Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. For more information, read the last 35 chapters. Writing this in school (as always) so I'm not sure if I've gotten any reviews... anyways I'll be home in an hour or two so then I'll know.

Whateverish. I don't really have a lot to say about this next chapter; till I get home, anyways. I'm making this up as I go along, so bear with me here.

Anyways, chapter 36 of Pokémon Go, begin!

The town of Aluminate was a far cry from the technology of either Rubidium or Fluoride; there was no sign of the glass-and-metal constructs here. The place seemed steeped in ancient history, and it wasn't just the centuries-old mountains which surrounded it.

The four trainers stepped through the town gate hesitantly; the other people around them, too, seemed to slow down as they approached. The reason was a mixture of awe and plain curiosity; the single gap between the mountains cast a line of light straight along the road. Ash was forced to wonder if it was the path which had been built along the light, or if it had been the light which chose to follow the path.

"Remarkable..." a passing trainer commented, "truly remarkable."

And it was. The four of them progressed to the small square which stood in the exact center of the town. It was a park of sorts; stone Squirtles spouted water in beautifully rustic fountains; in the center of it all there was a statue of a larger-than-life-sized Aggron.

"That's huge..." Michelle murmured.

The Aggron seemed to be made entirely of precious stones; as the light shone on it, it sparkled with a brilliance unmatched beyond anything they'd seen. Apart from the sun; anyway.

The four of them were pretty sure there was a story behind the statue; after all, how often were huge ornate stone statues built with so many expensive artifacts? Hardly ever; especially if it took up a lot of the afternoon sunlight.

But the story wasn't one for the day. Following a lighted street sign, they approached the Pokémon Centre.

Leaving their Pokémon with Nurse Joy, the four trainers collected their keys again, taking two rooms this time. Their experience in the inn, while not entirely pleasant, had its revelations.

"Well, we're too late for the battle, as again..."

The trainers left their doors open as they dumped their belongings in their respective rooms before stepping out again.

"Well at least we won't have to wait another three days before we can battle..."

Erynn shrugged at Dave's point; it was true.

"Thing is; are we going to take a ferry to the next city...? Or are we going by the Iro tunnel?"

Dave voted for the tunnel; there were plenty of Pokémon-catching opportunities there. Erynn shrugged; the ferry would be less strenuous, definitely.

But Ash simply turned out his pockets. The other three, with the exception of Erynn, nodded in commiseration. Erynn nodded because she had long accepted it.

The tunnel, then.

"Well," Michelle broke the after-decision silence, "to dinner? Or shall we wait for the Tentor Fog to end our lives before we starve to death...?"

Ash shuddered as he led the way out of the Pokémon Centre. Morbid.

Dying of starvation? Now that'd be something scary.

They sat at different tables this time; Erynn liked to think that the two boys were afraid of becoming vegan converts. In truth, they were just a little tired with the remarkably limited variety the vegan lifestyle afforded.

Each side had their own worries to work out; while Ditto went at its food whole-heartedly, the others took a little longer; Ash finished his food two minutes slower than he normally did; a fact that did not go unnoticed by Dave.

A/N: Not sure if I can finish this by today. I was home for quite a while, but because of the lure of online games… well, shoot me. I haven't had a break in forever. Not that I don't enjoy doing this, of course. And I'm glad you liked the last chapter; and the introduction of Reno Quinn. Actually, the name I did take from FFVII; mostly because I thought for half an hour and couldn't think of a better one.

By the way, the next few chapters will be Ash-centric, with his Ralts dilemma taking center stage. Also, on Reno; for now anyway. As I've promised, Skately will come in once the introduction is done… in fact, maybe even in the course of the introduction…

"Ralts…?

Ash looked up and Dave knew he'd interpreted his look correctly.

"Don't worry… she'll battle for you…"

Ash shrugged the consolation off, looking down at his empty plate as he spoke.

"No… that's not it at all… it's…" he broke off; "I can't explain it, but it's me… more than her."

Dave looked to the next table and back.

"We're talking about Ralts, aren't we…?"

Ash looked up and flashed him a dirty look before looking down again. His voice was warningly low.

"Yeah… we are."

Dave was at a loss for words.

"Just… cheer up, why don't you?"

Even as he said that, Espeon slipped out from under his grasp. A few seconds later, Ash found himself among the rafters of the large restaurant. The conversation between Erynn and Michelle was broken as the two of them looked up at the hapless boy, together with half of the restaurant's occupants. The other half was busy eating.

Dave looked from Espeon to Ash; he suppressed a smile as the trainer struggled to get himself down with the help of Erynn and one of the waiters.

Unorthodox… but at least it got his mind off of that… whatever it was.

Dave lay asleep in his bed as Ash carefully turned the Pokéball over in his hands.

Why am I so worried about this…?

He made to release the Pokémon, but his hand was held back by his hesitant mind. He tried to rationalize his worries.

She's my Pokémon, after all…

With an effort, he released the Pokémon onto his bed once more. In the dim light, she glowed with a soft yellow aura. He watched her carefully, but she didn't seem the least bit hostile towards him. She looked at him with a confusion mirroring his own.

She seems… she doesn't seem to blame me, anyway…

He didn't know if it was her thought or his own; but it came to him an answer; and it was simple in its ability to complicate matters.

But of course not… would you blame yourself…?

He stood wordless to the answer of his own; it was funny how difficult it could be to reply, honestly, to oneself.

T E N T O R F O G

"Administrator; the boy is here to see you."

Every word was enunciated on its own; clearly, and yet, solitarily. He stepped past the woman, without fear, but with more than a little caution. He was unperturbed by her icy glare as she watched him enter.

"Excellent… thank you, Ivy; you may leave."

The man who sat behind the desk waved a hand; the woman bowed and stepped out of the room, leaving only two in the room. The boy's hand tensed around his Pokéball as the sliding door slid shut behind him. He wasn't sure what would be expected of him, but he wasn't going to let his guard down.

The man smiled as he waved an arm; the holographic desk flickering into inexistence as he stood from his seat.

He was dressed in a long, dark blue trenchcoat, with streaks of silver. Underneath, he wore a black leather suit, with a red scarf about his neck.

Silver… the colour of authority…

Of the Admin.

The two people waited there, one on either side; neither was willing to approach the other. The boy, out of cautiousness; the man, out of dignity.

"What is your name…?" the man questioned. There was no malice in his voice.

The boy didn't speak; his eyes were locked onto the older man's; an open show of defiance, but a little respect. The man smiled, clapping his hands together before continuing.

"Fine… I'll begin with mine. My name is Skately."

"Just… Skately…?" the boy asked out loud. The man smiled again.

"That'll do for now."

He nodded.

"Reno… Reno Quinn."

Even as he said these words, the man turned to face the door behind him; with his back turned to Reno, still Reno could detect a trace of satisfaction in his next words.

"Now we're getting somewhere…"

However much he didn't want to, he was letting his guard down; everything about the man seemed to exude a sense of trustworthiness. Reno almost smiled at the irony. To be trustworthy in a world of evil was either to be a really bad criminal or a really good liar. Reno hoped he was dealing with the former.

It was like a survey; he stood and answered every one of the questions asked to him. The questions seemed so random he wasn't sure if there was really any point in doing it.

A/N: This is where WickedWolf09 signed off. In case you'd like to know.

As he finished what seemed to be the hundredth question on the questionnaire, the man finally turned to face him again. Reno redoubled his grip on the Pokéball…

"Fine. You may go."

He was caught at a loss for words.

"Go…?"

The man named Skately looked at the boy intently, another smile on his face.

"Go. What did you expect?"

Realizing that he was being scrutinized, Reno turned impassive, clipping the Pokéball back onto his belt.

"You'll be joining Delta Twelve; training starts at the trainer's discretion, so be ready."

Reno nodded, and turned to leave the room. He'd only taken a step out of the room when Skately's voice sounded again.

"One more thing…"

This time, Reno was sure he was baiting him.

"Beware of bullies…"

The sliding door slid closed in front of his face as he turned around; disgusted.

His interview was over.

A/N: Sorry this is so horribly short! It's 12.15 in the morning and I'm really tired… so… goodnight, all! Please review, and I'm sorry if this chapter seemed a little… lacking. I hope you did enjoy it though; maybe I should change the genre for now…?