There was a knock on the door.

Iris jumped up off her bed, gave her room a quick once-over, and threw the blanket back over her bed to try and disguise some of the mess.

"Sorry, I'll just be a moment!" she called, checking her hair with one hand.

It wasn't great, but it'd have to do.

"And please don't cause too much trouble," she added quietly, giving Excadrill a look.

The Steel-type barely deigned to acknowledge her comment.

Deciding that was good enough, Iris opened the door. "Who is – sir! I mean, Drayden!"

Drayden nodded, as if confirming his identity. "Iris. My secretary told me that you wanted to speak to me?"

"Well… yeah," Iris said, stepping back from the door to let him in. "Sorry about the mess, by the way."

Fraxure waved from the corner.

"It's understandable, Iris," Drayden assured her, sitting down in one of the chairs at the end of her room. "Now… I have been following your progress, and I'm fairly sure I know what you wanted to talk about, but why don't you start?"

"All right," Iris said, taking the other seat. "Well… I don't think I can stay on the course."

Drayden nodded, but said nothing.

"It's not just something I decided a day or so ago," Iris stressed. "It's been pretty clear for a while now that… well… I'm just not good at course work. I keep making mistakes, and I never seem to do well enough to satisfy the professors-"

Fraxure thumped his tail on the floor, and the sound let Iris catch herself.

"So… yeah, that's basically it," Iris said, after a long pause. "I feel kind of homesick, and I'm not really doing well, so… it's becoming hard to keep going. And I asked myself why I was… and I had trouble coming up with an answer."

Drayden absorbed that.

"I'd like to ask you a few questions," he said. "When you came to the Academy, do you know why I wanted you here?"

"...no, actually," Iris said, blinking. "You wanted me here?"

"I select all the students," Drayden told her. "And I did see potential in you, Iris – potential I still think you have. But why did you come here?"

"I was… excited," Iris told him. She frowned, then nodded. "Yeah, that's the best word. I thought that it was the best way to become a dragon master, to be at Opelucid Academy – that we'd be doing things like taming dragons and learning how to battle to use them. But… it hasn't been like I imagined."

She shrugged helplessly. "Not enough of it has been like I imagined. And the bits that aren't are… too hard."

After Iris fell silent again, Drayden had a quick look around her room.

There were piles of notes, haphazardly organized, and the evidence that Iris wasn't really keeping her room neat and tidy. Her possessions from home – not many of them – were in one corner, and Excadrill and Fraxure shared another.

The Academy President noted with approval that the Pokémon were well cared for – Fraxure had some transparent rubber covers over his tusks, ones he remembered recommending to the young trainer months ago to protect well-sharpened natural weapons, and even Iris' notoriously recalcitrant Excadrill had sleek, well groomed fur.

That probably explained the little scratches on Iris' arms, actually.

His gaze lifted to the posters over Iris' bed – Lance of Blackthorn, Kirsty, Ash Ketchum, Cynthia – and he smiled slightly.

That just drew Iris' attention to where Drayden was looking, and she blushed slightly. "Uh… sorry about those..."

"Most students decorate their rooms, Iris, don't apologize," Drayden told her.

He steepled his fingers together. "Well… I think I have to agree with you, Iris, you've been having problems with your academic work. Your practicals have been better, but even there you do have a few issues to polish up on."

Iris looked down at that. "Sorry."

"So," Drayden went on. "I think it would be perfectly understandable if you were to leave the course. I-"

He stopped. "...Iris?"

"What is it, sir?" Iris asked, thrown.

"What's that?"

Iris turned to look where he was pointing, and winced. "Oh, uh… this is actually kind of embarrassing."

Drayden chuckled. "Iris, don't worry about what I think. I'm just glad to see you've got some hobbies which don't involve climbing the radio tower."

"You know about that?" Iris asked, mortified.

Getting up, Drayden picked up the brightly coloured object. "It's a Raikou, isn't it?" he asked, looking at the plush. "Why is it carrying some signs on its back?"

"...it's one of Ash Ketchum's Pokémon," Iris explained, cheeks flaming. "And, uh… they're all kind of like that. It's because of last year's Silver Conference."

"I'll have to find that one and watch it," Drayden said. "And – as I say, Iris, it's perfectly normal."

He put the plush back down. "Now… one thing I should discuss with you is that – if you do intend on leaving – then you're going to have to leave Fraxure here at the Academy, as he's not your Pokémon."

Iris sighed.

"Yeah, I know," she said. "But… well, I don't know. I do like Fraxure – I think we work together well."

Fraxure nodded, tail thumping the floor. Excadrill made a rude gesture.

"And at the same time," she went on, looking down. "I think I'm not really giving Excadrill the attention I should be. He's hard to cope with, but I shouldn't let that mean I ignore him for Fraxure – I do need to sort out his problem."

Iris held out her hand and scratched Fraxure under the chin as he came walking over. "Sorry, Fraxure," she said, as the Dragon-type made distressed noises. "I know, and if I felt I could stay then I would… but I'm just terrible at this. I've spent months trying to work out how to keep this up, and… no luck."

Drayden nodded to himself. "That's a very mature attitude, Iris," he said. "Which is why I'd like to give you two bits of advice."

Iris looked up at the Opelucid Gym Leader.

"Firstly – if you would feel unhappy staying here, then you should head home. Train up there, rather than here – dragon tamers can come from the wild as well as from Opelucid, and I think you'd handle it well."

He reached into his pocket, and pressed something into Iris' hand. "Secondly – take care of Fraxure."

Iris jerked, then stared down at the shrunken Pokéball. "Sir – I mean, Gym Leader, I-"

Drayden cut her off. "You and Fraxure work well together, Iris. There's still some problems to iron out, but I know it would upset both of you to separate you now that you've become friends – and what good would a Dragon Tamer be without a dragon?"

He turned to Excadrill. "And that goes for you as well – make sure you keep Fraxure safe from any Fairy-types."

The Steel-type shrugged.


Cynthia's Garchomp swept her claws across in a scissor formation, both coming in at her opponent from opposite directions.

The Lucario she was attacking didn't bother trying to block – instead, he kicked off from the ground with a bright blue flash of Aura and let the scythes pass below him, before landing back on the ground and volleying in a Force Palm.

"It seems you are recovering well," he said as she blocked it. "Do you think so as well?"

Garchomp replied by slamming her tail on the ground, shaking the whole arena with an Earthquake, and barely missed hitting Lucario with an Earth Power.

"Yes, definitely," Lucario nodded to himself, stepping back. "I think she's ready for any Champion duties now."

"I agree," Cynthia said. "Good work, Garchomp… now..."

Lucario glanced over at her.

"Dragon surprise," Cynthia instructed.

Lucario blinked, then threw his arms up in a crosswise block position just as Garchomp launched a barrage of Draco Meteors at him.

"That's just Draco Meteor!" the Fighting-type protested, blocking two of the smaller meteors in quick succession and then kicking the largest one off to the side – where it blew a large crater in the hillside.

"That's the surprise," Cynthia explained, then took a longer look at the crater. "Okay, we're going to have to report that one."

She got out a notebook, flipping through. "Huh, this is fuller than I remember… okay, here we are. Lily of the Valley Island, grid reference… there we go..."

The Sinnoh Grand Champion flipped the notebook closed again, but didn't put it away. "Okay, that's you two done – now, let's see how Togekiss and Glaceon are doing."

"Making sure everyone's ready?" Lucario asked, sitting down. "It's not very long before this year's Sinnoh League."

"That's correct," Cynthia confirmed. "But it's not because of the League – more that I think we should be in the best shape possible more generally. A lot's been happening these past few months, and… something's making me uneasy."

She shrugged. "It's probably nothing, but it's literally my job to make sure that I'm always ready to give a really good Pokémon battle."

"I agree," Lucario said, watching as Cynthia sent out her Glaceon and then her Togekiss.

"Glaceon, it's time for you to have a battle without my help," Cynthia instructed. "You'll need to use your own initiative to work out what to do – do you think you're ready for it?"

Glaceon nodded, tail flicking, though she did look a bit nervous.

"This is just a practice run, remember," she added. "Okay, Togekiss – let's start with some long distance battling."

Togekiss soared into the air, then fired down a pair of Air Slashes towards his teammate. Glaceon glanced at Cynthia for a moment, then dodged to her left just ahead of the attacks.

"That's the idea, but you need to be better!" Cynthia said. "Togekiss, use an Aura Sphere!"

Glaceon spun, ice gathering in her mouth, and fired it upwards – intercepting the Aura Sphere and blasting out a shower of ice as the two attacks detonated.

"That's much better!" the Grand Champion told Glaceon. "Remember, when your opponent has a trainer you can listen to those orders too – now, Extremespeed!"

Lucario tapped Garchomp on the shoulder.

"Thanks for helping to shoot down the giant space rock," he told her.

"You're welcome," Garchomp replied, adjusting her little pink bow. "It took a lot of shooting."


"My lord," the Royal Messenger said, bending her knee. "I wish to report on two of our fosterlings."

"Two?" the lord repeated, interested. "Did we not send you to meet only one?"

"We sent her to meet with the Chosen One, and with Sir Aaron's companion," his mate corrected him. "But yes, there was only one fosterling involved."

"If I may explain?" the messenger requested, getting a nod. "In addition to the Lucario who was fostered with the Chosen One, Sir Ash Ketchum, there was also present the Riolu who was fostered with Casey Nanako of New Bark."

"Ah, I remember," the lord said, nodding. "The one who was fostered at the suggestion of the Chosen One's companion. Was she well?"

"Indeed she was, my lord and lady. As Aaron's companion took us up the Tree of Beginning, we had ample time to talk together – and I saw that, in truth, the suggestion was a good one. As it happens, Riolu evolved into Lucario over the course of an altercation with Registeel."

"Excellent news," the lord said, nodding. "And your other tasks?"

"Firstly, Sir Ketchum and his team are very well – and made good use of the Lucarionite we have lent them," his subordinate answered. "And secondly, Aaron's companion has settled in well to the modern day. I recommend that we invite him and his monarch for a state visit at some future date."

"A good plan," the other female Lucario pronounced. "And one I think we should enact."

After a few seconds of silence, the lord waved his paw. "Rise, please."

He rubbed his muzzle. "Hmmm… no, there are no further tasks for you for now. We will send for you when we require your assistance."

"By your will, my lord," the Royal Messenger said – straightening. "I shall check at the aviary to see whether any important messages have arrived while I was gone."

"No need," the lady told her. "We have been kept updated by your assistant – he brought us the last message around an hour hence."

"Go enjoy yourself," the lord added. "Or must I make it an order?"

"That would be an unusual order, dear."


Jin shook his head. "That is one ugly launch package."

"It's more efficient," the Flight Dynamics Officer pointed out. "Or, at least, that's the hope – the whole point of this new launch set up is to see if this is an economical launch method."

"True," Jin agreed, turning away from the sight of the Psi Assisted Launch Vehicle.

"T minus five minutes," one of the other launch technicians reported.

"I'm going down the list," Jin announced. "Go/no go poll for orbital insertion. Booster?"

"Go," the Booster Systems Engineer reported.

"Retro?"

"Go."

"FIDO?"

"Go," the Flight Dynamics Officer nodded.

"Guidance?"

"Go."

One by one, the technicians and engineers reported in, until the list finally reached the newest addition.

"PSI?" Jin called.

Go, Mewtwo reported. I have a grip on the launch vehicle.

"T minus two minutes."

Mewtwo adjusted his seat, tail shifting to try and get comfortable. This is going to be interesting.

"I know what you mean," Jin agreed. "That thing does not look like it should be able to fly."

In space, aerodynamics does not matter, Mewtwo stated. And the effort required to exert telekinetic shielding around the launch vehicle is relatively minor compared to the effort required to lift it.

"Sir, this is engineering," someone reported, looking up from their telltales. "We're seeing a generator spike."

That's me, Mewtwo told him. I'm testing a possible way for Pokémon not as powerful as me to augment their launch capability. How is the current draw?

"Big," the engineer told him. "Please don't do that for long, it might cause a burn out."

Perhaps that requires more thought, Mewtwo frowned, releasing his control of the generators.

"T minus thirty seconds," the time keeper reported. "We are still go. Twenty five seconds."

"Launch vehicle is on internal power."

"Twenty seconds."

A faint glow built up around Mewtwo's hands.

"Fifteen seconds."

"Range safety reports ready."

"Ten seconds… nine… eight..."

Jin looked up, and saw the glow enveloping the PALV.

"Main sequence start… zero! Lift commencing!"

Smoothly, without any fuss, the Psi Assisted Launch Vehicle began to rise into the air.

"We have liftoff, at twenty-seven minutes past the hour. Liftoff on PSTS-1… we have cleared the tower."

"Abort mode is now one-alpha," someone else reported. "One alpha."

Lift successful so far, Mewtwo stated. Shield is up, aerodynamics are irrelevant.

"Roger, Mewtwo," Jin said, squinting up into the sky. "That is just eerie… I'm so used to the trail of smoke."

Apollo's screen lit up, showing a zoomed camera feed of the PALV rising into the air.

"Abort mode one bravo, that's one bravo," Guidance said. "We've got enough momentum to hit the sea if Mewtwo has to cease thrust."

"Good," Jin nodded. "Speed?"

"Twelve hundred metres per second. We're holding steady as expected… altitude ten kilometres."

"Already through the heaviest of the air," Jin said to himself. "When would we normally be staging?"

We are coming up on normal staging time, Apollo told him. Assuming a vessel of this mass, we would undergo staging at two minutes nineteen.

"Mewtwo, how are you holding up?" Jin checked.

The distance is making it harder to maintain thrust, Mewtwo admitted, a little strain creeping into his mental voice. But I am not approaching my limit yet.

"Let us know if you start to feel yourself coming close to cutting out," Jin advised. "This launch package has plenty of fuel, we can give you assistance in the climb to orbital altitude and speed."

I am aware, Mewtwo stated.

"T plus two minutes," the timing officer reported. "Look at that thing go – we're already well over normal staging altitude!"

"Mewtwo, throttle back," Jin told him. "No sense tiring you out, we've got a lot of leeway in reaching LEO so long as you can keep lifting."

Understood, the Psychic-type said, finally relenting. Are we still on profile?

"Until you did that, we were ahead of profile," Guidance stated. "We still are – we're five hundred kilometres down range and approaching seven kilometres per second."

"T plus three minutes," the time officer reported.

Jin blinked.

Somehow, it seemed like it had taken longer to get to that point – and, in a normal launch, it would have.

"Mewtwo, this is Guidance," the flight officer said. "Your current exerted thrust is two gravities – that's fine, keep that up for another few minutes. Correct to an angle of twenty degrees off horizontal."

Done.

"Right," Guidance nodded. "Okay, keep that push going, and be ready to cut out on my mark – if we can keep this thrust up, we're going to hit the parking orbit at about T plus four fifty."


"Yes, I get it," Kidd Summers said, one hand on her helmet. "Yes, I know we're not the only priority, but we need to make sure we have these redundant domes set up as soon as possible or we won't have a safe abort mode."

She checked her wrist readout. "I'm fine, there's at least three hours of air in my backpack and I've got Froslass with me. Can we concentrate on the issue, sir?"

There was a long pause.

"With respect, Lieutenant Banks – sir – I've already given my opinion on the base," Kidd stressed. "I know what you said, and I know what your superiors think. But I can't see any sign of a giant moon laser, there's no indication this is secretly run by an evil team, and frankly if a criminal gang has infiltrated the Kalos Elite Four we have bigger problems."

Another pause.

"Fine, I'll keep monitoring the situation," Kidd sighed. "At least I'm helping out up here. But if you want something to look into, see if you can work out how they're going to be shifting one thousand five hundred tonnes of cargo here the hard way. By next Friday."

Kidd shook her head, taking another long bouncy stride up the crater rim.

"At least the scenery's good," she said to herself, turning to look back at the dome. "And I thought it would be decades before there'd be one of these."


"Okay, everyone," Jin said, opening the meeting. "Firstly – good work earlier today. The PALV-1 is in parking orbit, and Apollo has calculated the next good transfer window."

Good news indeed, Mewtwo stated.

"Yes – we've managed the proof of concept… but," the flight dynamics officer continued, "we should look at the problems first."

Yes, that sounds sensible.

"The first point that comes up," FIDO went on, "is that this launch stack was probably overweight for a single lift to orbit. Mewtwo was clearly having problems."

"I'm not so sure that that's a solid point," Guidance interrupted. "We know his thrust rate was much higher than we'd get from a normal stack of that mass for the entire flight path, so Mewtwo could probably manage a lift of an even heavier stack to orbit at the normal thrust rate."

"True," FIDO admitted. "But what I was getting at was – if Mewtwo was having trouble, and we know that he's a very powerful Psychic-type, then any larger launch that doesn't involve him is probably impossible."

"Impossible with a single Pokémon lifting from the ground," Guidance said.

"We should probably make sure we know what the other options are," Jin suggested. "So we've tried having a single Pokémon lift from the ground. What other options are there?"

"Well, one option is for the psychic type to just take the place of the first stage," Guidance mused. "That's nearly eighty percent of the launch weight for that kind of stack, so theoretically – depending on how the power curve lines up – we could launch perhaps three or four times as much payload per launch for less actual cost."

"Definitely worth considering," Jin pronounced. "What other options are there?"

"Just doing a slower lift," FIDO said. "Mewtwo was doing a continuous acceleration thrust all the way to orbit, but you could instead use a boost at launch and then let the stack more-or-less coast for a while."

"I'm not sure the trajectory works," Guidance countered, shaking his head. "We should do a study, but it might prove impractical."

"I'm more curious about that power surge," raised a member of the electrical engineering section. "Didn't you say that was an attempt to use external power?"

Correct, Mewtwo nodded. I was experimenting to see if I could use electrical power to extend my capability for a large boost.

He paused. Should I be speaking out loud for the recorders?

"No, Apollo's handling stenography," Jin supplied. "Please, continue."

Very well. As I was saying, my hope was that a Psychic-type could use that way of augmenting their power.

"Even if most can't manage it, we should check with Tate and Liza whether it's feasible."

Another possible power boost method that I entertained was gestalt, the powerful Psychic-type added. The use of the energy of many minds, melded into one entity for the purposes of applying psychic force.

"That's possible?" Jin asked.

I have no reason to believe it is not, and I have every reason to believe it is.

"Let's add that to the list, then," Jin nodded.

"Something we haven't considered yet is a thrust-assisted boost," Guidance volunteered. "A continuous engine burn where the Psychic-type in question is also applying a push – so the thrust requirement from the engine is lower. That would mean we could maintain a launch profile with much more payload per booster – especially if the psychic type can also maintain an air shield."

"That air shield's something we should consider a separate component..."

"What about sending the Pokémon up with the launch stack?" FIDO asked suddenly. "That should avoid the main problem, right?"

Definitely worth considering.

Jin looked at his notebook, which had two full pages, and turned to the next one. "I'm starting to think we're going to need to put some of these ideas out to tender. There's too many for us to pursue in a reasonable time, but if we share these with Ariadospace and Canaveral and all the other outfits then we can start seeing which works best."

"What about those Deoxys? They might..."


"I think that went well," Dawn said.

Piplup shook his head, beak set in an expression of disapproval.

"Oh, what was wrong with it?" Dawn asked. "I thought the bubbles were lovely, and it only took four or five tries to get them to land around you instead of on you."

The Water-type waved a flipper, hopping up the stairs to Dawn's room ahead of her.

"Still kind of wish I could understand you like Ash does," Dawn added, with a sigh.

"Lup," Piplup said. He pushed the door to her room open, and slid along the carpet to his preferred seat by her bed.

"Okay, I – huh?" Dawn blinked.

Piplup followed her gaze, and tilted his head. "Pip pip."

Ah, there you are, Mesprit stated. There are many questions for you. Tea?

Dawn took the levitating cup. "Thanks?"

My pleasure. Now. The question remains as to how you know me when I do not know you. Mesprit's tails waved as it hovered forwards. Memories? Not my department. Will have to make sure Uxie gets a look.

The Psychic-type pointed. Do have that tea. I feel I did well.

Dawn took a sip. "Yeah, this – is pretty good. Is it peppermint?"

Correct. Mesprit flew a circle around her head, then hovered in uncomfortably close to her forehead. Interesting! Empathy, minor, low power, room for growth. Strong bond with myself, suggests familiarity – and no puzzlement. You know why you know me when I do not know you.

"I do," Dawn agreed. "It's kind of a long story..."

"Dawn?" Johanna called from downstairs. "Dear, it's not long until dinner!"

Can I join in? Mesprit asked, then immediately shook its head. No, not appropriate. Good talk. See you later.

The pink-and-grey Psychic-type vanished with a flash.

"...that happened," Dawn said.

She frowned. "I wonder what kind of Poffin Mesprit prefers, that way I can make sure to be a good hostess if that happens again."

Piplup nodded. "Lup."

"Dawn!"

"Coming, mom!" Dawn called down. "Okay, I guess she wants us to help set the table – come on, Piplup!"


"Look!" Molly said, pressing her face against the window. "Is that Pastoria City down there?"

"Don't know!" Leafeon replied with just the same tone. "But it looks like a fun place!"

Gary leaned over to see where they were. "Yep. That's Pastoria City all right."

The engines droned a little louder as their aircraft circled, slowly dropping lower in the sky.

"How come we have to stay up here so long?" Molly asked, turning away from the window. "Flying type Pokémon can just come in and land wherever, right?"

"That's right," Gary agreed. "But aircraft like this require much longer to take off or land. There's only one runway, so we have to wait our turn."

"Right," Molly nodded, understanding. "I get it."

She sighed. "It's a pity Suicune and Entei didn't have time to take us."

"I guess they're busy these days," Gary said, squeezing her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure they can visit us… hey, can you see that over there?"

Molly looked the direction Gary was pointing, and saw what he meant – visible from a low angle as their aircraft swept around the stack, the expanse of the Great Marsh spread almost to the edge of where she could see.

"It's almost all wild," Gary told her. "Pokémon live there in ways they normally only do in Ranger areas… it's a lot like Almia in that way, actually."

Leafeon shifted to Vaporeon, frowned, then went back to Leafeon. "I'm not sure what would be better to be in a marsh."

"I think a Water-type," Molly told her. "But there's lots of choice."

A light went on.

"I should get back in my seat," Gary said. "And you should too – we're about to land."

Molly's Leafeon switched to being Molly's Espeon, and clipped herself into her seat with a brief flicker of telekinesis.

The engines got louder, with turbulence buffeting them, then there was a lurch as they seemed to drop out of the sky – and a bounce-bounce-bounce, and they were down.

"This is your captain speaking," the PA said. "We apologize for the turbulence there at the end, I'm afraid we had a bit of a problem with some Staravia nearly getting in our way."

"We're in Sinnoh!" Molly announced. "I can't wait to meet some Pokémon here!"

Gary chuckled. "I'm sure we'll meet a lot – my first project is to study the Marsh, actually, but that does mean we'll need to pick up some waterproof gear first."

"Okay," Molly agreed. "Camping's going to be pretty cool, I guess – hey, can you snuggle up against me as Flareon when we're in a sleeping bag?"

"Sure!"


"Excuse me."

Spencer Hale looked up from his keyboard. "Who – oh, Entei. I didn't realize it was you."

He blinked. "That… kind of sums up how odd my world's become."

The shiny Entei snorted a chuckle, and padded around to have a look at the screen. "More research into Unown gestalts?"

"Yes, that's right," Spencer agreed.

He leaned back in his chair. "I'm trying to find out what it was that made it so that – well, that happened. At least three times. And why Molly was able to use it so effectively."

"Some things are mysteries I cannot understand," Entei said, seating himself next to Spencer. "But I am sure you will be able to divine them."

"That makes one of us," Molly's father said.

After a few seconds of silence, Entei cleared his throat with a sound like a pyroclastic flow.

"Ow," Spencer winced.

"Sorry about that..." Entei said, looking down. Then he returned his attention to Spencer. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Go ahead," Spencer agreed. "You can certainly ask."

"Well," the shiny Legendary said. "This is, as far as I am aware, the first time Molly has left home for more than a day or two."

"That's right," Spencer confirmed. "That's right… it's going to be about a week at first, and then they're coming back for a day or so before a longer session."

Entei nodded.

"Do you miss her?" he asked.

"Of course!" Spencer replied. "Of course I do – Molly's my daughter, why wouldn't I?"

Entei was silent.

"...oh, right," the human winced. "I… sorry, I sometimes forget that."

"It is fine," Entei said, with a shake of his head which set his grey-brown fur waving. "My claim is an illusion, but one I do cherish despite that. And I hope you do not mind that I miss her as well."

He looked towards the door. "Suicune does as well – and Raikou. We care for her very much. And I know that that was because we were created to be her parents – to replace you, for a girl who had lost so much – but it still feels real."

Spencer reached out, paused, then continued on Entei's slight nod. He wove his hand into Entei's fur, feeling the deep heat beneath.

"I don't think it's anything but real, Entei," he told the Legendary. "Molly's love was what created you, and what made you real. I know I forget that sometimes – even now, with nearly two years to get used to it – but her love was real, and is real."

He chuckled. "I don't know what that makes you and I – but I don't mind being connected like that. You were there for her when I couldn't be."

"And we will both have to live with her leaving on her journey," Entei finished.

"You're right," Spencer agreed.

They sat in silence, two fathers who understood one another a little better.

"Of course, if you checked up on her every so often..."

"Already worked out a schedule."


Regigigas let out a flat beep. "Coding. Error. Unclosed. Participle."

Mew's tail lashed back and forth. She flickered pink, transformed into a Voltorb, and Exploded.

Lowering his paw, Lucario waved the smoke away. "Please, Mew, this is not dignified."

That's because I'm going insaaane! The Legendary moaned, shifting back into his base form. This is like pulling teeth!

Mew paused. I assume.

Lucario shook his head, a smirk on his muzzle. "Let's give this another go."

He cleared his throat, and took a deep breath. "Colon colon Regigigas colon colon line feed open curly brace command structure close curly brace line feed for open brackets Regi colon in colon Regirock Regice Registeel close brackets open square bracket line feed Apply open bracket update close bracket-"

Lucario took a great gulp of air, and kept going. "-for open bracket date colon from colon line feed open brackets now close brackets dash one zero three five years line feed colon to colon line feed now close bracket line feed close square bracket."

Lights flashed on Regigigas' face.

Did it work? Mew asked, sending it to Lucario only.

"Line feed," Lucario answered. "Colon colon execute colon colon end."

"Command. Accepted."

Regigigas burst forwards, so fast Mew had to dodge out of the way with a high-pitched squeak, and disappeared up the passage to the sound of a metronomic WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM of large feet.

"It seems so," the Aura Pokémon declared. "After that Legendary!"


A blur of orange and yellow came pelting along the slope of Mount Moon, moving fast enough to send Pidgey and Spearow whirring away in a cloud of complaints.

The fast-moving Pokémon turned slightly, jumping a river in two long bounds and a splash off the water, then blazed through the outskirts of a small town at full speed.

Viridian City whipped past on the right, and the orange-yellow Pokémon slowed. It passed the edge of Pallet Town at a lope, dropped to a walk, and padded the rest of the way to its destination.

"Hey, it's Shiny Raikou!" Swellow said, flitting alongside for a moment. "Where've you been?"

"Northern Honshu," the shiny Raikou in question replied. "Trouble with an Articuno and a Heatran, solved now."

"Cool. Well, gotta dash," the Flying-type said. "Movie night's tomorrow, we're still taking suggestions!"

Raikou chuckled as the hyperactive Swellow circled him once, then shot back towards her perch.

He sped up a little again, approaching home – or what home was now – and crouched, then sprang over the hedge.

The thump of his landing woke up the shiny Suicune, and she got gracefully to her feet.

"So, how did it go?" she asked, stepping over. "Tough?"

"Not really, just tiring," Raikou replied. "They were sulking at opposite ends of a mountain by the time I got there, so there was a lot of running up and down hills."

"You poor, overworked dear," Suicune consoled him, licking her paw and adjusting his mustache.

"Moom..." the shiny Raikou whined.

Suicune shrugged. "If you want sympathy, you have to accept the mothering as well."

She turned a little, spotting Martha Hale on the steps. "Good afternoon, Martha. Everything all right?"

"Yes, it's fine," Martha assured her, coming the rest of the way down and sitting on one of the garden chairs.

"Oh, dear, Raikou..." Suicune sighed. "We really need to get your fur combed."

"It's fine," Raikou protested. "I take good enough care of it."

"Suicune, I wanted to ask you something," the human broached, after a long pause.

"Go ahead," Suicune said, leaving off Raikou for now.

"I know that Raikou is – basically – your son," she said, waving her hands. "Or at least that that's what Molly wished for."

"You're correct," Suicune agreed. "Molly wished for a mother, a father and a brother."

She gave a graceful shrug. "It's a little complicated, because – well – it's not as if we appeared with an instruction manual. But we found ourselves in that situation, and we all decided that we would agree that we would follow the very real love we feel for one another. And for Molly."

"I know what this is about," Raikou said, shaking his ruff – and incidentally snarling his fur up again. "You're going to ask Suicune about how she feels when I do my duties. Is that right?"

"Yes, it is," Martha Hale agreed. "How did you know?"

"You think just like Suicune does in some ways," the Shiny Pokémon said. "Mother, that is."

"I… see," Martha nodded, slowly. "Perhaps that's because the Unown had to use me as a template… anyway, it's not important."

"Something to think about," Suicune mused. "And as for your question – I feel a lot of things, far more than something simple. Pride that he's going, concern for how he'll do, relief when he returns… but never regret. Never that."

"...I think you're right, we do think alike," Martha said. "I never realized that about myself before… I do feel worry, but I don't feel regret. Or if I do, it's that it's happening so early."

"I feel that as well," Suicune volunteered. "I know Molly is not really my daughter, but I love her the same as you do."

She padded forwards, and put her paw gently on Martha's lap. "She is wonderful, and innocent, and a fine young lady. And two of her close friends, including the one she travels with right now, have won a Pokémon League. She will be just fine."

"I think I can agree with that," Martha smiled.

She looked up a little. "And Suicune's right, you do need a bath."

Raikou snorted, rolling his eyes. "Now there's two of them..."


"An. Update. Is. Ready. To. Be. Installed." Regigigas stated.

The eyes on Regirock's front plate flashed in a complicated pattern. "Security Error."

Regigigas raised both hands.

"Entering. Update. Mode."

One hand reached out and took Regirock by the forehead. The other drew back.

What's going on? Mew asked, flashing back from the shape of a Ninjask to her normal Mew shape.

Lucario cut off his Aura jets and did a forward roll into a landing, coming up into a coiled crouch. "The manual said something about punch cards?"

Manual?

"Ancient scrolls," Lucario clarified.

Regigigas punched Regirock very, very hard. The Rock-type Golem went flying backwards, spun twice around an axis, and slammed into a rockface with a wham which shook the ground.

"Thank. You. For. Updating."

Regigigas turned, and sped off in the direction of Regice.

"...now that I think back," Lucario went on, as they broke into a run again, "that may not have been the word for card."


AN:


A few looks in on characters, some of them seen recently and some not.

Firstly – Iris. This is a slight divergence for her.

Secondly – Cynthia.

Thirdly – the Lucario Kingdom.

Fourthly – Mewtwo, and spaceflight. (A bit Pegasus In Flight.)

Fifthly – Where Kidd Summers Is.

Sixthly – Dawn. (And Mesprit.)

Seventhly – Molly, along with her family. Their relationships are complicated, but not complex.

And finally – Lucario, Mew and Regiggas.

By the way, the programming language used is not real.