Location: Training Grounds

I ran into Eris on my way back home. She said she had a surprise for me and that I should follow her to the training grounds.

On our way there, it occurred to me that she probably didn't know of my human origins. After all, if the rest of the Society didn't know, how could she? At first, I wasn't sure if I should tell her since I only met her the other day. However, there's something about her that...appeals to me. Something trustworthy. She has this sort of big sister vibe to her, I guess. So, I just came out and told her.

"Well, no duh. You don't exactly carry yourself like a typical Pokémon, y'know."

Ampharos said something similar, but is it really that obvious? I haven't encountered another Chikorita, so I don't know how I'm supposed to carry myself. Far as I can tell, there is no difference.

Hm. Maybe it's just a Pokémon thing.

I said that everyone doesn't seem surprised by my human origins. Even if they knew I was different, finding out I used to be human should be a big deal. Back in Serene Village where I went to school, one of my classmates had made a big deal about humans only existing in fairy tales.

Eris told me not to get caught up on what folks from Serene Village think. Different places will think different things about...well...everything. You can't use the mentality of one place to assume that's how everyone everywhere will react. The world isn't that simple. Would that same classmate believe that you took out a legendary Pokémon they probably didn't know existed?

Ah...fair point.

When we arrived at the training grounds, I was shocked to see tons of wooden poles set up with diamond-shaped wooden slabs attached at the top. Each one had a red target painted on it.

So...target practice.

Alright, simple enough. I fired off a Razor Leaf attack at the nearest target, but Eris blocked my attack and shook her claw disapprovingly. She told me to use my vines.

But...I told her Vine Whip wasn't in my moveset, so I couldn't use them for attacking. She rolled her eyes and said that Rest isn't in either of our movesets, yet we still sleep every night and regain HP. She doesn't know Scratch, Scary Face, Taunt or Fake Tears anymore, but she can still perform all four actions right now if I asked.

"You're not battling anyone, Irau. Your life isn't controlled by your moveset. You can use your vines to whip things outside of battle without knowing Vine Whip."

Ah...of course.

I told her to pardon me for not being the brightest star in the sky. I'm unfamiliar with some basic functions commonly known in their world. Eris rose an eyebrow at me and said learning how specific things worked had no bearing on my intelligence. Learning is part of growing, and there's no shame in being unaware of something.

My statement had reminded her of when she first joined the Society years and years ago. She joined before Bunnelby, and when he arrived he didn't have a firm grasp on using his ears. He uh...learned a little slower than others. He'd asked a similar question about doing things that weren't in his moveset.

Anyway, now wasn't the time for that. Let's get to whipping those vines!

Hoo boy...this oughta be interesting.

Location: Training Grounds (sunset)

After roughly an hour or two, we decided to take a break.

Eris really outdid herself with setting up the targets. There were a lot of them, and some of them moved around or popped in and out of my line of sight. I think they were operated by some...auto-movement machine...thing. Kinda like a carnival game, except way more impressive.

During the training, she stopped me and said that I was focusing too much on the force behind my whips. The point of target practice isn't force, but accuracy. The targets will break from the lightest flick. Force is a good thing to focus on, but it doesn't mean anything if the attack doesn't land. She could tell I was having difficulty aiming my vines, hence why we were focusing on that today.

At the time, I simply nodded and went along with what she said. During our break, I...admitted that controlling things sprouting from my neck is still unfamiliar and strange. I mean, no human has ever had this power before. How was I supposed to adjust to something like this? To describe the sensation is kinda hard, but...it's like lifting a steel pole with one arm. That's sprouting from your neck.

Oh, I should clarify. Using my vines isn't the same as using a move in a Mystery Dungeon. My moveset is kinda...automatic. I mentally decide which of the four moves I want to use, and then...it just happens. If I choose Razor Leaf, for example, then my head automatically twirls a violent way to send sharp leaves at my enemies from the leaf atop my head. If I choose Synthesis, my body relaxes and I feel the...um...energy of the sun absorb into my body, restoring my HP.

Using a move is fast, easy, and delightful. Using my vines is slow, difficult, and exhausting.

Eris set her claw hand on my shoulder and said that nobody masters their abilities overnight. But...I never even wanted this power to begin with. Why couldn't I have been a Cyndaquil or a Squirtle or something? No, I had to come here as a Pokémon with one of the most garbage move pools in history. I can't even use my vines in battle!

She asked if I really thought being a different Pokémon would be easier. If a human-turned-Cyndaquil wouldn't have problems controlling its fire quills on its back or adjusting to the increased body heat. If a human-turned-Squirtle wouldn't have trouble controlling the water build-up inside of it or adjusting to a heavy and clunky shell covering most of its body.

"The fact is, you're a human adjusting to a body that you've never had before. No Pokémon body is easier to control than another. There's gonna be an adjustment period. Look at me. Do you think I had an easy time going from a quadrupedal Zorua to a bipedal Zoroark? I had to learn to walk and use my arms as a completely different being. And my illusory powers were on an entirely different level. I was a mess."

She reassured me that things will get easier and to just have patience.

I mean...her words made sense, and I wanted to believe what she said. However, I had this twisted feeling of doubt in my stomach. I told her that I wasn't so sure. I'm not Lyra, after all. I can't just trust that things will be okay.

Eris stared at me for a bit, then sighed before sitting on the ground in front of me. She said that she used to be just like me when she was younger.

"A depressed pessimist who wants so badly to believe in a future she doesn't think exists."

Hmm...I felt a pit drop in my stomach from hearing her uh...description of me. I mean, she wasn't wrong. Still sucked to hear though. I asked her if she's still that way, and she said no. What brought her out of it?

"Well, let's say Lyra vanished one day. Hypothetically. You search and search and search with no leads. Not even at her old home. You start to lose faith that she's even still alive. The thought follows you everywhere and drags on your soul, and after a while...you have nothing else to believe. How would you feel?"

If Lyra vanished, and the possibility that she died haunted me? I...I imagine I'd never stop searching for her. She's my best friend, practically a sister. She's so bright and cheerful and...and she means the world to me. She's one of two Pokémon who I trust more than anyone.

However, if she vanished and I couldn't find anything to tell me she's alive...Arceus, I can't imagine what kind of toll that'd take on me. It'd be as if the sun itself was snuffed out. Years without any trace...if I came to accept that she was gone, the pain would...

I told her that I wouldn't believe in anything. Not hope. Not peace. Not benevolence or kindness. Nothing. What kind of cruel world would do that to me?

Eris smiled and nodded. Nihilism. The last stop for a pessimist with nothing left to hope for or believe in. Might not be what Lyra wanted for me, but the scar of her nonexistence would be too painful to carry. Now, imagine feeling that hopelessness and emotionlessly going on expeditions for the Society at the same time. That's what she did years and years ago when her best friend vanished.

Jeez, talk about a miserable existence. Doing good in the world only because you don't believe you serve any other purpose. A tool for the Society or some criminal organization – unfeeling and only useful for whoever needs it at the time. No loyalties to anyone or anything. Just...existing. Floating.

"Now, imagine you're on an expedition in a random town when you overhear someone describing a Pokémon exactly like Lyra. You feel something flutter in your chest that you haven't felt in years, and it's powerful enough to obliterate any exhaustion you felt. It's all you can think about, and you follow that tip to another tip, and to another tip, and to another tip. Your friend might be alive, and you're so close to reuniting with her. How would you feel?"

I...the childhood friend she's chasing. They're her Lyra?

Yep. She's been chasing tip after tip for well over three years now. Her hope of her friend being alive has turned into unyielding perseverance. She knows he's still alive. She knows he is. And she's not giving up until she finds him.

Hm...thinking back on it, Eris said her friend is awful evasive. I asked her why that is. Maybe he doesn't want to be found?

She shook her head. Their relationship was just like mine and Lyra's – extremely close. Like, trust each other with their lives no matter what else happened to the world, sort of close. If he knew she was looking for him, he'd come out of hiding for sure.

No, the reason he was evasive was the result of his upbringing. His father...er, their stepfather, rather, kidnapped him when he was still in his egg, just like he did to her. The father had expectations for the eggs he stole, but apparently neither of them met whatever they were because they were both abandoned. Their first years alive were rough given how critically underleveled they were for the place they were trapped in, but the two learned many tricks in slipping by folks unnoticed.

Eris was plenty skilled at stealth and deception, but her friend, Dotty, was exceptionally talented. He utilized many tactics from camouflage to trickery to trapping...as well as a few underhanded techniques that most wouldn't approve of. The nature of their childhood demanded that they be as hard to track down as possible, but Eris knew his habits better than anyone. No matter how hard he tried, Dotty left a trail that only she could follow. As soon as she could pinpoint where he was or what he was doing...

However, there was a side to Dotty that annoyed her. It took her a bit to realize, but their stepfather was a total bum who wasn't worth their time. However, Dotty...Dotty wanted his approval. Being abandoned crushed him, and he wanted to show him that he could be a proper son worth keeping around. He'd bring back food, items, money...anything he could carry that he thought would impress him, but the father never approved. He'd swipe the stuff from the kid's hands, then dump him in a random part of the dungeon and tell him not to follow him back home.

"I guess I can't blame him for wanting to try. Dotty's a genuinely good Pokémon, and knowing he failed our father in some way just...ate at him. He wanted to prove he wasn't the waste of life that bum treated all of us like."

All of us...?

Yeah. She and Dotty weren't the only eggs he'd stolen. In fact, that's how she came to join the Society years later. Her stepfather, a Beartic named Kelvin, was...is one of their targets they need to arrest. Guy went underground and nobody's been able to find him since. Every few years, a random batch of eggs go missing though. Why he's stealing them was beyond anyone.

A Beartic, huh? Did it occur to her or the Society that he might be Cold Snap?

Eris admitted that he was suspected for a while, but it was ultimately ruled out. Cold Snap kills indiscriminately, unhesitatingly, and swiftly. Kelvin steals eggs, but he doesn't kill the kids after they're born – he simply releases them. Sure, a lot of them have died due to wild Pokémon wounds, starvation, exposure, or other tragic means, but Kelvin doesn't outright kill the kids himself. Two very different methods of killing, possibly by two different killers.

Still, the idea of kids dying is...that's beyond fucking horrible. That's...unthinkable. How could someone be so amoral?

She went on to explain how she and Dotty set up a den to house the Pokémon that monster abandoned, so the kids could at least have a chance. They were incredibly lucky to have survived themselves, and they both knew it wasn't right. Dotty was really good with the kids, and...I'll be honest, I stopped paying attention because I was watching Eris with amusement. She had a certain look on her face while rambling about Dotty.

I know that look. It's hard to describe, but it was...um...you...it was a...hm...she just had a look. A look that...helped me ascertain that...the relationship she had with Dotty...crying out loud, what's the word? I know I said it before, but it's not the same thing. I mean, it's the same word but it's a different type of it. Uh...shit.

Oh, I got it! Sorry about that!

I don't know if it was mutual, but I could tell from the expression on her face that she loved Dotty. Not in the familial, sisterly way that I love Lyra. In the...um...soulmates kinda way. Like the, y'know...lovey-dovey, more than friends, boyfriend/girlfriend way. There's a word for that...it begins with "r" and I can't remember it to save my life.

You get my point. I asked her what her point was, and she said, "Remember when you asked me what brought me out of my depressive pessimism? Now you know. Finding Dotty."

Uh...well, good for her. Eris rolled her eyes as she pet my head. She wasn't telling me all this to bore me. As a past pessimist, she understood my bleak view for the future. She knew how hard it was to be hopeful based only on what others said, as many of the Society members said similar things to her when she'd started to think Dotty was dead. That's why instead of insisting that I believe her, she wanted me to find my own reason to look forward to tomorrow.

Hm...talk about a difficult assignment. Not a lotta things to be unhopeful about, yet here I am. A useless speck.

Y'know, compared to that story of both Eris and Dotty being abandoned shortly after they were fucking born, my life isn't bad at all.

Really, how bad do I have it? Loving father? Check. Safe home? Check. Best friend? Check. Safe hometown? Check. Great education? Eh...shaky check since I can't remember my previous experience with the system outside of Serene Village. Stable job? ...

Stable job?

...

Stable. Job.

...

Ugh, I can't do it. I can't bring myself to check that. Is that seriously what this is about? Of all the...

Why? Where do I get off complaining about something so miniscule and mundane by comparison?

She asked me if I had something, but I told her nothing on the optimism side. I found a possible source of my current apprehensiveness and anxieties, but it's a joke compared to what she and her friend went through.

"Dude. Our experiences don't negate or devalue your own wants, desires, or experiences. Just tell me."

Hmm. After some hesitation, I told her about how I didn't really wanna stay with the Society despite it being Lyra's dream to go on expeditions on their behalf. I wanted to explore freely, see the world, and live anywhere I wanted without reporting back to HQ. However, I made a deal with Ampharos that I'd stick with them for a year and give it some time, so I couldn't just leave. I hadn't even told Lyra, yet. She's my only hesitating factor, after all.

Eris didn't respond. I thought she didn't hear me, but then she just wordlessly placed her hand atop my head.

I...didn't know what to make of that reaction. How was I supposed to respond to that?

"Sorry. I forget you used to be human, so you might not have the same senses as the rest of us. I just uh...you're a freedom-lover, like me. I'm not used to...that is to say, I've never met another like me before. Heh. Ampharos and I used to argue all the time which was more important – freedom or rescue missions."

Don't get the wrong idea, rescuing Pokémon is important, but it's not something that...there's always gonna be someone in need of help. It never ends. Some Pokémon, like the Society, find going on rescue missions fun. It's what they live for. But it's not what she lived for. And it's not what I live for.

...Oh my Arceus, she gets it! Holy crap. A like-minded ally! No wonder she looked so...moved? Touched? Hard to say. Her expression rarely changed from mild amusement or contemplation.

Here I thought wanting to explore the world freely without being burdened by expedition missions was irresponsible and neglectful. No, that's a totally normal and understandable passion to pursue. Just because it's not what Lyra wants to do, that doesn't make it wrong. And it doesn't make me wrong either.

Wow. Knowing what I know about both, I have a hard time imagining Ampharos and Eris butting heads. Sure, they might've not seen eye-to-eye, but they're both calm, calculating, and level-headed Pokémon. Hard to imagine what their arguments would've been like. Probably a polite disagreement over warm gummi drinks or something.

"That's a face I certainly haven't seen in a while. Well, well, well!"

Speak of the devil.

Eris didn't respond, nor did she get up from her sitting position on the grass. She just stared at him blankly.

Ampharos asked her what she was doing with his little explorer. This brought a menacing smile to Eris's face, and she said she was training me since his fools were too inept to do it properly.

We were just discussing how his 'little explorer' didn't want to be his mindless expeditioner. She wanted to be her own Pokémon and go where she wanted without worrying about raising her rank. She stood up and surprised me by hoisting me up and setting me on her...mane. Given how poofy...no...fluffy it was, I kinda sank into it so only my head stuck up from her forehead. I'm sure if my classmates were here, they'd find it funny – a Pokémon with two heads! Ha! I couldn't see her expression, but her posture was...defensive? Hard to see past all the hair, so I used my front two legs to get a better view.

He glared at her and said that was between him and I – it didn't concern her. Oh, but doesn't it? Yet another young soul being guilt-tripped into doing what he wanted. Putting her own dreams on hold while his desires were put first. How...nostalgic.

Then an expression twisted Ampharos's face. A pained and regretful one. I...ooh. That look really didn't suit him. I heard Eris sigh and her posture relaxed slightly. She didn't come here dredge up the past. She came here to spend time with the kid, and she accomplished her mission. Ampharos asked her if she was any closer to her goal, and she said she was progressing. Slower than she liked, but it was better than nothing.

"You know, we could help you. Think what you will about us, our ultimate desire is to help those in need. And I'm sure we'd find him faster if you cooperated with us."

Eris laughed and declined. By the time they picked up on one of his clues, the next would be wiped away and the trail would be cold. She appreciated the offer, but she worked far too hard to get her investigation off the ground from what little she'd gotten thus far. She wasn't about to lose her progress by dragging others into her mess. Besides, it was better if she worked alone.

Ampharos asked if she could at least tell us what species he is, so we know what to keep an eye out for and contact her if we have our suspicions. She rolled her eyes. What? So, they can waste her precious time with meaningless speculations while her real target got away? If her time was to be wasted, it was by her choice. Not by the Society calling her up screaming that they found a Pokémon of his species just hanging out in Lively Town.

She said that she knew who she was looking for, she knew what to expect, and she knew how to find him. She didn't need their help. They would only slow her down.

He took in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly. Eris clicked her tongue and set me down on the ground. She said she knew he was only trying to help, but there really wasn't any need. She had things under control, and if she felt like she needed the Society's help, then she'd ask.

They kinda looked at each other silently for a bit. Ooh...it was tense. It was intimidating for a little bit. Then it was...uh...kinda anticlimactic. They didn't start fighting or anything, they just exchanged glares and guilty expressions. Then Eris looked up at the sun and...did a thing with two of her claws. She was squinting at the horizon. Was she...measuring how far it was from setting?

She knelt down and pat me on the head, saying the next time we were both available that we should hang out again. And that I should talk to Lyra about...that thing we discussed earlier.

Oh. About the deal I made with Ampharos?

I pulled a face and Eris reassured me that it wouldn't end the world. Maybe Lyra will get mad, maybe she won't. But it'll be a far cry from what'll happen if she doesn't find out from me.

Hm. Ampharos made it clear he wouldn't tell her, and I had my doubts Eris would. Unless someone else was listening in on us, who else would tell her?

But, I guess she had a point. I've been avoiding it for a while, but I can't put it off forever. The more I do, the more it'll sting when she finds out how long I haven't told her.

I hugged her and thanked her for training me today. I'll definitely work on my accuracy between now and the next time we meet. She said she's gonna hold me to that before standing up and walking off.

Ampharos watched her for a bit and I rose an eyebrow up at him. I knew she was part of the Society, but...I couldn't help but ask if they had a history or something.

He said not the kind I was thinking of. He...made mistakes when he was younger. He wasn't always the directionless, quirky yet charming leader we knew and loved today. Back when Eris joined, he was still learning to direct others. She was fine for a while. Quiet, obedient, powerful. Distant and brooding. He never pried since it wasn't his place.

However, when she suddenly had a joyful and hopeful disposition one day, she spouted something about leaving and he kinda...manipulated her into staying. And kept manipulating her until she lost her temper and ran away.

Hm. He was being vague about how he manipulated her, and I think that was on purpose. He said he never quite forgave himself for that, and neither did Eris. They might be on good terms today if he hadn't done it. He'd been...well...lost.

Ahem! What were we doing just standing here chatting? Lyra was back from her expedition, so he decided to come get me himself. Ah, but the writer must write! So, he was gonna return to HQ and inform the others I was on my way while I got my writing done.

Ahaha...how little time he expected that to take. Poor naïve Ampharos.

Still, that was tense. That rivalry between him and Eris was totally different than the one between Pancham and Lyra. Theirs seemed like a harmless spat by comparison!

Ah well...I could go on more about how adult rivalries are scarier on a larger scale compared to kid playground rivalries, buuut my feet are starting to hurt. Maybe I'll write more later, after dinner.

Location: Home, Bedroom

Well, my thoughts were a swimmin' as I walked home. From the talk with Mawile, to what Krookodile said at Connection Café, to the talk with Eris, to the interaction between her and Ampharos, to Ampharos's story about his mistake, I had a lot to think about.

Most of all though, I kept thinking of Eris's backstory. Both she and Dotty were kidnapped while in their eggs and abandoned shortly after hatching. They snuck around the Mystery Dungeon and learned to survive together, forming a close bond so complex that when one tries being elusive, the other knows their pattern and can use it to track them down. They even set up a den to look after the other Pokémon their father, Kelvin the Beartic, abandoned.

Hm. Interesting though the story was, there were holes that Eris intentionally didn't fill. Like, what sneaking "habits" set Dotty apart from other Pokémon? Which Mystery Dungeon did they live in? What species was Dotty? Was he a criminal? Was that why she didn't share more info on him? What about the kids Kelvin abandoned? If she's here searching for Dotty, who's looking after them? What about their den? If a Mystery Dungeon layout changes every time you enter, does that den not exist anymore?

Not to mention all the drama that followed, what with her being part of the Society and everything. I just have so many questions that I can only hope she'll answer someday. I mean, she seems to trust me more than Ampharos, so I guess that increases my odds of getting answers.

Then, there's that Kelvin guy. Even though I hated to admit it, there was something...vaguely familiar about his name...besides the temperature measurement of Kelvin, that is. I didn't get a good feeling when I heard it, but...ugh, no good. Can't recall.

Ah well. Mysteries to ponder another day.

Lyra met me halfway and was all chatty about her rescue mission. She traveled with Sylveon and Tyranitar today, which made their mission a little difficult because of Tyranitar's automatic sandstorm-summoning power. He was a strong ally, but his sandstorms made it difficult for certain Pokémon to heal naturally. Including Lyra and Sylveon. Despite that, they were successful.

As we approached home, we stopped to catch our breaths. I...hadn't noticed earlier, but it certainly is a hot one today. Even Lyra noticed, and I didn't think fire-types would be bothered by heat. She flopped onto her back and I used three of my vines to shade her. We certainly have had a lot of hot days in a row. Sunlight's pretty strong, too.

Lyra said that on days like these we just need to eat a ton. If we eat enough, we'll get our energy back. She got all hyper and excited. Apparently, she forgot why she came down this path because she raced off without me. Seemingly to get some grub.

Headstrong as always.

Before my mind could wander far, I overheard some locals talking about Pokémon getting turned to stone. It reminded me of Latios and Latias. I...thought about them still at their crash sites in Mystical Forest, and of Entei at Fire Island who Ampharos wrongly believed was behind it.

Man...that time Eris and I spent talking made me forget all about the stone incidents. Normally, Lyra holds up my end of the conversation and I just go along with whatever she wants, but with Eris I had to actively engage in conversation...but it wasn't forced or awkward. We just...talked. Like two civil beings. No stress. No fuss. No frayed emotions.

Oh. Come to think of it, maybe that was why Ampharos took off ahead of me – to catch up with Eris. She was at Citruse Village when the attack happened, so maybe he needed her witness account or something. Cold Snap resurfacing, the stone incidents, and now this strange heat wave...something's not quite right. Too many strange occurrences to be purely coincidental.

What in the world is happening?