height. After pulling, the door cracked open ever so slightly, allowing us to slip out.

"Don't you ever want to just relax and not do anything?" I asked as we stepped outside. I followed the marching Axew, dragged along by the invisible leash of her power over me.

"That's what night's for, stupid," she responded.

Not for me…

"You oughtta learn to have some fun, pipsqueak. It'll make everything a lot more interesting, instead of you being a stick in the mud all the time."

"I'll sure consider that," I replied, snarling.

"You got sarcasm down, that's for sure," the dragon pointed out. "Try something else, won'tcha?"

"Just saying there's nothing wrong with going and having fun on your own."

"Please," she scoffed, "if I had half as much fun screwing around on my own than getting a rise out of you and bossing you around all the time, you'd be useless."

She's acting suspicious. Relatively amicable, despite the fact she was angry beyond belief with me yesterday… What happened?

"You're acting weird," I pointed out as we stepped into the living room at the end of the hall. She proceeded to jump onto the sofa while I chose the armchair, judging it before leaping with some degree of accuracy. "Not that I'm complaining. I'm just not used to your being civil."

"No need to bash the truth out of you anymore," she replied, shrugging. "I already know your secret.

"Wait… What?"

"Yup, I know aaaaaaall about you, Nox."

"Bull."

"No!"

"Prove it, then."

"Well," she dragged out, jokingly. "I may not know now, but you wanna know what I did learn?"

"What?"

She proceeded to lift up her arm, in it, a remote control. The device itself was huge in her grasp, easily half her height.

"Skipp told me the magic box thingy tells 'mon useful stuff."

I could feel my heart rate start to rise when threatened with the remote. I attempted to reinforce a feeling of calm confidence as I responded.

"Yeah, good luck with that. I bet you're not going to be able to even figure out how it works."

"Oh come on, it can't be that hard," she brushed me off, laying the device on the ground. "Watch and learn, shrimp."

Confidently, the dragon raised a hand above her head, scanning the myriad of colored buttons with her eyes for a moment.

"Aha!"

She slammed her fist down on the remote, pushing the largest button she could find, dead center. It had some indiscernible human writing on it, but she was sure she was correct nonetheless.

She looked up to see nothing had happened; I sighed in relief.

"Helps if you know how to read 'human'," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh shut up, it's not like you'd do much better."

I actually would, thank you very much.


"Hya!"

"Nope."

Predicting a different approach would work, she started bashing the rectangular object on the couch beneath her. She huffed as she heard me snicker from the chair across from her.

She paused, hopeful, only to have those same hopes dashed as the screen before her remained black. She knew that wasn't normal; wasn't it supposed to show moving pictures?

"Oh Lugia, you actually had me scared there for a sec, Misa," I laughed. "The 'magic box' isn't much of a help, huh?"

The dragon, absorbing my words, paused for a moment, turning towards me with an unamused glare.

"Maybe the magic box needs the magic touc-AAAH!"

The same remote that'd been in Misa's hand not moments before was now whizzing through the air, sailing directly over my head. In a scramble to dodge it, I scooted back rapidly, tripping over my own body and falling off the chair.

I could hear Misa's breathless laughs, their source unseen from my position on the ground.

"That… Was… Hilarious!" she wheezes between uncontrollable fits of giggling. I shook myself off and formed a reply.

Yet, I bit my tongue. The Axew was acting different; aloof, even. With the direction each and every one of our conversations had progressed, what would a change in tone feel like?

For that reason, I decided not to tarnish the upbeat mood of the exchange. Even if I was slightly angry at her, I tried harnessing on the shred of playfulness I could feel in my core.

"You're gonna regret that!" I yelled back, though not with a hard tone. I hopped back onto the chair to find Misa had crossed her arms.

"Oh please, as if a shrimp like you could do anything."

"Try me," I challenged. "Zoruas aren't called the 'Tricky Fox Pokémon' for nothing."

"Ooooh, I'm really scared. What're you gonna do, win by getting hurt and having me come to fight for you?"

"Oh ha ha. No, but you'll sure as hell know it when revenge hits you like a freight train."

I wore a smirk, the facial gesture having naturally formed. I found it hard to wipe it off my face, despite my best efforts.

"Freight train?"

"Nevermind," I rolled my eyes. With her knowledge of civilization, or lack thereof, I doubted she would get common simile.

"Way to kill the mood, idiot."

Yeaaaaah, she's actually right about that one.

Now falling back into my regular routine of silence, I peered around the open area. A minute passed in silence.

"You wanna do something?" Misa proposed, "Skipp and Seraph and everyone else aren't here. We should go explore."

"I'm not against it," I responded after recovering from a slight bout of shock. Had she just asked me if I wanted to do something? "But if they find us where we're not supposed to be, well, I dunno."

"I talked to Skipp about it yesterday, and she said we got full reign of the place. All the doors have thingies at our height that lets us open 'em. Anywhere in the complex, and Vulcan and him said we can go."

"Wait, anywhere anywhere?"

"There's still that 'study' or whatever they called it. That, and two others I found yesterday. So three doors we can't get into."

"One of those is probably where Seraph's sleeping, and the other's probably Skyla's room. Are you sure they told you that?"

"Yes, I'm sure. What are you, deaf? Have I ever lied to you before?"

I exhaled, moving my leg back and forth as much as I could how I sat. I truly appreciated my rapid healing time; I felt no pain whatsoever. The extent of my feeling in the limb was simply a dull throbbing.

"Fine," I relented. I'd hardly remembered anything of the complex outside the TEC as a result of my being deep in thought the previous day. While not exactly looking forward to interaction with Misa, I found it more beneficial than not.

"Don't think cause I'm bringing you along that I forgot about your secret," she continued, walking past the chair. I jumped down to follow after adjusting my bandages with a claw. "I'm still gonna figure it out, and when I do, man are you in for it."

"I dunno," I replied, looking up and away lackadaisically, "you seemed pretty miffed about it yesterday. Hit your head or something?"

"Skipp gave me some advice," she replied, "If I wanna get something outta you, I shouldn't beat you up for it, but wait for you to give it to me."

"That's… Actually really mature of you Misa, surprisingly. So, you're going to follow it?"

"Pfft, hell no. You're a stubborn little brat, Nox, and I know I ain't getting anything outta you. His idea's a good backup plan, but it's a lot faster to search for clues."

"So you're gonna start treating me nicer? Hmm?" I asked sarcastically, quickening my pace to walk beside her.

I got a slug in the shoulder for my advance, prompting me to back off.

"Midgets walk in the back."

Guess just the same as ever.

"The only reason I'm treating you like light trash instead of complete trash is because Seraph told me to let up a few days ago. 'He's hurt', she says, 'he needs a good role model.' It's all stupid, but if I'm gonna get in trouble, it's gonna be for a good reason."

It makes sense… Maybe? I don't really know; her explanation just seems plain flimsy. It really doesn't feel like something Seraph would say, either.

Well, maybe it does… But Misa, a role model?

"Well, I gotta admit it's nice not having you yell or call me stupid every other sentence."

"Did I ask you to talk to me?"

Aaaaand, she's back.

We'd since nearly made it to another hallway branching off the main room. I tried digging through my memory to find which set of rooms it held, but came up fruitless.

"You two."

I jumped as the female voice appeared out of thin air, slicing the silence with a well-sharpened and clear telepathic wording. I spun my head around, hackles raised.

"Drayden requested I bring you both to him."

Standing before the both of us with a neutral facial expression was a Gardevoir, white nurse's apron draped over her natural dress-like exterior.

"D-Drayden?" I responded, heart racing from the shock.

"Whoa!" Misa exclaimed, ignoring what the Pokémon had to say. "Is that the telepathy thingy?!"

The humanoid didn't respond, facial expression remaining neutral. Instead, she stared directly at me, eye twitching ever so slightly.

"You're not supposed to be walking as far as I'm informed, yes?"

"Umm, I guess not. I feel fine, though, no pain."

Her eyes scrutinized me carefully.

"Hey, you gonna answer me?" Misa piped up.

"I'll make a point to check you over. In the meantime, please follow the simplest of instructions and do not move until I clear you to do so."

"Uhh, yeah… Okay."

Not exactly the kind of personality you'd expect of a nurse. At least she's straightforward with me, like just about no one else.

"Yoohoo! I'm talking to you!"

"Misa, just cool it for—"

"Let's go."

I felt a hand brush up against the back of my head. Looking up revealed the Gardevoir to be reaching out towards the Axew with her right hand, while her left rested on me.

I could tell Misa was not all too keen about accepting the Gardevoir's hand based only on the annoyed look she wore for being ignored. I heard the smallest of sighs from the psychic type before she, in one quick motion, lunged forward, dragged the yelling dragon towards me, and popped out of existence.

Teleportation with the Gardevoir, in short, was much more bumpy than teleportation with Mew. Rather than the simple feeling of being dragged through a funnel, this instead felt somewhat akin to a car ride on a pothole-filled road, body compressed into a smaller form all the while.

I certainly didn't feel the best after regaining awareness of my surroundings. I was dizzy beyond all else, a result of the much less perfected teleportation method the Gardevoir exhibited.

Misa was in a much worse state, however, almost instantly turning to the side of the hallway in which we now stood and hurling everything in her stomach. I didn't dare interrupt the show, other than approach her to make sure death wasn't imminent.

"Oh jeez, sorry Misa," a raised voice sounded off from behind me.

"Skipp?" I replied, turning to face the Flygon that'd just addressed us. I had to raise my own voice above what I perceived to be quite the commotion. "What's going on? What's Drayden want?"

"Sorry we had to grab you guys on such short notice, and Misa, again, really, really sorry about having you teleport with a fairy type. I know dragons don't like that…"

"I tried to be as smooth as possible. The Zorua seemed to be fine with it, despite the type disadvantage," the Gardevoir explained over the sounds of retching.

"Drayden didn't tell any of us about this before now," Skipp explained to me, "We had to get one of the nurses to get you both because we can't get back through the crowd."

Misa had since calmed, huffing quietly as she listened to the conversation. She sent horrid stares at the Gardevoir every few seconds.

"What's going on, then?" I asked.

"Drayden's making a surprise statement about this whole, uh, thing, and he wants you two here for it."

I blanched, trying to process the information. I'd never been one for crowds, and never exactly felt quite comfortable battling in front of one. There was a reason why spectators had never watched my Gym Battles live, even if they were televised.

"Why?! It's not like we can talk to people!" I exclaimed, trying to peer behind Skipp and further down the hallway. I recognized it as the interior of the main Gym building, leading out into the lobby.

"People are a little skeptical about him trying to hide you two… After the train, I mean. He wants to prove nothing's wrong."

Though still nervous, I felt a bit of consolation with the words. A bit of me, in the brief introduction from the Gardevoir, believed Drayden's 'wanting us' had something to do with Vicus.

"What… the actual hell… was that?" Misa wheezed in the silence to ensue.

"We're just doing something really fast and then we'll go," I replied, shaking myself out.

Just as I finished, the door leading to Drayden's main battlefield opened, revealing both himself and Vulcan at his side. The human was dressed in his formal Gym attire; gray overalls with purple straps and a white, button-down shirt.

With his Haxorus striding in tune next to him, he stopped before us, giving both Misa and me an eye before addressing all of us.

"Gardevoir, thank you for your assistance; you're free to go."

After bowing her head, the psychic-fairy type teleported out of existence.

With that, a downward glance was sent in my direction, for some odd reason. I shied away somewhat.

"Skipp," Drayden continued, "I would like you to go down and assist Crag with crowd control. Some points I'm soon to bring up will do little to calm their nerves."

"O-okay," the Flygon replied, sending a nervous glance towards Misa and myself.

"The hatchlings will be fine," Drayden assured.

"Y-yeah," the Flygon said. "Be careful, you two, and stay close to Drayden. He'll protect you if, well… Nevermind."

With that, he turned and left, walking down the hallway and turning right. Following him with my eyes, I saw a simple microphone on a stand, but no humans. I supposed they were all just out of sight, held back by no visible barrier.

"Misa, Nox," a deep, somewhat scratchy, calm voice addressed, piercing my thoughts. I turned to find it was Vulcan addressing us.

"Stay beside me at all times. Once you've both been thoroughly explained by Drayden to the crowd, I will be escorting you away until we can return to Drayden's residence on the other side of the complex."

"Okay…" I started… "This is all going a little too fast though, don't you think?

"Just don't say anything and keep composure. I apologize for not being able to give you both some time to prepare, but at times circumstance becomes hard to predict, especially in the situation we find ourselves in. This'll be over in a matter of moments."

"Nox," Misa whispered sharply into my large ears, recovering ever so slightly. "Tell me what the hell is happening."

I hardly had the time to absorb any information myself. A minute ago, I was trailing Misa in Drayden's residence without any idea of what was to come.

"Just… Go with the flow and do what I do," I suggested. I knew the Axew hardly retained any information in the wake of her upchuck. "We're about to do something really important, so I'll fill you in about it later."

The Axew, betraying a nervous glance behind me and towards the clamor of what must have been dozens of humans, nodded her head, swallowing.

She's not exactly been introduced to humans on a large scale before… She's gonna freak.

"If it hasn't been made aware to you both," Drayden pronounced, "I'm going to be addressing some major concerns regarding this whole fiasco. I've come under attack over the last few days due to my apparent hiding you from public eye. You've both become a special interest, and I'm here to dissuade the public."

I could see Misa start shivering out of the corner of my eye.

"You okay?" I asked in instinct, giving her a sideways glance.

"Y-yeah. Perfectly fine. I'm not scared… Y-you're scare-"

"Ladies and gentlemen," a calm voice burst through Misa's attempt at retaliation, making her jump. "The Opelucid City Gym Leader, Drayden."

The referenced Gym Leader, making no visible reaction, lifted his arm and snapped, pointing to the stage in front of us. The silent command compelled Vulcan to follow, simultaneously making sure both Misa and I were in compliance.

Before I knew it, we were walking as the crowd's noise dimmed to a hush. With the sudden lack of noise, the area was eerily quiet. I could hear the clack of Drayden's shoes against the tile floor.

The crowd seemed to be split in two. Much in the fashion of a normal press conference, people usually accompanied by cameras or holding notepads sat a few feet back from the stage. However, past them and held back by a simple rope attached to a few poles, was a conglomeration of normal people. I could see the crowd stretched far beyond the Gym's front doors, some even populating the area outside.

I tried focusing my attention on one, single individual as to not be caught up in the sight of them all. This soon proved to be impossible.

"I'm sure you're all interested for developments regarding the Chimney Bomber case," Drayden began, snapping me out of my stupor. I had to stop myself suddenly, as he Gym Leader had taken his spot behind a standing microphone and I was on a collision course with his leg.

Feeling warmth rush to my face, I backed up, turning to find Misa and Vulcan. Hoping to make my movement minimal, I fell into line next to Misa, not without noticing her subtle shaking.

"Of course, as you may very well know, I have chosen to directly involve myself with this case, not only because it has become a matter of personal importance, but because the unofficial main suspect was a boy in which I had a growing respect for."

"I would like to establish, however, that I'm not currently affiliating myself with the League. This information is my own, and shared on my own accord. Before I start taking questions, I would like to address the main issues. Please remain patient as I do so."

I could see reporters scribbling furiously at their notepads.

"First, I would like to speak on the future of my Gym."

The Gym Leader cracked his knuckles.

"Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing," he jabbed, extreme conviction spiking his words, "will deter me from keeping this Gym open to all aspiring trainers. Such has been my calling for decades. Personal attacks, such as the one occurring upon myself and my team's arrival to Opelucid will not be tolerated. I would like to personally dare anyone believing they are safe if they do so to try it. I can absolutely promise I will personally place you in a world of regret."

I found my attention shifting to the Gym Leader and his sudden aggression. The crowd was speechless, shocked at the obvious challenge. Whether or not it was inappropriate for an official statement I couldn't fathom.

"That being said, I will not let petty acts such as these hinder what I have always been doing. As of tomorrow, my Gym will be reopening to the general public under both mine and Skyla's leadership as she recovers from the tragedy regarding her nephew. End of story."

The crowd, previously in a death-like silence, erupted in yells. Reporters tried desperately to scream questions above the chaos.

Drayden's booming voice resumed over the microphone.

"Save your questions! I explained very clearly I wanted to explain all of my points before proceeding."

The mob was slow to die down.

"While we're on the topic of the blatant and unprecedented assault two days ago, I would like to question something. Why is it all the popularity surrounding the incident regards my trying to conceal two hatchlings from the public eye? It's almost as if every single one of you is groping desperately for a reason to say I'm a conspirator, in cohorts with Ray Alston."

I cringed at the mention of my name. Misa hardly seemed to notice it, however. She was frozen in place.

"To disprove any of the unfounded lies regarding my hiding something, I'd like to introduce the entirety of Unova to two, terrified hatchlings, forced to stand on a stage in front of hundreds of people, powerless and afraid. All because my trying to hide them from a violent mob is somehow a conspiracy, they're compelled to be here, and are both incredibly brave for doing so."

I understood most of what Drayden was saying was for dramatic emphasis, but I couldn't help but hear some truth in his tone.

"Not only was myself, my team, and Skyla assaulted, but two, starved hatchlings with hardly any predisposal to humans were as well. The Zorua, Nox, sustained heavy bruising to the face and upper body, while my Altaria was shot with fairydust-laced bullets as to deter her recovery. She is incredibly lucky not to have sustained permanent damage as a result of the ordeal."

I sighed somewhat in relief. Seraph was going to be fine.

"What are the hatchlings origins? Ray Alston had a Zoroark, is the Zorua related?"

"What did I say about questions?!" Drayden fired back at a thin, nasally reporter with long black hair. "Are you all that compulsive?!"

Drayden turned to face Misa, Vulcan, and myself. After scanning us with his eyes, he sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"This has been a stressful few weeks for all of us," he said. "Skyla was in Opelucid, hoping to visit her nephew only to find he'd disappeared from the city without a trace. When news of the Chimney Bombing broke out, I couldn't simply deny her requests for help."

I found myself listening intently to the story, thanking Arceus Misa seemed too zoned-out to care.

"She attempted making contact with Alston, but a troubling response led us to a habitable area in the Twist Mountain Range. How and why his full team and his gear was found halfway across the world from Mt Chimney is a potential subject for debate."

The room was in an absolute silence. I could hear the sound of my own breaths.

"It was then we learned that Ray Alston, as the evidence suggests, perished as the Chimney Bomb exploded."

Hushed murmurs erupted from the crowd as I turned I stare at the Gym Leader incredulously. Sure, I'd died that night, but he had to have known he was telling a blatant lie.

"In order to throw off investigative efforts," Drayden continued, "it is believed the primary catalyst of the explosion transported his team and his gear to an area in the Twist Mountain Range they'd inhabited a few years before. Among the primary suspects for the incident itself is the UPF."

The people were in a shocked silence. I could see the reporters fumble for questions.

"Regarding the pair of kits," he continued on a less somber note, "they were both found together, nearby, having nearly escaped with their lives after a scrape with a feral Beartic. After arranging a deal with Ray's team, we all set off as a group for Timberline, the closest town with a medical center able to take us, where emergency treatment was administered to Nox. He'd sustained serious damage to his right, hind thigh."

"Does that mean Alston's team is here, in the Gym?" asked a middle-aged woman with stern features. She seemed less affected with the news of my death.

"I will not provide comment on this."

Gaining traction and confidence after figuring Drayden's spiel was over, other reporters found the courage to input their questions.

"What is planned for the future of the hatchlings?"

"What efforts are being made by the League to apprehend those responsible?"

"One at a time," Drayden grumbled as if addressing children. "The hatchlings are staying with me for the time being. We are hoping to formulate a plan for their future after this fiasco."

He sighed. "As for those responsible, we believe a behind-the-scenes resurrection in the UPF has been occurring for quite some time now. It is believed the two executives surviving and escaping the final raid on their headquarters thirty-two years ago have given the organization new life. All citizens, now that we have confirmation, have a right to know the UPF is alive and well."

I perked my ears… Was this description of what I thought it was? The room fell in silence for a moment after Drayden's heavy words.

"Does this mean Alston was targeted by the organization?"

"This is what I believe, yes. It's a controversial opinion, certainly, but one based in fact. There has been a trail of breadcrumbs leading to the possibility a potential antagonistic affiliation with the organization, which would ultimately lead to Alston's target and fleeing."

"Drayden, if you could slow down for a moment," a reporter looking to be in about his mid-twenties said, raising a hand in a motion to stop. "I'm sure many viewers are hardly familiar with this 'UPF' you speak of. Would you mind elaborating on who they are?"

Drayden shot the reporter a dumb look, facial expression not at all hidden under his excessive facial hair.

"You all can conduct your own research on the UPF, but it is an unofficial name passed around news organizations and amongst the league for the organization responsible for the coordination of many of Unova's underground crime rings. They have the capacity to do great things; their advancements in science and illegal experimentation alone rival the capability of many of the world's best universities."

People began to raise hands and shout for Drayden's attention. He ignored all of them.

"I shall end with this: I am putting myself in extreme danger by challenging the UPF in this way. An innocent trainer was killed, however, and I will not back down. I personally invite any operatives hoping to inflict harm on myself, Skyla, my team, or these two kits to do so. You won't make it past the front desk."

The room erupted in noise as Drayden ushered us back off the stage with a stern look. I had predicted his speech would be much more lengthy, but was ecstatic to be rid of the hundreds of stares in my direction. Feeling somewhat anxious at the unprecedented challenge, however, I shook myself and led the march away, making sure Misa hadn't been frozen in place before proceeding.

The next minute or so was a blur. Ignoring any questions, Drayden had taken the lead, directing Vulcan, Misa, and myself through the exterior doors of the main battleground before taking a left down a hallway and leading us into an office of sorts. Only when the door slammed shut behind us did I snap back to reality.

It was a simple room we now stood in, a window with shades drawn stretching the entirety of the back wall. Drayden, sighing roughly, sat down in a spinning chair.

Misa was still petrified; whether or not she was trying to speak I couldn't tell. It'd surely been a bad idea to introduce her to humans in such a way.

"I'm going to help the others get everyone out of the lobby," Vulcan said, breaking the silence. Drayden, despite being human, nodded in understanding, motioning for the Haxorus to exit. He must have understood his dragon's intentions.

After he left, however, Misa and I were left alone with the Gym Leader.

"So, you two are settling comfortably, I assume?"

Silence. I stared at him awkwardly, uncomfortable with being left alone with the singular most suspicious creature in the entire facility. Something about his behavior wasn't right.

"I know you are able to use illusions, Nox," he remarked plainly. "And I don't believe we've had a proper conversation yet. I'm interested to learn more about you both."

"Why did you lie to those people?" I put forth simply, breaking through my inhibition to speaking using illusions. I figured acting clueless would do the best for me.

"I didn't lie."

"You did!"

"Tell me then, Nox. When did I lie?"

"You told them we weren't with Somin and everyone else. Misa wasn't, but I was."

"Telling the truth without context is not a lie, Nox. I told them you were both found nearby, and that Misa was attempting to assist you. Am I wrong?"

"N-no, but… You said Ray died because of the Chimney Bomb."

"Alston did die at around the same time the Chimney bomb detonated. Be it from a stab wound, as evidenced through a bloodstained couch in his Hoennian residence, but it did reside in the same sequence of events. Or, are you trying to tell me otherwise? We both know Alston is dead, Nox, Brycen's staying on Twist was nothing more than a ruse to convince Skyla to leave. Your friends told me this much."

He leaned forwards in his seat. "Unless, of course, you're trying to tell me he's alive? With a legendary present, that would certainly be possible."

Shit… Shit shit shit. Does he know?

"Of course, it's entirely possible your friends are lying to me. However, it is not a lie in itself if I relay said information. It's simply what I've been told and forced to believe."

I shied away, bumping into Misa on the journey backwards. I'd forgotten she was present, and a sideways look at her revealed she had comprehended everything Drayden had said. I had a lot to answer for.

"You're obviously an interesting character, Nox. Not to exclude you as well, Misa. From your account, you must have been on that mountain for quite a while. A dragon of your age and stature shouldn't be alive."

"Pssh… I'm tougher than I look."

I could see Drayden roll his eyes somewhat, as if he'd derived what she was saying. He probably knew through inference.

"I believe you'll both come to find we share mutual goals. Once you come to that realization, I'm sure we'll all get along swimmingly. I would like to state for the record, however, my apologies for this whole situation."

"We're just sitting here doing nothing to fix it," I projected, instantly regretting it. The thoughts had simply spilled out, and between the light pants of exhaustion from the exertion of creating the connection necessary, I felt my pupils shrink in anticipation.

"On the contrary, Nox," Drayden replied in an unnaturally relaxed voice. "Everything's falling into place. You may not know how, but if you take one piece from this conversation, know this… You will never in your lifetime see me lie to you. 'The truth is more powerful than any weapon', so I've been told."

Something wasn't right… The way he was acting was too informed. He knew I knew he knew, so to speak. He wasn't saying anything about it, though? Why?

"With that being said, go about your regular daily activities with my team and know everything's being sorted out."

I sent a timid stare at the Gym Leader. His lack of tension was unnerving, especially after such an event as the one he'd just spoken in.

A familiar female voice cut through my head. "You called again?"

I flung my head around, hackles raised at the startling introduction. The Gardevoir from before stood now before me. I could notice Misa taking a combative stance out of the corner of my eye.

"Yes, Gardevoir, I did," Drayden responded. "I want you to take Nox here and look him over. Heaven knows Altaria will burn the building down if she sees him walking around like this while she's been recovering. As for Misa…"

"Make me teleport with her again and I'll kill you."

"I'll take her back to the living quarters myself," the Gym Leader continued, ignoring the Axew's threat.

Before I'd realized what Drayden was doing, he'd gotten up, scooped an indignant Axew under a single arm, and began exiting the room.

"Let's speak again soon, Nox. I'm sure we can learn much from one another."

He was gone, having completed such a great length to avoid further questioning. A twinge of apprehension in favor of Misa's future struck me before I shook it off.

Something's really wrong.


This chapter was always a bit iffy for me... From here, I feel like my writing flattens out, in a sense, which was my least favorite part about writing the second half of Act II... I don't really have much else to say.

Discord Invite still applies, we have a bunch of authors from all across Pokemon FFN, and we'd love it if you'd join! Code: AmkQGzD