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Chapter XVII - Same Stupid Dragon


"U-uhh…"

"Is something wrong?"

"Um… Nurse Gardevoir, can I talk to you in the hall for a movement?"

The Audino who'd spoken, certainly unknowing of the extent of my sentience, shot a desperate look in the humanoid's direction. Sighing, the Gardevoir carting me around the facility nodded and led the way outside.

"No, nothing's wrong dear," the Audino said. "We'll be riiiiight back, don't try to move anything."

Watching me, she backed out the door and closed it lightly shut behind her.

The Gardevoir had taken me just down the hall, to where the Gym's Nurses' station laid. Since then, as promised, her and her Audino colleague starting probing me, checking my injury, no doubt.

The Audino had started her evaluation alone as not to crowd me, pausing and becoming nervous after a short amount of time. I had no idea what to feel about it.

What if they found out I'm not a natural Zorua?

It'd been maybe fifteen minutes since Drayden had left me to the Gardevoir, and I found my thoughts gravitating slowly towards Misa. I had a lot to explain to the Axew if I didn't want to be found out, and needed to come up with yet another lie to tell her.

Just tell her the truth.

Out of the question… I hardly knew the Axew, let alone enough to trust her. I'd already had this discussion with myself, and my answer was unchanging.

I entertained myself while the two nurses were outside by swishing my tail back and forth in front of my face. The movement felt natural, and whether or not to feel afraid because of that notion was beyond me. At the very least, I was now predisposed to my body, but what if I was getting too complacent with it?

A part of me wished I would be able to calm down, and there were, many times, moments in which my guard temporarily dropped. It felt nice whenever it happened, but the human side of me suppressed it all instantly.

Zorua instinctiveness was well-taught to me over years with Somin before he evolved. I noticed the same behavior in myself at times. The desire to play pranks, make jokes, cast illusions; I'd felt it a few times since I'd arrived at Timberline.

I didn't understand fully why I was so against these new instincts. They were unwanted, and simply a part of my new anatomy, sure, but it surely wouldn't hurt my façade to act like a Zorua kit, through and through. It wasn't as if I was going to lose my humanity.

Was it pride? I had a great amount of it. If I were to start acting odd, there would be no doubt others' view of me would decline. If not Misa and Drayden's team, who all expect me to act normal, my own team would surely provide great embarrassment.

They're not around right now, though… If my talk just now with Drayden tells me anything, it's that he's on to me. If I were to act 'normal' around them and like myself around my team, there would be no problems, right?

Before I could give the matter any more thought, the Audino and a human opened and stepped through the door. The Gardevoir wasn't present.

The human was a Nurse, as far as I could tell. Her facial features were soft, and she was overall somewhat chubby. Her mid-length blonde hair was tied back into a bun hidden under her white cap, accompanied by a matching apron. Both articles of clothing held a Pokéball insignia on them.

"Hi there," she introduced herself in a light, bubbly voice, "I'm Nurse Whitley. Nurse Audino is one of my assistants."

"Hi," I replied softly, feigning nervousness.

"Nurse Gardevoir told me Nurse Audino found something really special about you," she made sure to say 'special' as if it were beneficial. My heart sunk, instantly believing they found out my body wasn't organic, or something along those lines.

"O-okay," I responded, readjusting myself. "Is that bad?"

"No! No, not bad," the Audino laughed nervously, feigning the same personality as the human. "If anything, it tells us why you were able to heal so fast, and could mean you'll grow up to be a really strong Zoroark! That's not bad to me, at least."

She chuckled again. Combined with her puppy-speech, it took all I had to keep acting like I knew nothing. Her explanation did confuse me, however. What the Pokémon revealed was something I was unaware of.

My vision was soon redirected again, however, when a familiar face passed through the door behind the duo.

"Skipp," I greeted as the Flygon stepped around the Nurses and towards me.

"Hi, Nox," he responded with a nod and a weak smile. "You doing okay after all that?"

"Yeah, I'm fine… Have any idea what these two are talking about?"

"Some," he admitted painstakingly… "Turns out the machine wasn't entirely broken in Opelucid, and they asked I be here to help everything go smoothly."

"Smoothly?"

He nodded, leaning into whisper to me. "An in-depth energy measurement. The Nurse will explain it to you herself… Gonna be missing pieces, though… They don't know you're smart."

"A-alright?" I whispered back, "Why all the secrecy?"

"Drayden doesn't want anyone knowing about how smart you are. Personal reasons."

"Okay then? What do I have to do?"

"Listen to the Nurse and don't take offense at how she talks to you. We'll play the rest by ear, okay?"

I gave an apprehensive nod, seeing no other options, the dragon, in turn, turned towards the human and nodded.

"We were wondering," the girl sparked to life, "if we could use your help with something."

"..."

"We, umm… Need to get a sample so we can figure out how strong you are! So we can tell you! Will you help us?"

I shot Skipp a subtle glare. With her encouragement, I nodded slowly.

"Wonderful!" she celebrated in an octave I was unaware was possible. "I promise this is only going to hurt just a little bit."


"Pfft, what happened to you?"

"Eeeeeeehhh."

"Quit mumbling already!"

"He's exhausted, Misa."

"Why? It's not like he did anything important!"

"They had to take a bit of blood for something, so I don't think he's gonna be able to play today."

"Oh come on! I made all these plans and everything! Come on, pipsqueak, get up and let's go. You have a lot of explaining to do."

"Misa, he's not going anywhere… The faster you let him rest for a few hours, I'm sure the faster he can play with you again."

"Hmph."

The small dragon, peeved at having her plans for interrogation ruined, hopped off the chair she stood on to yell at the lethargic Zorua.

"Explore by yourself all you'd like. Drayden isn't officially reopening the Gym until Monday, so you're still able to do whatever you want for like, two more days. You can show Nox around some more when he's feeling better, okay?"

Misa growled to herself.

"You got lucky this time, shrimp," she said to herself under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," she grumbled as she started walking into the far hallway. She wanted to say something else to the infuriating Flygon, but held her tongue.

What am I gonna do now? As much as I hate the pipsqueak, he's the least boring thing about this place.

She made sure she was out of sight before sinking to the ground along a wall in defeat. Nox always thought himself better than her. Why else wouldn't he spill his guts? It infuriated her to no end. He'd been getting better, sure, but he still wouldn't give his stupid secret.

She didn't know why, but the intrigue of the Zorua's mysteriousness captivated her fully. She saw herself as a detective of sorts, and a failing one, at that. How was she supposed to assert her dominance if she couldn't do something so trivial?

She looked towards the ceiling… Being a big, strong dragon was a lot harder than she'd imagined.

The entire situation had been one clue after the other to her. The problem was, however, the fact she had no idea how to put the pieces together. It was becoming more of a game than anything as she came to loathe the Zorua less and less. An incredibly frustrating game.

And she was determined to win.

She would have an opportunity to speak to him again later that night, she was sure. Maybe she would be able to play on his obvious exhaustion in order to have him involuntarily give up the truth. For that, she would need to make a plan.

I don't know! He makes plans, so that's his thing. Dummies like him need plans to do anything, but I'm better than that.

As more of a sideways glance than anything, she spotted a gray-tipped, yellow tail as it disappeared behind a corner.

Vulcan.

Smirking, she jumped up to attention and chased after the departing Haxorus, shouting his name.

"Hey! Wait!"

The behemoth, quite a monster turned and shot her a neutral look.

"Yes, Misa?" he responded as he turned to face his pre-evolution fully.

"Whaddaya doin'?"

The Haxorus narrowed his eyes. "If you wanted to stop me for simple chat, I'm afraid I can't accommodate right now. I'm busy at the moment."

He started walking away, only to find Misa was right on his heels, beaming up at him.

"That's okay! You'll hardly notice I'm here!"

Vulcan looked her over before laughing, if only slightly. "I'm fine with it," he said. "I'm assisting Drayden in preparation for the reopening of the Gym in two days time."

"... That sounds boring. I thought you did a bunch of cool stuff while you were gone."

He shrugged ever so slightly. "Depends on your definition of 'cool'. Most of time time I 'disappear', I'm either sleeping, eating, or meeting with Vicus and Drayden… There will be times where Drayden and I go on missions alone, though those are few and far between. I may be strong, but I'm an old Pokémon at heart."

"Hmm… How old are you?"

He tilted his head back and forth in thought. "Well, I myself stopped counting, but I was born a few years after Drayden. We were childhood friends after I hatched. So, judging by his age, eighty-five or so years?"

"Whoa! You're older than my dad, and he was almost the oldest in the colony!"

"Ah, your parents…What are they like?"

Misa's eyes lit up like stars. "My dad's the strongest Haxorus ever! He was the leader of my clan when they decided to take over the cave where I was born! Misty-ralts-ton, Nox told me it was called, or something like that."

All traces of lightheartedness slept his face.

"What did they do to the clan occupying the space before?"

"He said they were all filthy half-breeds, instead of real Haxorus like us!"

"Misa…"

"He was able to beat anyone that challenged him easily!"

"Misa."

"Yeah?"

Vulcan sighed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't talk about half-breeds condescendingly. My father was a Garchomp… My clan was likely the one you jousted from the cave."

"Well, I mean… I've never met a half-breed before. You don't look different…"

"It's simply genetic. I'm still a Haxorus at heart, completely."

"Huh… Well, my dad was probably wrong when he said all half-breeds were worthless. And even if our families don't like each other that much, we can still be friends, right?"

At least she's able to move past her domestic beliefs… Many dragons aren't able to achieve even that. I doubt her father the most pleasant of Pokémon.

"Did you have any littermates?"

"Yeah, they used to make fun of me 'cause I hatched last. I don't care, though. My dad said that, even though I was the youngest, I could do the passage first!"

"The passage?"

"Yeah! The ritual thingy where Axew evolve into Fraxure. All my littermates have to do it, but he let me go first!"

"They did not have such a ritual in my clan… What else is there to know about it?"

"Well, when an Axew's ready for evolution, they're left alone in the wild until they do! When they become a Fraxure, they're allowed to come back home. Simple as that!"

"... And how old did you say you were?"

"Six months! Gonna be seven in a few days!"

"And you're ready to be a Fraxure?"

"Yup! I worked extra hard!"

"Misa… Evolution doesn't quite work like that…"

"Whaddaya mean?"

Vulcan gave the Axew a hard stare. She was completely clueless. Vulcan tried his best to divert the conversation without placing wool over her eyes.

"Do you know what the leveling system entails?"

"No, never heard of it."

"It's a relatively new concept, but there's a device certain people can use that can measure a Pokémon's energy strength and output. Each level takes an exponentially greater amount of combat experience and training to achieve from the last, and when a Pokémon reaches a certain tier, they will naturally evolve… Would you like to see how far you are along yourself?"

Misa tilted her head and scrutinized the Haxorus with gaping eyes. Vulcan returned her stare as she formed a response.

"Is that like the thing Nox did? He's like, really tired after it."

"No, no. Nox was a special case due to the nature of his energy. We could put him on the same scale, but it would yield inaccurate results. A more in-depth test to check the behavior of his energy is necessary."

"Eh, fine, it's not like I got anything better to do."

Vulcan, nodding, opened a door to his right.

"This is Drayden's and my room. He asked I grab something for him, and then we can make our way to the TEC. I will make arrangements for a level scale."

"Sounds good to me…"

The room was neat and organized, yet dark, with no windows to provide natural lights. Everything seemed to have its place; the bed was made perfectly, a desk with different writing utensils laid meticulously in rows. The furnishings were sparse, to say the least. A barebones sort of lifestyle could be inferred.

Vulcan crossed the room, switched on a lamp atop a desk, and opened a single drawer. He seemed to notice first, however, a pristine piece of paper laid perfectly in the center of the desk. Letting the slightest of scowl form on his face, he crumpled it in a single claw and held it firm.

Misa's interest spiked. Paper was the stuff humans used for writing stuff, right? She'd heard some sort of reference to the stuff a while back, and she'd even seen some of the human language. It was indiscernible, but it wasn't as if she knew any sort of written language, for that matter.

She could hear the drawer close as Vulcan dropped the crumpled paper inside and turned off the light. In his other claw, and glowing in the darkness was a perfect, white, glowing orb. It pulsated in a regular rhythm.

He walked straight past her and out the still-open door. She jumped to attention as he began to speak again.

"Under normal circumstances, Drayden would retrieve this himself. I'm afraid he finds himself busy entertaining the masses, however…"

Misa set aside her interest in the paper for a moment in order to interrogate the Haxorus.

"You guys mention this 'Vicus' dude a lot, but I ain't ever seen him. Where is he?"

Vulcan was silent for a moment.

"You could say he doesn't take kindly to visitors unless he invites them himself. His room is in the basement."

"Basement… You guys gotta basement here?"

"Of sorts. You are to never try and go down there without myself or Drayden present, understand? It's dangerous down there."

"O-ok… Can you tell me who he is, at least?"

"A childhood friend of both Drayden and myself. He helped Drayden get through some hard times in both of our lives by giving him the tools of success. He taught us all the value of truth above all, and had been a mentor of sorts ever since. My whole team holds him dear, and he's an unofficial member of our party, in a sense."

"Huh. Why haven't I met him?"

"Very antisocial. All of his outside interaction is through Drayden. He only ever talks to the team, and no one else."

"Oh, he can talk to Pokémon? Nox says humans can't do that."

"... I won't lie to you Misa, so I'd appreciate it if you dropped the subject. I regret bringing him up."

Misa understood the implied meaning and, coming from the only creature in the complex she saw as a superior, she shut her mouth.

"What's that white thingy then?" she asked in a new direction.

"Oh, this?" Vulcan responded, holding the orb for her to see, smirking ever so slightly. "We were sent to find it a while ago. It has supernatural powers, one could say."

"Really?" Misa responded, eyes beaming.

"Yes. Would you like to see?"

He leaned down, stopping, so he could reach down to the Axew's height.

"Go on, touch it."

Misa looked into Vulcan's eyes tentatively and found no malice. What reason did he have to trick her?

The orb was still pulsating a bright white in a regular, calm rhythm much like that of a heartbeat. Mentally shrugging, she reached forward and let the palm of her hand rest on the warm surface.

It felt like smooth glass, though she hardly noticed as a nearly audible WHOOSH filled her ears. Power flooded her system as a red-hot blaze ignited in her chest. She staggered somewhat in surprise, falling back and away from the orb.

She heard a deep, hearty chuckle as she shook her head to clear the buzz and subsequently regained her hearing.

"This artifact is known as The Light Stone. It affects dragons, specifically, by diffusing energy, meaning what you felt was a fraction of my power flowing from me to you temporarily. It's said Reshiram himself, the god of fire and truth, lived within the stone until he was freed by a human, and some of his power remains locked away inside until it becomes absolutely needed."

"Y-you don't feel anything?"

He chuckled again. "I have no need for Reshiram's power here and now, and as per how the artifact functions, energy transfers from the stronger being to the weaker. Of course, despite our energies being compatible, I'm afraid the volume was too much for your body to handle, so it flowed right through you."

"Wow… You feel like that all the time? That was…"

"Yes, it is quite nice. I've gotten used to it all by now, of course, but if I weren't predisposed, that would be what I would feel like."

"What are you doing with it?"

"With this whole situation, Vicus has asked Drayden keep it on his person at all times. Vicus trusts no one else to protect it, and is quite afraid to go near it himself. I came to fetch it while he was busy."

"Huh…"

"Let's go, shall we? Drayden's probably waiting."


I was aware the entire day afterwards, in a sense, but then again not. I could see everything going on and arrive to certain conclusions, though other things hardly registered as wrong.

I eventually did fall asleep again, however, and had the first deviation from the dream I'd had in awhile.

Not continuing the line of 'dead Zorua' dreams I'd had previous, this one was much more vague. Too vague to remember, in fact. I just remembered I was being chased by something big… Something dark. Something with a needle, much like the one used to extract blood hours earlier.

I also was unaware as to whether or not I escaped. Part of me was glad to be back to normal nightmares rather than the recurring, pointless dreams of weeks prior.

Perhaps Mew had fixed it after all. I hadn't yet the opportunity to talk to her about it.

I felt now as if I'd slept way too much, but was comfortable and reenergized nonetheless, no doubt under a load of heavy blankets.

I scanned the room to find I'd been moved back to my bedroom while I was asleep. There was also the possibility such an action had occurred while I was awake, but was too 'out of it' to notice.

I needed to get up and stretch my limbs. It felt as if I hadn't moved for hours upon hours. I doubted I would be getting to sleep that night, either, with my sleep schedule surely skewed.

I tried wriggling off the blankets so I could stand, only to find they shifted on their own. I stopped moving to test it and silently waited as the layer of warmth above me came to a slow standstill.

I tried squirming forwards again, making some headway this time around. By the time I was nearly free, though, a voice began speaking.

"Nox?" she asked as if reaffirming her position. "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

"Seraph!" I responded as she shifted away, eyes widening, "You're okay!"

"Oh dear, I fell asleep, didn't I?"

It was Seraph's wing draped over me, not a pile of blankets. Upon realization, she retracted it and looked at me expectantly.

"Don't worry about it," I said cheerfully, somewhat tentatively, but hoping to reassure the Altaria nonetheless. "H-How are you?"

She stared down at me for a moment before sighing. "I'm doing much better now. I caught Skipp bringing you back to your room and I offered to keep you company. I've been rather lonely over the last few days."

"I'm glad you're okay…"

"Me too, honey…"

She grunted as she stood, something obviously ailing her in movement. I got up as well, feeling the strength now to do so.

"Does it hurt?"

She chuckled briefly. "Yes, but I've been taken care of rather well. It's going to take much more than a gunshot to stop me."

"B-but they said it was like… Fairy-coated, or whatever. Don't dragons hate fairies?"

"Well, the wound was only a graze, thankfully, but yes. My core's ability to help heal has been impeded, so recovery will be slow. But, I'm doing well, or so I've been told."

She readjusted herself as she stepped off the bed. She readdressed me as she stilled.

"You're not feeling at all woozy? They did take quite a bit of blood."

"Needles suck," I said simply, shivering.

"I'm sorry for all that. I'm sure if there was another way, we could have just as easily used it. But, on the bright side, you are almost completely healed. Of course, you'll have a scar to show for it, but you're incredibly lucky we had no more complications. I'm sure if we sneak a Sitrus in your meal, you'll be completely or almost completely healed by morning."

As she spoke, we started walking towards the door. She opened it with a turn of the upper knob.

"Plus, I believe it makes you look rather tough. Gives the impression you've had some rough battles."

I took a glance back at the bandages. It would be a shift, certainly, to have them removed permanently. I wasn't looking forward to the permanent reminder, despite Seraph's words.

"Take it from me when I say females definitely think they look nice. You're going to be very popular with them in the future, I'm sure."

I could feel my face burn. "S-Seraph, come on!"

She laughed openly. "I suppose you're too young for all that, hmm?"

"I don't know! Just… Agh, come on!"

"You'll thank me one day. However, I believe it's about time we ate then, no? And, for behaving so well while I was indisposed, I think I can get sneak you a special treat."


"Hey pipsqueak! You're-... What are you doing?"

I didn't even bother looking up to face the Axew as I rabidly tore through the Poffin before me.

"Oh Arceus, this is so good," I said, mostly to myself, as I was chewing. The taste was incredibly addictive, and while I couldn't put a finger on what its attributes were, I loved it. A perfect medley of flavor. Seraph had detailed the already-known fact Poffins were made for each individual type, but as a human, I had no clue they were this wonderful.

"Hello Misa," I heard Seraph say over the grunts of the Axew as she tried climbing up a barstool by the kitchen counter. I myself was on the tabletop. "I heard you were on your own today, did you find something to do?"

"Oh yeah!" she exclaimed. "Vulcan taught me how to fight like him! It was awesome!"

This prompted me to raise my head ever so slightly.

"He what?"

"Yep! You heard me! He brought me into the main battleground and showed me some things! I'm even better than before!"

I reminisced on the first time we met, in which we had not one, but two scuffles with one another… I'd barely been acquainted with my body, and yet I was somewhat of a match for her.

"Better watch out shrimp," she added, "I'm pullin' ahead!"

"Misa," Seraph scolded. "Cut it out with the nicknames please…"

"..."

"It's not like he cares I use 'em."

I eyed the smaller dragon out of the corner of my eye. She wasn't wrong. I'd become desensitized to the nicknames more than anything, at least coming from her. Anyone else, though, and I doubted I would take it kindly. The image of a certain Zoroark popped into my head, reminding me I would be seeing him yet again that night.

Rather than speak or back up either side, I gave up on caring and dug back into my Poffin.

"Oh Zekrom," I could faintly hear Seraph mutter under her breath.

"Hey Nox," Misa addressed me once again, accentuating the name as if to spite Seraph, "You wanna go outside and do something?"

"... Noft rewlly," I responded with my mouth full.

"Come on! You're feeling better, aren'tcha? I wanna show you something!"

I swallowed and shot a short glance at Seraph. She looked at me apologetically.

I sighed. "Alright, fine… I'm still feeling a bit 'eh', but it's quick, right?"

"Sure!"

"Seraph?"

"It's okay for you two to go out into the courtyard…" she said thoughtfully, "Be careful, though… Misa, don't do anything rash, please."

"Right, sure, be careful and all that," Misa blew the larger dragon off before leaping off her barstool. "Hurry up shorty!"

I reluctantly left the rest of my Poffin on the counter and stood. While content I had time to stretch my stiff muscles and move around outside, I was particular about who I spent it with. Seraph outstretched her wing near the counter. I leaped onto it and scooted off so I would have an easier time hitting the ground. Thanking her with a quick gaze, I trotted off after Misa, who'd already made her way outside and into the courtyard.

"What's up?" I called afterwards as she slowed her pace to a walk, allowing me to catch up.

She seemed annoyed, most likely because I wasn't more disposed to ask about her day with Vulcan. The fact she'd spent time with him intrigued me, sure, but it was only natural she gravitated to the older member of her species.

It was already dusk, and I was glad to notice the buzz of excess energy arrive bit by bit. I shivered with first contact.

Leaving Misa behind, I went over and took a look at the pond. I could see a few water types below the surface, swimming about. I tried ignoring the sinking feeling in my stomach telling me to step away from the water. I hadn't exactly had much exposure with situations in which my hydrophobia became a factor, but I felt it nonetheless, a parasite I was unable to feel unless in specific scenarios nor dispose of. I forced myself to lay down and relax.

"You gonna tell me out here for?" I asked as a distraction to myself, turning back around.

She approached me and, copying me, sat down by the water with her legs crossed.

"I guess you're not gonna tell me what Drayden was talking about in front of all those humans earlier, huh?"

"Nope," I said, remembering the press conference Drayden had held.

"Well, can you at least tell me why they think you're dead?"

I was about to reply snarkily before turning towards her. She was actually upset, and looking at me with wide, pleading eyes.

"I don't know if Drayden really thinks that…" I evaded guiltily, "He bends the truth a lot…"

She sincerely wanted to know out of interest. How was it possible to let curiosity carry someone this far? I wasn't ready to tell her everything, and doubted I ever would be. If it got her off my back for a while, though, I supposed I could tell her something.

"A lot of people think I did something really bad," I revealed, looking down at the water again. Fish Pokémon swam by lazily while I spoke, uncaring of my words. "But they don't know I'm me… So my friends covered for me. They said I died a few days before I met you."

She gave me a once-over, scrutinizing the validity of my statement.

"... You're not lying… How, though? You just hatched!"

I remained silent. She'd gotten more than enough information from me.

"Fine, fine, I get it… Whatever."

I could tell she was annoyed, but I appreciated the fact she accepted my silence.

I looked back in the water for a little while, appreciating the quiet.

"You said you wanted to show me something?" I proposed, lifting my head. I was worried she would start again with conversation about me.

"Nah, that was pretty much an excuse to get you out here… I'll say I can't do that move Vulcan taught me really good yet…"

"W-what?" I scoffed jokingly, "Is that humility I hear? Who are you and what'd you do with Misa?"

"Oh shaddup. I'm Misericors the dragon for Kyurem's sake! I'll get it down soon, for sure. Then you won't stand a chance."

"Misericors? What's that?"

"It's my name, stupid. What, you thought Misa wasn't a nickname?"

I looked back up at her, perplexed.

"No, I guess not… I thought dragons weren't supposed to share their names, though…"

"Eh, we're buds, right? Think of it as a reward for telling me some of your secret. I scratch your back you scratch mine. Something like that."

"Whatever… Misa's easier to say anyways."

"Tell anyone and I'll kill you," she threatened half-jokingly, "You're the only person that knows outside my family."

I narrowed my eyes ever so slightly. Why was she opening up to me like this? Was it a ploy to bring my guard down?

"Your family… What are they like?"

"I dunno… My mom and dad are really strong. The Alphas of my herd. My littermates were really strong too, but I was the best."

"Really?"

"Yep. My parents even chose me to go first for the Passage!"

"Huh… Mind telling me what that is?"

She looked at me like I was stupid for a moment before turning up to the sky.

"The Passage is a huuuuuge deal. It's when Axew are supposed to evolve into Fraxure, and my parents said I was strong enough to go early!"

I couldn't help myself from laughing openly.

"What's so funny? It's true!"

"How old did you say you were? Six months?"

"Yep!"

"Misa, it's impossible to evolve that early unless you're a superpowered bug type or something. Dragons have the latest evolutions of any 'mon, realistically speaking, especially in the wild. Axew, even while trained, take four years at the minimum to evolve. That number's way higher in the wild."

"The hell's that supposed to mean? My parents said I'm gonna be a Fraxure soon, and then I can go home!"

"Well, your parents were wr-Wait, what?"

"That's what my dad said when he took me up to the mountain I met you at for my Passage… I had to evolve before coming back home. It's the same for all Axew and their Passages."

"Misa, I don't think-"

"What would you know, anyways?! Jet understood it when I told him about it, why don't you?"

"I… I guess I don't."

"Hell, what am I even doing here? It was fun being your master for a little while and everything, but I need to get back up there and train until I evolve like I was doing! That's the only way…"

"Misa, you're acting really weird."

"Oh, and you're not? I'm acting completely fine."

"Uhh… Maybe we should go back inside."

"No! I gotta show you the move, remember. I gotta practice it!"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now," I tried saying calmly, backing away from her ever so smoothly.

She'd sporadically switched back into a confident demeanor, in which she reversed a mature decision on her part in the matter of a heartbeat.

The dragon started mumbling something to herself, as if a personal mantra. I was afraid something I'd done caused it. I actually found myself somewhat worried. She was acting much more odd than usual.

She stood and began pacing behind me, still repeating her mantra.

I considered going to get Seraph. Was the small dragon having a breakdown?

"God, they're gonna kill me!"

She was breathing heavily.

"No no no no I left the mountain! I had to stay up there! Why'd you guys drag me down here! I need to be there!"

"Misa, calm down. We'll figure somethi-"

"Shut up, Ray, just shut up!"

I didn't know what to do with any certainty. I let my panicked thoughts carry my words.

"This is probably good… I mean, you got Vulcan here to teach you how to be good at fighting, and uhh…"

She stopped pacing and instead stood still, shaking.

"And uhh… I mean, isn't the whole point of an adventure to not know what's gonna happen next? Would be a pretty boring adventure if you stayed in one spot, right?"

She let her eyes rest on me as he breathing eased ever so slightly.

"Either way, if you want, I'm sure Drayden'll take you back. I don't know, but we can talk about it more later. You'll be fine, I promise."

"You going to calm down now?"

She seemingly slipped back into character, as she rolled her eyes obnoxiously.

"Watch. Anyday, my parents are gonna figure out I'm not on the mountain and come to kill me. Who's gonna protect us, you?"

"Misa, Drayden's team is one of the best in the world. I bet Vulcan alone could beat both of your parents combined."

"Pfft… We'll see."

I turned back out towards the water, still feeling on edge regarding her outburst. She sighed and sat next to me, dipping her feet in below the surface and carelessly scaring away all the fish.

"Vulcan told me the human machine thingy said that I wasn't ready to evolve yet for a while, exactly like you said… I don't get it. Why can't I evolve right now?"

"Sometimes it just doesn't work like that," I said, hoping to give the Axew the lightest and most brief answer possible. "I think your parents were wrong about letting you on your Passage, Misa… It almost sounds like they-"

A few seconds of silence passed. A light clicked on in my head. An Axew, hardly hatched, a runt to top it off, left alone on a freezing mountaintop. My stomach dropped.

"They what?"

They abandoned her. She's the runt of the litter! So her parents left her on that mountain to die and played it off like it was a ritual of some sorts. She doesn't even know! Bastards!

"They what?" she reiterated.

"They, uhh… It almost sounds like they wanted you to get stronger than any Axew that ever lived."

"What are you talking about?"

"Think about it. That mountain was the last place a dragon wants to be, especially with the cold. So, I bet they thought if you trained up there for however long a time you needed until you evolved, you'd be unstoppable."

I didn't want to give the Axew the bomb that her family had simply left her to die. Despite the clarity of the situation in my mind, I didn't want to have to be the undertaker of her aspiration to grow stronger. A piece fit into place. Her screen of confidence; this is why she wore it.

"Huh… That's nice to think about. They were really looking out for me, huh?"

"Maybe, who knows?"

She smiled. I forced a reassuring demeanor and shot a smile back at her.

"Oh!" she yelled, hopping up and grabbing me by the scruff. Consequently, I yipped for a moment as I was dragged to my paws. "You know a ton of stuff about humans, right?! I found something earlier, and I thought you could help me figure out what it meant!"

"O-okay," I said, glad to be rid of the previous conversation.

"Come on!" she yelled excitedly, beginning to run back towards Drayden's residence. Rolling my eyes and genuinely smiling in contentment for the first time in days, I trotted carefully after her.

We raced past Seraph, who gave us a passing glance as we caused quite the commotion. Seeing I was getting along with my adversary, however, she sent me a reassuring glance. I gave the best shrug I could as I passed the dragon.

We rounded a few corners and traversed a few hallways before we came to the outside of a single room. By the time I'd caught up with the Axew, she was already jumping up for the doorknob. She caught it once, and congratulated herself quietly as the door clicked open.

Inside was a rather dark, yet rather neat room I hadn't yet seen. I asked Misa what we were here for. Remaining silent, she jogged forward and towards a desk in the corner. She took a moment to think before selecting a droor, grabbing a hold on the handle, and pulling it out.

"Aha!" she cheered, rebounding towards me with a white slip of paper in her hand. Curious, I gave it a preliminary inspection as she placed it on the ground and tried smoothing it out.

"Vulcan tried hiding this earlier when I was with Vulcan in Drayden's room, but it looks like it has human writing on it. Can you tell me what it says?"

"Why?"

"Because! You just gave me this whole speech about 'adventure' and all that crap, and I thought it was interesting!"

Probably just a bill or something.

Rolling my eyes slightly, I stepped forwards as the Axew attempted to flatten out the creases in the white sheet. Identifying the black ink, I read through the neat cursive for a few lines before I stopped.

"What is it?"

"Gimme a sec."

I read back through the first lines, digesting what I saw as I went.

"Misa, we really shouldn't be seeing this."

"Even better! Just hurry up and we can put it back where we found it! Nobody will know."

I sent a timid look at the pressuring Axew for a moment, but capitulated under her hopeful stare. I gulped and began reading aloud.


Drayden,

In light of recent events, I have personally taken control over the Alston investigation during your leave. To be blunt, I have denied your request to head the operation and instead will spearhead the league's interest in the matter, in cooperation with the Unovan Government.

This has become much more than a matter of the league's integrity, but a matter of global security, and I'm in full knowledge of the existence of information you've been keeping from me, and, as a result, the league. You are to halt your own personal investigation and leave the matter of dealing with this international terrorist to me. You've seen the CCTV footage of the boy using an impossible power for humans, yet you've let your own feelings flood the matter.

Alston can be anywhere in the world, but you can be assured the first place I'd check for such a threat is under our own noses. I hate to be curt, but I'm going to put it simply.

You will arrive back at your Gym and read this letter, placed inconspicuously on your own bed. After reading this letter, you will grasp fully the implications of your trying to leave your Gym. Any attempts at escape will be thwarted by league officials surely surrounding the complex by the time you've read this, by whom you will be apprehended and tried on charges of Aiding and Abetting. Your team will be confiscated, and I will personally advocate for your imprisonment for the rest of your life.

I don't appreciate your secrecy against me, and especially against the league. If Ray Alston is found in your complex when I arrive in a few days' time, be ensured I will utilize every extent of my power possible to ensure you are sentenced with him.

I hope you'll be cordial in accepting me on the Fourteenth of October. I hope to speak more comprehensively with you then.

Your Champion and TRUE superior,

Alder


"International terrorist, huh?"

"Misa… Please, don't make me talk about it. It's such a long story, and I doubt you'd believe it."

"Come on, Nox! Please?"

I took a moment to grab the paper in my mouth and push through Drayden's cracked bedroom door, crossed the dim area to the desk, and hopped into the nearby chair. Carefully, I dropped the paper back into the droor and closed it shut.

"Nox?"

"Misa, this is really, really bad."

I sat down in the dark room for a bit and thought to myself. Misa was the only ally I had. My team wasn't an option; communicating with them was too difficult with Mew alone. It would be incredibly useful to have an informed friend on the inside.

Friend? I hate her, right?

"Nox…"

"My name is Ray. I don't like being called Nox." I said quietly.

"You… You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's hard, I get it."

"Misa, it's not that… I don't think I have to say we tell no one we saw that note."

"O-ok…"

"Follow me."

I hopped off the chair and began walking with purpose back down the hallway in which we'd come. Instead of moving in the direction of the kitchen, however, I turned to the left and towards Misa's and my own room.

"You gonna explain a bit?"

"Just… Get inside."

Misa led the way into the room and was the first to hop onto the bed. I took a second to compose myself, close the door, and subconsciously divert energy from my core into my legs. They had been wobbling beneath me, and would have continued to do so on the way to the bed if not for my interference.

"Alright, here's the deal. My threats about having Somin tear you limb from limb if you tell anyone about any of this still apply."

She sent me an amused glare through the dimness.

"Whatever. Here's the deal."

I took a moment to leap on the bed and sit myself down where I could stare at the Axew directly.

"Alder is a human with one of the top five strongest teams in the world. And when I say that, I mean it. Remember when we were on the train leaving Timberline, and we saw all those people in that city? Imagine if all of them had teams of six Pokémon each, and add on millions and millions more. He's better than ALL of them, Misa. Imagine the strongest Pokémon for a thousand miles, and he has six of them."

The Axew's face had been growing more progressively in awe of the situation.

"Wow," she said simply, "But, he's a bad guy?"

"Yes. Maybe? I have no idea. Drayden might be the bad guy right now, and in that case, the enemy of my enemy is my friend, I guess? They might both be bad guys, and both good guys. We have no idea."

"Drayden's not a bad guy."

"That's what he wants you to think, Misa. We can't trust him."

"I asked him, though, and he said he wasn't a bad guy."

I took a second to shake my head. My patience for the Axew's lack of knowledge of basic aspects of human life was growing, meaning I had less of an exasperated reaction.

"I think you're mistaken, Misa. Humans can't understand Pokémon, remember?"

"Whaddaya mean? Drayden talked to me just fine, and heard me okay. I've seen him talking to Seraph and Skipp and Vulcan and Crag, too, apart from each other. Y'know, like a closed-door type talk. He understood them just fine."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just after you woke up like a week ago was one time. Skipp and I left you and Seraph in that room alone, while Vulcan and Drayden went and talked to the weird dude who lives in the basement. Things were getting boring with Skipp, so I snuck away an-"

"Weird dude?! You've seen Vicus!"

"Nah, just heard Drayden and Vulcan talking about it after. But, Drayden talked to me himself earlier that day, too, so I don't know what you're talking about. We talked for a bit about stupid stuff."

I remember being told that Drayden's spent his entire life around dragons. Maybe he's just really good at guessing what they say? I used to do that a lot before Somin got a really good grip on his illusions.

Just another thing to keep asking about, though.

"Don't trust him. Just… He may seem like a good guy, but don't trust him. Don't trust Seraph, or Skipp, or Vulcan too. Nobody."

"I should trust you, then, over all them then? Vulcan's awesome, and Drayden's pretty cool too!"

"Misa please. You gotta believe me when I say they're bad news."

"Whatever, I'll figure it out. Don't know how you want me to trust you when you don't even tell me a stupid secret."

"About that…"

The reason I'd been so nervous earlier came back to mind. My throat went dry.

"Misa, that secret is a really big deal for me. I haven't told anyone ever before about it."

"I thought you and I were okay, though."

Hearing the Axew say it for herself quite shocked me. I was quick to recover, but kept the notion in the back of my mind.

"We are, Misa, and I need someone to trust right now, which is why…"

I swallowed again. My dry mouth certainly didn't want me to tell her.

Last chance to back out. There's so many reasons not to tell her. Are you going to do it?

"My friends don't want me to tell. My mind says it's a bad idea to tell, but believe me, Misa. I want to tell. I've had this stupid thing hanging over my shoulders forever, and I want nothing more than to get rid of it."

"Dude, if it's making you all weird and gushy, then don't even bother. I don't really even care that much anymore."

"Y-you what? Just this morning you were so angry at me about it!"

"Vulcan gave me some advice too, I guess. You can say Vulcan's helped out a lot more than Skipp's."

"What's that, then?"

She smirked devilishly at me.

"It's a secret. Dragons only, pipsqueak."

"Huh… Y'know how left out I feel here with all the dragons around? Even Drayden seems more like a dragon than a human sometimes."

Misa started snorting in response. I joined in her laughter for a moment.

"Alright," I said, steering myself back on track. "It looks like we're gonna have our hands full over the next few days, so I'm gonna be straight with you."

"Hmm?"

I explained slowly, hoping the Axew wouldn't take what I was to say for face value. "I talk with one of my friends, in my sleep, every night. Has she introduced herself to you yet?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I take that as a 'no' then. Well, her name's Mew, and I'm gonna introduce you to her tonight."

She sent me a condescending glance as if she didn't believe me.

"Trust me… If she says I'm okay, I… I'm going to tell you my secret, tonight."

Misa perked up, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Please though, take this seriously when it happens, Misa. Everything's only getting worse, and if I'm being completely honest, you're the only person I'm even halfway sure I can trust right now. Can I?"

Misa gulped and nodded quickly. She seemed to gather the implication of my words.

"Thanks," I said, closing my eyes and confirming with myself the appointment I'd just made. There really was no backing out. "I'll see you tonight."


"Nox, you're acting differently. You seemed rather… Complacent, earlier, with Misa. Did you two magically start getting along while I was recovering?"

"Maybe a little," I mumbled through the mouthful of leftover Poffin I was chewing. The pasty was quite gigantic for a creature of my size.

"Has she stopped bothering you, then?"

I swallowed so I could speak more clearly.

"She's been getting a bit better, but I think a lot of it is me not giving as much weight to what she says anymore."

I sent the Axew a glance. She seemed affixed once again on trying to turn the television on across the room.

"But, Seraph… I think there's something wrong with her."

"What do you mean?"

"I was able to figure out why she was in the mountains when I met her…"

Seraph narrowed her eyes for a moment and sighed. "I already know, dear. Vulcan told me earlier, and I suppose you both came to the same conclusion."

I nodded. There was no way a creature as insightful as the Haxorus would let the obvious clues fly over his head and give a false assumption.

"It's best not to mention it to her, and I don't think I have to tell you this conversation is to remain between us only. I know this might be hard to understand, but we want her to feel safe and loved right now, because we're not going to let her return to the mountain when this situation rectifies itself."

"What are you gonna do with her, then?"

"Well, that's up for debate. Vulcan has proposed the idea of Drayden adopting her and raising her as an apprentice of the team. To be honest, I'd quite like that. I'd absolutely love to see her rough edges smooth out with age, and she seems like she's going to be quite a force to be reckoned with when she grows."

I swallowed the rest of the Poffin remaining and stood from where I sat, wordless. I sent Misa a forlorn glance, one she didn't even notice with her fixation on getting the television to work.

"Now, eat your Sitrus slice, Nox. We want you to feel better, don't we? And, if you eat it too late, you're going to be bouncing off the walls all night."

I nodded as the dragon pushed the small slice of fruit in my direction.

"Now, would you like to sleep with Skipp and I again tonight? You must have already noticed, but I'm feeling much better now."

"That's alright," I said absentmindedly. With the conversations yet to come with the Axew, seeing now I was choosing to place feeble trust in her, being alone would prove beneficial. "I've kinda already gotten used to Misa, I guess."

"Well then, you really have changed, haven't you?"

"I dunno… I feel the same, I guess."

"I'm glad to see you're getting used to life now, however. I really am pr-Skyla!"

Seraph squawked surprisedly as she whipped her head towards one of the nearby hallways. I turned my own gaze expectantly to watch the human as she approached.

"I… I need some fresh air," Skyla said hastily, pushing past Seraph and entering the kitchen. I sent both of them an apprehensive glance.

"Misa," Seraph hissed as the human passed. "Drayden is in his study. Bang on the door a few times and he should answer. Tell him Skyla is in the courtyard."

The Axew had since stopped messing with the remote and was watching the human pass with an indifferent gaze. Upon the Altaria's request, however, she shifted that indifferent gaze towards the larger dragon.

"Please," the Altaria reiterated. She began taking steps after Skyla and into the kitchen. , deciding to follow, slowly scooted off the counter, landed on one of the nearby stools, and used my forward momentum to slide off and land on the ground. Misa had since hopped off the couch and began walking lazily down one of the corridors. I wasn't even sure it was the one leading to the locked door of Drayden's study.

I pushed through the door as Seraph exited the residential area of the complex. As she suspected, Skyla had stopped and was now sitting on one of the benches in the scenic area. She looked at the evening sky with a sad sense of contemplation.

"Skyla?"

Seraph tried approaching, but stopped when the Gym Leader snapped at her.

"I'm not a freak like your trainer, Altaria. I can't tell what you're saying to me."

Seraph took a step away, taken aback by the sudden outburst. Skyla tensed for a moment and shot straight up as if the implications of what she'd said just crossed her mind.

"I didn't mean it!"

Seraph resolved to look at the human with a condescending glare. The Mistralton Gym Leader averted her gaze towards the ground and ran a hand through her reddish-brown hair.

"I feel like I'm the one who knows least about what's going on, when I knew Ray better than anyone. I'm just frustrated, Altaria. Just… Take what I say with a grain of salt."

I could feel the red-hot flame of guilt reignite within me.

Skyla raised her head back up, exhaling curtly and attempting to readjust her hair back to behind her shoulders. It seemed, however, she noticed me standing behind Seraph for the first time.

"Oh, hello Nox."

Seraph seemingly didn't notice my presence either, considering she turned around and stared at me with much the same glare she sent Skyla, as if my intrusion was at the least opportune time possible.

I forced a smile on my face, choosing to act clueless regarding the gravity of the human's emotions. It's what a kit would have done.

"C'mere."

I initially hesitated at the command. Skyla had no clue regarding my transgressions against her. It would make me feel horrible to act as if I hadn't done anything.

However, on the other hand, I wanted her to feel better. She'd done so much for me, as an aunt, as a Gym Leader. Hanging my head slightly, I stepped forward and begin walking towards Skyla, despite Seraph's apparent rejection of the idea.

I'd kept myself from seeing the Gym Leader long enough. She was the only human family I had left, and I'd treated her like dirt. I inadvertently let more of Ray's newfound desire to make amends influence my decision-making.

The realization brought with it the knowledge I was making distinctions between my human self and my Zorua self. Perhaps I truly was becoming acclimated to a new body and lifestyle, but such a change wasn't without memories and their repercussions. Memories of how blind I'd been, even just a few weeks prior, to Skyla's attempts to help.

I knew now my blaming of Skyla for Sierra's death was a paranoid repercussion of the turmoil my mind was sent into following the murder itself. The Gym Leader had simply suggested I visit my old home and see my parents while I was vacationing only a city away.

I'd had a lot of downtime to think about how I felt regarding Skyla, and if my dreams on the night we were captured were useful for anything, it was the fact I was now able to look past my prior bias and see Skyla for the innocent human who'd tried her hardest.

Not much unlike a certain legendary I'd only recently forgiven. Perhaps it was time I did the same for the Gym Leader before me.

So, I advanced, hopped onto the bench next to her, laid my head on her thigh and let her run her fingers through my fur. She found consolation through my connection to Ray, even if she didn't know I myself was the human she so desperately wanted to see unharmed.

That human was dead now, however. Did she still harbor hope for his wellbeing despite being told of his demise by multiple credible sources?

I sighed, letting my eyes close and a calm expression form on my face.

I missed you, Skyla.