Harry held out his right hand, the synth-flesh parting and splitting away to reveal the Pokeball launcher within. Normally he tried to be subtle about it, as he understood how very strange his prosthetic was. At times he even forgot that it wasn't flesh and blood. With sensors that fed him the same sensations as a normal hand and the artificial skin covering the entire thing it was easy at times for him to push aside the memory of that horrible moment when Greyback had hacked off his hand and tossed it into the fire. The pain in his wrist… and the sudden loss of sensation where his fingers had been… sometimes he wanted to forget. But then he would grab something too hard and shatter it or slip in Potion's class and nick his finger… the pain would be there, like any one else would get, but then instantly be gone as the prosthetic decided the injury didn't need to be recognized anymore. And he would remember everything.
Thus he tried all he could to minimize using his hand in ways that others could not use their biological ones. That meant that when he needed to call forth a Pokémon he'd reach into his pocket and let the ball form in his fingers, rather than show all the Pokeball launcher with its built in Computer Storage uplink. It was insanely handy ('Somewhere Sirius just grinned and he doesn't know why') and he was glad to have it but he didn't like calling attention to it. Only when he wanted to play up the role, like when he'd faced Draco. But during day to day life? He did all he could to keep it concealed.
But he wasn't in class at the moment. No, with them going through a warm period in the normally frigid Avalon weather he'd decided to head outside and have a group meeting with all his Pokemon. Of course it wasn't actually warm by most people's standards… someone from Hoeen would have been shivering and an Alolan native (unless they lived in the mountains) would have thought the world was ending. But for someone from Avalon, and ESPECIALLY someone who spent the winters in the Region's northern-most lands, the 40 degree temps were practically balmy. He'd gone with a simple wool cap (courtesy of Mrs. Weasley for Solstice… properly red and gold for Gryffindor… though he didn't really understand why she'd put a golden little lightning bolt on it), his trainer jacket over a gray sweatshirt, jeans and a pair of hiking boots. He'd brought gloves (though only his left hand needed it) but he kept those in his pocket.
He was out near Hagrid's hut, the game warden letting him have the flat grassy area behind his house and promising to give him some privacy (translation: Hagrid was using Harry needing 'privacy' as an excuse to go day drinking in Le Fay's Landing), which was perfect as it gave him plenty of space to send out his rather large team. He knew that most people in his current year didn't even have a full 6 member Pokémon team, choosing to just have a few Pokémon that they spend most of their focus training. Ron came to mind… with the loss of Scabbers ('And good riddance to the bastard') that left him with only Emolga and Beartic (from his journey to one of the Forbidden Islands), Gyarados (the suicidal fish had evolved into a rather strong Pokémon that Ron tended to baby almost as much as he crowed about him), and Pigwidgeon (Sirius' gift to him). There were others that had far less than that. Meanwhile Harry couldn't even carry his full team with him, having to rotate in and out even with Leafeon and Hedwig no longer constrained to their Pokeballs.
Flexing his fingers he didn't so much fire the balls out as lob them, letting them lazy glide through the air and open before returning to the launcher. Leafeon (his beloved Starter and his first Speaking Partner) watched on from his right, bundled up far more than Harry was ("I am a bloody Grass type! We don't do ice… and Snover doesn't count, stop bringing him up!") so that it was near impossible to see any part of him. Hedwig (his Pokemagnus partner), had laughed at how Leafeon had gotten dressed only to fly out the window and then promptly return and grab a thermal blanket, which she was now hiding under… and Harry was pretty sure she had a steam cup of coffee with her.
The others came out one after the other. Ludwig, the child of his mother and Snape's Chandelures, appeared and instantly began to fuss, muttering to himself as he began to light fires to keep everyone warm and burning away old dead brush. Dobby appeared and began to help and a quick mental question from Harry proved that it had been the overly eager Alakazam who had gotten Hedwig her coffee. The Beast of Slytherin, Zygarde himself, rumbled before moving towards the bonfires that Ludwig had started, which were being fed by Firebolt; apparently the Typlosion didn't like Ludwig trying to show him up and wanted to prove he could warm everyone up. Orion looked about and rolled his eyes before going for a dip in the cold waters, while Harry's Kommo-O…
He frowned, watching as the dragon folded his arms over his chest and barked something at Togekiss, who was perched on Zygarde's head with a smirk on her face. Deciding he needed to really begin doing more speaking with the others Harry slipped into the Speaker's realm (and decided to go in real time rather than stopping time… a handy trick Lugia had taught him) to find out what the problem was.
"Come on, no need to act tougher than you truly are," Togekiss was saying. "Just warm up next to the fires."
"I do not need your fires, female!" Vegeta snarled, not even bothering to look at her. "My will and my power are enough to keep me warm."
Togekiss let out an exasperated sigh. "Would you stop being such an arrogant baby? Zygarde is a dragon and he is moving towards the bonfires. And he is a flippin' legendary Pokémon!"
"Legendary? Is that supposed to impress me? I am Vegeta, Prince of All Dragons! And I do not need your pathetic flames! My drive keeps me warm!"
"Oh yes, "Prince of All Dragons". I remember when they voted you in for that," Togekiss declared.
Harry fought back a laugh as Vegeta turned and jabbed a talon at her. "They don't vote for princes, you idiot!"
"Don't call me an idiot!" Togekiss snapped. "And for your information I am the Dark Queen of All and that outranks pathetic little princesses!"
"Prince, you arrogant bitch! And you can't just declare yourself a Queen!"
"It's Dark Queen and I just did! Bulma, Dark Queen of All!"
Harry's smile fall. "Wait…" He let out a loud whistle, getting everyone attention. "What… what did you just call yourself?"
"Dark Queen of All?" Togekiss asked. "That's my title. Luna told you that-"
"No, not that," Harry said.
Vegeta gave her a smug look. "See, even your trainer knows you can't be a Queen!"
"He's your trainer too you idiot!" Togekiss yelled, now truly getting angry.
"GUYS!" Harry shouted, shutting down the argument before it could start up again. "That isn't what I meant!" It was his turn to point at Togekiss. "What… did… you… call… yourself?"
"Bulma?" Togekiss asked. Harry nodded. "That's my name."
"…since when?!"
"Since… forever!"
Ludwig cleared his throat. "She picked in out about 2 weeks ago, sir."
"And two weeks ago was forever ago," Togekiss told Ludwig sweetly.
"You… what?" Harry said, his brow furrowing.
Togekiss shrugged. "I picked it out. Every member of the team had a name except me and I decided that I wanted one too. I went through a whole big list and finally decided on Bulma."
"It's a stupid name," Vegeta grumbled. The Speaker's realm disappeared as he shoved Harry out of it, moving towards the bonfire.
"It is not," Togekiss/Bulma argued just as Harry reentered only to be shoved back that time by Togekiss/Bulma who decided to fly down and landing on Vegeta's back. Harry reentered a final time to hear her declare, "It is dainty and beautiful like me!"
"Tch!" Vegeta declared, turning his head but doing nothing to push Togekiss/Bulma from his back.
Harry just stared at them, slackjawed.
Orion, having popped back up before Harry had reentered the Speaker's Realm, spoke up, "Would it help if I told you that Luna helped her make the list?"
He did the mental math: one Veela who loved pop culture + same Veela with empathy powers who could sense that the fairy and the dragon were actually, beyond all believe, falling in love with each other = Bulma and Vegeta.
It didn't help the headache he was gaining but it made sense.
"Now grassy Pokémon needs name, Good Harry potter!" Dobby declared.
"Nope, I'm good!" Leafeon called out. "Leafeon Charles Potter! Leon for short" Harry now started at his starter but Leafeon quickly clarified. "The Long Talk blended our DNA, remember? You and I are basically genetic relatives. And you aren't my father so we are going with brother. Which means I am now genetically the son of James and Lily Potter. Remus told me that your middle name was either going to be James or Charles so I'll take that. And Leafeon… Leon… it works." He paused. "You okay with that?"
Harry, after shaking off his surprise, smiled. "Yeah buddy… I'm okay with you being a Potter." The officially christens Leon flashed his own grin before Harry cleared his throat. "Anyone else want to change names?"
Everyone looked at Zygarde.
The ground/dragon Pokemon stared them down. "Zygarde is my name… it isn't a species name like the rest of you. And it was given to me by Salazar, the greatest and most honorable man I have ever known. I will be keeping it." He narrowed his eyes and something flashed in them, reminding them that as tolerate as he was he was still a legendary that could turn people and Pokémon to stone and Harry hadn't QUITE earned the right to command him in battle yet.
"Okay, works for me. Zygarde it is."
"Good, now would you mind telling me why you have brought us all here?" He glanced at the others. "While I am quite pleased to be amongst you all I sense that there is more to this gathering than simply allowing us all to stretch our bodies."
"You're right," harry said, turning his head so he could address each and every one of them. He wanted to begin pacing but the rules of the Speaker's Realm prevented all of them from moving from where they were. He could shift his head and, if he did so slowly and focused, could move his arms a bit, but otherwise his body was locked in place. "I want to talk about the team."
Vegeta let out a huff. "I assume your next statement is going to be that you are getting rid of all these weaklings and just using me from now on?"
The newly named Leon looked at the apparently named Bulma. "Want out of the Speaker's Realm so you can knock out the idiot?"
"Like the female could knock out me, you worthless piece of shrubbery."
"Fairy type," Hedwig pointed out. "And even without that Flying type still kicks your scaly ass."
"Say that too me when we aren't in the Speaker's Realm, you feather-brained fool!"
Ludwig frowned. "Ladies and Gentlemen, there is no need to be barbaric. And feather-brained and fool redundant are redundant."
Harry thought about leaving the Realm just so he could rub his temples. "Guys… come on and let me speak." He shot Leon a look. "And no puns about that." Vegeta huffed but kept his jaw clamped shut and Bulma merely smiled behind his back and motioned for Harry to continue. "We right now have a really well-rounded team. Leafeon… sorry, Leon… gives me Grass. Ludwig Fire and Ghost. To-Bulma Fairy and Flying, and Hedwig gives me Flying as well and Normal. Orion gives me Water and Steel, Firebolt is another fire-"
"Why does he get to go first?" Firebolt complained.
"Because our trainer understands the importance of calm and collected battle tactics over your brash ways?" Orion asked.
"ENOUGH!" Dobby yelled, startling them all. "YOUS WILL ALL BE SILENT AND LET GREAT HARRY POTTER SPEAK!"
Everyone blinked at the outburst.
"And if we don't?" Firebolt actually pressed.
"Dobby will link Smokey Pokemon's brain with Silly Miss Lulamoon."
"…we'll be good," Firebolt said meekly, all the rest quickly agreeing.
"Uh, thanks Dobby," Harry said, a bit scared himself of the Alakazam's threat. He didn't know what it said about his life that he was facing down an ancient spirit that consumed human souls and wanted to wear him like a flesh puppet… and it was the idea of spending even a few minutes in Luna's mind that terrified him. Hermione did it on occasion but she said that was all about building a tolerance to the… Lunaness. "Continuing on Zygarde will cover Ground and Dragon when I'm finally skilled enough to command him-"
Zygarde cleared his throat. "My apologizes that I cannot accept you yet, Harry. I wish to, for you have shown yourself to be as noble as Salazar and nearly as cunning. You are worthy to be his heir. And yet…"
"No, I get it," harry said, waving him off. "Other trainers might not understand but I've merged with Hedwig and done the Long Talk with Leon… I'm not fully human anymore." He tapped his head. "And the Pokemon genetics I have rattling around in here know exactly what you're feeling." It was hard to describe, to put into human words because it was a decidedly non-human emotion. Scientists talked about the instincts all creatures had, different to their species. How certain Water-types would be driven to migrate to the stream where they themselves had spawned in order to mate. How Normal Types like Sawbuck and Stantlers, even if raised by humans and never having a connection to others of their kind, would feel the urge to create herds. Humans had it as well. Remus had told him how there was the Modern Brain and the Primal Brain. The Modern Brain let one solve complex math equations or engage in long spirited debates. But the Primal Brain allowed one to function on autopilot, to the point that, according to Remus, a person would do something and only after the fact register it had happened. And to cope the Modern Brain would reverse the order of events so someone would believe they had chosen to act rather than acted without conscience thought.
The Pokémon desire for a strong trainer was a similar brain-bending sensation. He knew rationally that he wasn't a Pokémon, just as Zygarde knew he was a good and just young man who would not wield him in hate or wickedness. Yet both he and Zygarde both felt around people a lack of…worthiness. For Harry it was a desire to rebel, to mouth off and be every worst stereotype there was concerning teenagers. If someone gave him an order that his Primal Brain felt was too inexperienced or unworthy of him then he'd feel an overwhelming urge to teach them a lesson, to make them understand just how foolish they had been in trying to control him. It took all his willpower to stomp down those urges when they flared up, especially when they popped up in the worst of situations.
Some people he just always knew were worthy. Remus. Snape. The Pack. McGonagall and Flitwick and most of the other professors. They said something and he, for the most part, did it; if he refused it was his choice and not instinct. Others though? That's when things got tricky. Sirius was a coin flip… when he was being an immature manchild Harry would feel the urge to just blow off orders from him. But when he was in what their strange small family had taken to calling 'Lord of Sevii Mode' then Harry snapped to attention. The same with Dumbledore… Harry knew the man was a skilled trainer who had ended the Great War… but he was also the man who had preached making peace with Team Nocturne and thus many times wasn't 'worthy' in Harry's eyes.
And Umbridge?
Harry could feel his Primal Brain laughing hysterically at the idea of her EVER being worthy of giving him a command.
"Luckily for me," Harry said, "Vegeta covers Dragon as well. And fighting."
"Tsk. The best at fighting. Don't even need anyone else when I'm around."
"And Dobby has Psychic," Harry said, ignoring the Kommo-O. "Again, that gives me pretty good coverage-"
Orion cleared his throat. "I can't believe I, of all Pokémon, am asking you this… but aren't you going to be a Fire Type Gym Leader? Shouldn't you have more than two fire types?"
"I'll focus on that in a couple more years. Defeat Nocturne comes before the gym. And that means type coverage." He paused, leaving the Speaker's Realm so he could open his Dex, and then reentered when he had the correct page up. "Unless I am missing something we still need a Dark, Electric, Poison, Ice, rock, and Bug type."
"…and?" Firebolt asked.
"And I wanted to ask you guys if you had any suggestions."
Dobby frowned at that. "But you are trainer, Great Harry Potter! You pick team-"
"Team, Dobby. You just said it yourself. This is a team and I am not going to just make choices without consulting with all of you. Whoever gets added to our group is going to be fighting with you, most likely in life or death situations. So I want to make sure we are all in agreement about who to go after."
"Is that even how it works?" Bulma asked. "I thought most trainers went out, wandered long grass till something popped out, and then tried to catch it."
"Yes but I'm being trained by a world-class tracker, remember? Jack doesn't do things like that."
Hedwig chuckled. "And to be fair Harry rarely catching his Pokémon in the wild so he doesn't do things like everyone else to begin with."
"What does that mean?" Harry complained.
Leon raised his paw. "Given to you at Ollivanders."
"Gift from Prof Snape on Solstice," Ludwig reminded him.
"Caught me crying over the bodies of dead birth parents," Bulma stated before getting an odd look on her face. "I wonder if that explains my mental problems."
"Traded for me, Great Harry Potter," Dobby stated.
He sighed. "Okay, getting the point-"
"Nope, sorry, we're doing this," Hedwig stated, jabbing her wing at Zygade. "You actually did catch him nice and proper… which is rather odd that your first proper catch was a legendary." She shook her head. "You also caught me fair and square…as much as I hate to admit it."
"Gift," Firebolt and Orion said at the same time.
"And I let you win," Vegeta said with a snort, no one buying a word he was saying.
"So honestly," Leon stated, "we're all surprised Jack or Xeno Lovegood or Piers Darkstar haven't given you a new Pokémon."
"Piers Darkstar?" Harry asked. "Why would a punk rocker I've never met give me a Pokémon?"
"At this point none of us would be surprised," Orion stated.
"Alright, enough ganging up on me!" Harry complained. "The point is that I don't want to do things just randomly. I don't want to wander around and just grab any old Pokémon." He frowned, considering what he'd just said. "That came out worse than I meant it to. Because I would of course welcome any Pokémon that joined my team with open arms. Wouldn't matter their type or their skill level… we'd find a place for them. BUT… if I can choose who to induct next then I want us all in agreement on what Pokémon we'd like to join our odd little… group? Family? Whatever we want to call it?" He shrugged and once left the Speaker's Realm so that he could activate a new page on his dex. "But don't worry… I brought visual aids." He returned the Realm as his dex shot out the projection of all manner of strange Pokémon. "This here is a list of every Pokémon currently known that has a unique typing."
"Why them?" Zygarde asked. "Aren't you limiting yourself?"
"True… but it also allows me to have a Pokémon combination that less people are used to. And that means that battles will be harder to predict for my opponents."
His team nodded, seeing the logic in that, and began to go over the list.
"Are we eliminating Types that you already have?" Orion asked.
"Only if both of their types are already covered," Harry stated. "But otherwise I'm willing to have some overlap if I am getting something new out of it. I'd prefer completely original but not going to rule something out."
"Fighting/Ghost?" Firebolt asked, the fire type frowning at that. "How would that even work?"
Harry would have shrugged if his body could move in the Realm. "No idea but notice that is a Mythical Pokémon. Only been spotted, never captured. So they might be wrong… probably another Pikablu."
"Pika… what?" Bulma asked.
"Pikablu," Ludwig stated. "A misclassification of a Marill from I believe roughly a 100 years ago. Was believed to be an alternate evolution of Pikachu or Raichu. It was Newt Scamander who correctly classified it as merely a distant cousin of Pikachu. In fact, sir, I do believe one of your direct descendants was involved in that little adventure. I'd have to look it up-"
"Alright, alright, enough from the walking history book!" Vegeta complained. "Back to find someone who wouldn't be a complete weakling on this team."
"Salazzle?" Leafeon suggested.
"Pass," Bulma complained.
"What, because of poison? It's a Fire Type and I don't mind and Harry does need more Fire Types…"
"Again," Harry said, "rather not load up on something I have a ton of. Salazzle might be a good idea eventually but not right now." He studied the listen before grinning. "Alolan Geodude line looks cool."
Zygarde rumbled at that. "Electric/Rock would be rather different and I don't know how many people in this region have been to Alola."
"Of course that means you'd have to get there too," Hedwig pointed out.
Harry chuckled. "My teachers and mentors are multimillionaires and I'm sitting on the Potter fortune… which Remus has been investing for me. I could afford a trip to Alola."
"Beach party!" Bulma cried out.
Vegeta hissed in pain. "Damn it female, my ears!"
"What about chilly buggy?" Dobby asked.
"Which one is… oh, I see it." Harry pursed his lips. "Snom line. Ice Bug. Yeah… that would be a different typing to have. Put it on the list."
Orion chimed in. "…how?"
Harry looked down at his unmoving hands. "Oh… right." He left the Speaker's Realm and all his Pokémon began to move about. While one didn't feel any of the weariness that might be expected from having to remain still for long periods of time, as the Realm was more of a mental construct than a physical one, there was something to being constrained from all movement that made a person, or Pokémon, want to stretch their legs once free. 'That's probably why Jack paces so much,' Harry thought, remember how Jack had admitted to spending long stretches of time in the Realm. Once the man had told Harry that one of his most infamous feats, getting the Beedrills that belonged to Koga's Elite Guard to turn on their trainers, had meant spending almost a year talking with each Beedrill to convince it to turn on their trainer. Not all together… with EACH Beedrill. Jack didn't know HOW long he'd been in the realm but he wagered that mentally he was several hundred years old, if not pushing a thousand.
Which honestly explained so much and yet so little about Jack.
Walking over to his bag Harry pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil and had just begun writing down the first Pokémon to consider adding to his ear when he suddenly froze. Ever since his talk with Leafeon Harry's senses had become all the stronger, especially his hearing. Most of the time he managed to simply tune things out, which was really good when one lived with a bunch of other male teens who were discovering the opposite sex. But other times he would pick up on sounds seemingly at random.
Now was such a time.
"Harry?" Hedwig asked.
"Shhhh!" Harry hissed, holding up his hand. "Anyone else hear that?"
"Ty, ty," Firebolt said, shaking his head. Harry didn't dare enter the realm to find out what he'd fully said, as he didn't want to lose what he was picking up. It was hard to make out, rather faint, but it sounded familiar… and important…
"I do," Leafeon whispered, Hedwig tilting her head before she too nodded. Even Vegeta was still, cocking his head towards where Harry was hearing the noise. "It sounds like… crying?"
Harry began to slowly move forward, picking up the pace as he got closer towards the source of the mysterious sound but making sure to keep his steps as silent as possible. Hedwig took to the air, silently flying above him, while Leafeon prowled at his side and Dobby began to teleport in short bursts to keep up, The rest of his team held back, moving only what he was enough distance away that they wouldn't alert the source of the noise to Harry's presence.
The pursuit of the crying led him from the field he'd been in and through a cluster of trees that weren't terribly thick but were numerous enough to make it hard to see where he was going exactly. He released a small Speaker pulse to make it clear to any local Pokémon he wasn't in the mood for a battle before continuing on, making it through without incident and finding himself standing on the shore of Black Lake. He hadn't realized they were so close to the edge of the island and looking about he realized they were right near the docks that the Firsties would arrive at during their first voyage across the Lake.
And there, standing on the dock, was a young girl, perhaps a 12 years old at most, with her pockets bugling with what looked like rocks and a chain dangling around her shoulders. She sniffed before placing a piece of paper on the edge of the dock followed by her Pokeball holder, and then steeled her shoulders.
'Nononononononono!' Harry mentally pleaded.
The girl let out a final gasping sob before stepping off the dock, plunging straight down into the cold water.
"NO!" Harry roared, racing forward. Leafeon and Hedwig were already moving, Leafeon towards the dock while Hedwig shot down low enough for Harry to leap up and touch her belly with his hand, the two merging in a brilliant blast of white light. From the corner of his eye Harry saw Leafeon begin to focus on the water and he realized he was trying to connect with the plants growing on the lakebed to find the young girl. Harry beat his wings to gain altitude before going into a sharp dive right towards where the girl had plunged in. At the last moment he separated from Hedwig, diving into the depths of Black Lake while the flying type flew overhead.
Harry had once before gone into Black Lake to rescue someone and he quickly realized that this time was far different. He was weighed down by his clothing rather than the diving suit he'd been given and the cold quickly sapped into his muscles. He also lacked the rebreather that would allow him to continue deeper into the water. But before he could truly worry there was a flash of teleportation and Orion appeared before him, firing off a Bubble attack that went around Harry's head and gave him a much needed mouthful of air. Reaching out and grasping Orion's collar he motioned for his Pokémon to dive and he clung to him as they went towards the bottom.
Another difference from the year before was that they weren't in the deepest part of the lake and thus reached the bottom within moments. Harry squinted, his vision blurry as he realized he'd lost his glasses at some point, and but he made out a vague shape and when he reached for it he felt hair and then the links of the chain. Growling Harry yanked the chain off before grabbing onto the girl's wrist and, despite any worry about hurting her further, locked the servos in his hand so that his fingers clamped down in an unbreakable grip around her arm. Satisfied that she was secured he tapped Orion's neck, the water type bursting upwards dragging Harry with him, his prosthetic hand yanking the 2nd year with them.
The moment they burst to the surface Harry felt strong arms grab them and realized it was Vegeta, the dragon yanking all three of them back onto the dock before turning on his heels and racing back towards dry land. Harry took several more mouthfuls of air before turning to the girl, letting out a sigh of relief when he saw that unlike Gabriele she was breathing. She was shivering and coughing up water but she was breathing.
"It's okay," he said, helping her sit up. The girl turned towards him only to gag, her head tilting down as she wretched all over his lap. Normally he'd have been utterly disgusted but at the moment he couldn't care less.
Hedwig flew over to him and spread her wings, flicking the lake spray that had gotten onto her plumage away before staring down at Harry and the shivering girl he was holding. "Okay, if no one is going to say it I will!" Hedwig declared after a few moments of silence. "WHAT THE FEATHERY FU-"
Harry cut her off. "There will be time for that later," he said sternly, looking down at the younger student. He didn't know what house she was in as the patch that normally would have been on her jacket (a requirement until students' third year when it was felt that they had earned the right to choose their own style of clothing) had been torn off but he knew she wasn't a Gryffindor as he didn't remember her at any of the House Meetings. But it didn't matter what house she was in; what mattered was that a 12 year old girl had just tried to drown herself and Harry wanted answers. But from the way she was shuddering and coughing he knew that he wouldn't get anything from her, not before the teachers arrived. And once they got involved he would be cut out of the loop with, at most, some house points passed out and his name yet again in the paper... with Rita Skeeter probably twisting it so he had held her down in the water himself while twirling a curly mustache.
No, he wouldn't be getting answers from her. Luckily he had another source.
"Leafeon, open one of her Pokeballs, please." The girl stiffened at that and began to weakly fight against him but Harry was having none of it. "Dobby, Hypnosis." He shut his eyes as his Alakazam fired off the beams of psychic energy at the younger student stilled before slowly growing lax in his arms. He moved to set her to the side only for Ludwig to move over to begin monitoring her, fussing a bit as he examined her.
Leafeon, meanwhile, grabbed a Pokeball and Harry took it, grateful that she didn't have biolocked balls like he did. Holding it out Harry lightly tossed it up in the air so that the ball opened and revealed a young Pidove. The feathered Pokémon blinked before letting out a cry of protest upon seeing her trainer.
Harry let the world fall away before the Pokémon could move. "calm down... she's alright."
"What is this? What's going on? How are you doing this? Why can't I move!" the Pidove asked rapid-fire, her voice young and childish like a 5 year-old's.
"This is the Speaker's Realm. I am a Speaker... here I can talk to Pokémon like you. You can't move because all we can do is talk." he smiled slightly, trying to be reassuring. "I want to ask you about your trainer. She just trying to do something very-" he almost said 'bad' but stopped himself, knowing that if he did so the Pokémon before him would most likely react badly. McGonagall had taught them that young Pokémon tended to imprint on their trainers and see them as much as parents as partners; Bulma had done that with him and even now acted more like a rebelling teenager than a Pokémon partner. "-unsafe. And I want to make sure she doesn't do it again. But to do that I need to know why she did it."
Pidove shook her head. "I can't tell you."
"But you know why she did what she did."
The Pokémon nodded sadly. "It was the only way."
"Only way to... what?"
"I can't tell you!" she repeated.
"But I can help you. I can help you both-"
"You can't help. Leave me alone! I don't like you!" He felt the Pidove trying to force him from the Realm but that was something only older, stronger Pokémon could do. Her age meant that Harry was able to keep the connection intact. He mentally grimaced as he realized what he was going to have to do though to get answers. He couldn't just try another Pokémon, or hope she changed her mind. No, he had to wear her down, get her to come to his point of view.
And there was only one way to do that.
"Guys," he said to his Pokémon who were behind him, having been listening in, "for you it won't be a second but... I'll see you as soon as I can." With that he forced all but the Pidove and himself from the Speaker's Realm, making the little flying type his sole focus. "Okay... let's not talk about that. Let's talk about other things..."
~Five Hours Later~
"I would have gone with her if she just asked but she wanted a battle... but that's okay!" The Pidove's voice grew bright and cheery. "It was fun!"
"I bet it was," Harry said. "Ginger sounds like a great trainer."
"The best," Pidove said, the happiness leaving her voice. "I'm going to miss her."
"You don't have to miss her. You two can be together."
"No, we can't!" Pidove said angrily. "You don't understand!"
"Then help me understand-"
"I can't tell!"
~A Day Later~
"You want to help her, don't you?"
Pidove nodded. "Of course!" she said, almost scandalized. "She is my mom-my trainer!"
"It's okay to call her your mom," Harry said gently. "My Togekiss was a baby when she joined me and she sees me as her dad."
"It's okay? But we were told-"
"Told what?"
Pidove's eyes went wide. "I can't!"
~Two Days Later~
Pidove swallowed. "I don't want her to die. I don't. But it's the only way. If she dies then they have to obey her note and her note says I go to her brother! I haven't met him but she said he is nice and he'll train me!"
"Why would you have to go to her brother at all? Why can't she train you?"
"Because they are going to kick her out of Hogwarts," the little Pokémon said sadly. "And you can't have Pokémon if you get kicked out. They will take me away and I'll go to a mean trainer! But if mama goes away..."
Harry shut his eyes. "Pidove, that isn't how it works. They would only take you away if she were a bad trainer."
"Mama is the best trainer!" Pidove sobbed.
"I know that, and you know that!" Harry said, getting frustrated. "I'm not saying she is bad!"
"You... you aren't?"
He took a calming breath. "I'm not. So if she's so amazing... why would she get kicked out of Hogwarts."
"...she was told..."
"Told by who," he pressed.
Pidove hiccupped and whispered the name.
The Speaker's Realm shattered and Harry found himself back on the dock, his Pokémon all staring at him. He felt so utterly tired, all he wanted to do was lie down in sleep. Yet at the same time flames of utter rage burned in his heart. Jasmine had told him before the school year about how she'd been once kidnapped along with Fleur and when their parents had arrived Jack had just... let go... and gone utterly savage. He remembered how Jack had roared in the cemetery when he'd seen Jasmine's injuries and how he'd attacked Voldemort and his minions like he was the one possessed by a demon. He understood that rage now, that desire for blood. For even with how tired he was he couldn't lie down. he couldn't go to sleep. He tasted blood in his mouth and his heart was pounding in his ears and the Primal Brain was screaming for revenge.
"I'll fucking kill her," Harry hissed.
"Who?" Hedwig said as she allowed the sobbing, whimpering Pidove to cuddle against her. Already they could hear the professors running towards the dock, being led there by Vegeta.
Harry snarled the name.
"Umbridge."