Chapter 16

Different Worlds

Terron sat at the base of the tree that Impetus was napping in. He wasn't quite sure how much time had passed since Zekra left. But, he could tell that he'd have to continue to wait. For a long time, that was. She wouldn't return for at least four more hours.

The Cubone wasn't sure what to do with the rest of his time. He couldn't go to the gym, for he still didn't have the proper club. He didn't want to go train in the Gray Lands either since it wouldn't feel the same without Zekra there. Terron had Impetus, but he didn't quite feel he shared a connection with the Mienfoo as he shared with Zekra.

Terron looked up at his companion to find she was still napping. She must have still been tired, or perhaps she was very bored. Terron wanted to say he was becoming bored as well, but he knew that the feeling growing inside him was not monotony. No, he knew that this feeling was lonesomeness.

He had been fighting it off, but it was getting worse as time passed.

Terron hated the way it made him feel. The further the loneliness spread into his heart, the more it gave birth to a terrible kind of bitterness he did not want to feel. Soon, Terron decided that he didn't want to put up with the feeling anymore. He needed to get something else on his mind.

He got to his feet.

"Impetus," Terron called in a low voice.

The Mienfoo opened her eyes and glanced down at the Cubone.

"We should go visit Len," Terron said. "He wanted to talk to me about something, so we might as well go do that. So, come on down and I'll show you the inside of the base when we go visit Len."

Impetus jumped off the tree branch and landed besides Terron. He stared at her for a moment, wondering to himself how she didn't break her legs from falling at such a height. Once he realized that he couldn't find an answer, he headed into the base with Impetus.

As the two went inside, the Mienfoo actively glanced around, turning in every direction she could. She didn't seem to be in a panic due to the inside of the tree having much less confinement than a room, but the Mienfoo still appeared confused by the walls. She went up to the nearest wall and tapped her paws against it before dashing over to the other wall of the tree and doing the same thing. Thankfully, hardly anyone was in the base, so she didn't bother anyone with her strange behavior.

Terron watched her repeatedly go back and forth between the two ends of the tree.

After five minutes, Impetus finally stopped investigating the sides of the tree and came back to Terron. She still had a puzzled expression, but she wasn't fretting over what was bothering her at least. Terron then headed for the stairs. He had only made it up three steps when he realized that Impetus wasn't following him.

Terron looked behind him to find the Mienfoo was staring at the stairs oddly. The design was very strange to her since the wild didn't have anything remotely similar to stairs. Terron went back down to her side. She stared at him.

"You just step onto the little steps," Terron explained as he went up a couple of steps. "Like what I just did. It's pretty simple."

The Mienfoo looked back at the steps and carefully put her foot on the first step. Then, she took the next step. Her climb was slow, but she seemed to understand the concept. Terron smiled as he made his way further up the stairs, making sure he didn't walk too fast.

When he got to the floor of the office, he found that Impetus was walking up the stairs on all fours now. Terron was about to correct her, but then he realized that she was probably doing this so that she had an easier time climbing. After all, she seemed to be walking at a faster pace. So, he decided he'd let her climb that way for now.

Once Impetus made it up the stairs, she stood back into her normal position. She and Terron then headed for the office. When they got there, Terron knocked on the door with his bone club.

"Yes, you can come in," Len's voice said from behind it.

Terron pushed the door open and walked inside. Impetus remained outside the room, marveling at the thought of a "wall" opening into a room.

"Come on, Impetus," Terron said.

The Mienfoo continued to stand there, staring at the door that was ajar. Terron went back out and reached to grab her paw. Immediately, Impetus snapped her paw away from the Cubone and readied the white energy in that paw. Terron hastily went back into the room. He'd just let her stay out there. He wasn't going to risk a Force Palm to his face.

Terron felt strange coming back into this room. It was the same as he had remembered it, only with more light, back when Garter kidnapped him and Zekra. Back then, they were in a very different position in life. It was funny to Terron how so much could change so quickly.

Sitting at the desk was Len, paperwork scattered around him. When he saw Terron come in, he gave the Cubone an odd stare.

"Terron?" the Luxray asked. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it is," the Cubone replied.

"Sorry, I didn't recognize you," Len said. "I'm used to seeing you without a skull. But, now that you have one, you almost look like a completely different Pokémon. Still, I'm glad you got a helmet. It fits you well."

"Thanks," Terron said. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I did," Len started to say before he noticed something else. "But, where's Zekra and that new feral recruit of yours?"

"Oh, Zekra went to go visit somewhere for the day," Terron answered. "And Impetus is outside of the room since she doesn't seem to want to come inside."

Terron pointed to the door, showing Len the Mienfoo. She was slowly opening and closing the door, completely fascinated. She was so occupied with the door, she didn't notice Terron and Len staring at her. Terron smiled and let out a quiet laugh.

"So, you're probably wondering why I wanted to talk to you," Len said as he brought his attention back to the Cubone. "Well, there are two reasons, and both of them regard asking you questions about something."

"What would those things be?" Terron asked.

"One of them regards your encounter with a strange Weavile," Len answered. "Emdox mentioned that he saw a Weavile attacking you yesterday in your memories, and I wanted to know more about that. Emdox could always tell me more, but I figured it's best to hear it from the one who was actually there during the event. It's alarming to think that someone attacked your team for seemingly no reason, but perhaps I can help you find a reason for the Weavile's actions. Then, we could try to prevent this from happening again. So, tell me what you remember of the experience, if you may do so."

Terron nodded.

"Zekra and I were somewhere on Diamond Dust Mountain when we met the Weavile," Terron began. "We were there to look for some bones. When we saw the Weavile, he was this Aggron corpse and was trying to rip off the armor on it for some reason. When he noticed us, he said something about needing to kill us since we knew he was there. He mentioned the Fellowship and others, but he didn't really say anything about them. I don't even know who these 'others' are. I still haven't figured it out. What do you think he means?"

"I'm not sure myself," Len replied. "These others do sound interesting, but, do go on with your story."

"After that, the Weavile tried to kill us," Terron continued. "We almost died, but Impetus saved us and she ended up fighting the Weavile. Nothing really strange happened after that, except that the Weavile was oddly obsessed with this scarf he had. Like, when I accidentally tore it off him, he started going crazy and demanding his scarf back. He was so obsessed with it, that when I threw it off a cliff, he went after it. He just jumped off the mountain to grab it. I don't get why anyone would be so worried about a scarf."

"Did the scarf look special?" Len asked curiously.

"No, it was just a normal scarf," Terron replied. "It was just red and torn. I didn't feel any different when I had it in my hand."

"Hmmm, I see," Len said thoughtfully. "And you never saw the Weavile again?"

"No, thankfully," Terron said. "I hope I never have to see him again. I don't want to have to fight him again."

"The Fellowship will make sure that doesn't happen," Len assured. "We'll be putting up a few notices, saying to be on the lookout for him and capture him if we can. Then, we can figure out what he was up to and why he attacked you. You'll be alright."

Terron smiled at hearing this. It was nice to know that the Fellowship cared about him. Even if they were rather disturbing at times, perhaps it was made up for in how they treated their members. Maybe Zekra was right about the Fellowship's positives outweighing their negatives.

"Now, for my other reason I wanted to talk to you," Len then said. "I want to know about your old world. The human world."

There was a long pause between the two of them.

"No one's seen a human in such a long time," the Luxray went on after a moment. "So long, in fact, that almost everyone thinks they're not real anymore. But now… we have a human here, in a Pokémon's body. I'm fairly certain that this hasn't happened before."

Len stared at Terron curiously.

"I might have thought you were insane if you told me you were a human, but when Emdox read your mind, he saw that there wasn't a trace of insanity within you," Len continued. "So, I think it's safe to say that you really are a human. So tell me, human… what do you remember about you being human? I know you have amnesia, but surely some parts of your memory must still be intact."

"How come you want to know?" Terron asked.

"I was always told stories of humans for as long as I can remember," Len said. "Specifically, it was the leaders back at the Pledge Mountain Fellowship who told me stories of humans, back in the days when I wasn't a leader myself. The legends always fascinated me. But, I never had any way to know if they were true. So, now that you're here, maybe I can shed some light on those legends and separate the truth from the false."

Terron thought for a moment. He wasn't really sure if he wanted to talk about this. He felt uneasy talking about his old life that he could vaguely remember. Besides, he never wanted anyone to know he was human. He wanted to keep that a secret with Zekra. But, Terron realized that he was speaking to the Fellowship leader and that he should do as requested. Maybe it would help him learn more about his past, somehow.

He let out a sigh.

"I don't remember my life too well," Terron began. "I can't remember anything specifically about me. I can just remember concepts in my world. Like, I do remember that people in my world know what Pokémon are. I don't think we have Pokémon in our world… but we know what they are. Some of us know more about them than others, though. I know that I understand Pokémon mostly, but I don't understand how some of your types of Pokémon are more effective against others. I know there's a way to memorize it, but I never did. I know most of your species' names, but not your type advantages. Perhaps… as a human… I never found that to be important. But, then again, why would everyone know about Pokémon if they don't exist in my world?"

"Perhaps like us, you humans turned Pokémon into legends," Len suggested. "Do you know why humans left Pokémon though? That might have been part of your legends since there's a possibility that the humans in your world are the ones that left us Pokémon long ago in the legends."

"No, I don't," Terron replied. "I don't remember there ever being a story about humans leaving Pokémon, but maybe it's just that I was never told it. I think you're right about the humans from my world being the humans who once lived with Pokémon in Pokémon legends, but I don't have any proof of that."

"Is there anything you remember about yourself prior to becoming a Cubone?" Len asked. "Do you remember your last days as a human?"

Terron searched his memories for a few minutes. The two remained silent during this time.

"I don't," Terron said with a sigh. "Like I said, I don't know anything about myself. I just remember human things, not my own life. I can't even remember what I looked like."

Len stared at Terron with an unreadable expression. Terron thought he would feel nervous with the look the Luxray was giving him, as he had felt in the past, but he didn't feel that way now.

"Do you remember the name of your world and what it looked like?" Len asked after a while.

"The world I lived in…" Terron replied slowly. "Its name… Its name was…"

Terron's eyes seemed to go into a trance as a certain word entered into his head. Upon having this word enter his mind, several mental images of his world surfaced from the closed-off depths of his brain.

"My world's name is Kuron," Terron answered. "It… It's like this world, but less nature and more buildings. There's only one region on my planet, though we have quite a few small islands scattered throughout the ocean. We sometimes call these islands mini regions since they're quite large sometimes, but they're not nearly as big as the main land. The main region itself is called Kuron, but since Kuron is the only mainland, we just call the planet Kuron."

"So, it's just like Shiron then," Len said. "We only have one giant continent and some islands throughout the planet. And, we call the world Shiron for the same reason you call yours Kuron. The human world… and the Pokémon world… they have the exact same world layout."

Terron and Len glanced at one another. They weren't sure what to think of this revelation. Several possibilities could arise from this new information.

"One last question before I let you go," Len then said as his voice became very grim. "Were there any Plagued Ones in your world or legends?"

Terron thought for a moment. He tried to find any memories connected to those words.

"No, there weren't," he answered. "At least, none that I remember. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered those creatures."

Len stared at Terron with a strange expression. Eventually, he reverted back to his normal, bland stare.

"Thank you, Terron," Len said. "I'm done questioning you. Your answers were very interesting."

"Do they help you at all?" the Cubone asked.

"They provide theories, but there's no concrete evidence for such theories," the Luxray answered. "It's too vague. But, if you remember more, feel free to tell me so that we can piece together this strange mystery. I'm sorry if my questions bothered you and reminded you of your condition. But, don't let this amnesia get to you. I know how it feels. I too, have it."

Terron gave Len an odd look.

"You have amnesia too?" Terron asked.

"Sadly, yes," Len said with a sigh. "But, it's not as severe as yours. You see, I can remember most of my life and who I am. But, there is one part of my memory that's completely erased from my mind: my childhood."

"What do you mean by that?" Terron asked curiously.

"I don't remember what my life as a cub," Len explained. "My earliest memory in life was when Éclair found me wandering Shiron as a Luxio and asked if I wanted to join the Fellowship with her. I've never figured out why I was roaming the land. I just know that I was since Éclair said that's what I told her. I had told her I had nowhere to go and simply went wherever I could. I don't know where I was from or who my parents were. All I know is that when Éclair explained what the Fellowship was, I had a strong desire to join. To this day, I still don't know why that was, but I try not to let that bother me too much. I try to live my life in the present, even if I occasionally try to find my memories."

Terron continued to stare at Len. He had never expected Len of all Pokémon to have amnesia. He didn't expect anyone, in all honesty, to have amnesia. Knowing this now, Terron felt slightly better about his condition. He wasn't alone after all. Even if the severity of the memory loss was different, at least someone else had it.

"Well, thanks for telling me that," Terron said. "And, thanks for trying to help me. I'll see you later, sometime."

Len gave his goodbye as the Cubone left the office and closed the door behind him. Impetus was standing outside the doorway, waiting for Terron to return.

"Well, I'm all finished," Terron said to her. "Len talked to me about my amnesia… and apparently he has amnesia too. It's strange, but it makes me feel kinda better about my own amnesia. I don't have to suffer, thinking I'm alone."

Impetus stared at Terron curiously, attempting to understand what he was talking about. Terron looked at her.

"I know you probably won't get it, but I might as well explain this to you since I'll need to in the future," Terron said. "I'm human. I don't know if you know what that is, but I'm from another world. I don't belong here."

Impetus didn't have any sort of reaction. She kept staring at Terron with that curious glance. As she did this, the Cubone started to realize something.

"You know… you're just like me in a way," Terron remarked thoughtfully. "We're both from different 'worlds'. I mean, your world is still in Shiron, but it's a completely different place compared to here. It's so different… it might as well be a distant world like Kuron. I remember when I first came to this world… I wondered how Pokémon could talk. I always had a strange belief that they couldn't for some reason. And now that I think about it, I bet that's what you're wondering too. Wild Pokémon don't talk like Zekra and I, so I guess this must be brand new to you."

Terron was quiet for a moment.

"Impetus, why did you leave your world?" Terron asked her. "This world is so strange… yet you stay here. Why?"

Impetus seemed to understand the question, but she didn't react to it other than pondering for a second. Once she had done that, she continued staring at Terron.

"I wish I could answer that question for myself. I wonder why I had to leave my world sometimes," Terron then said before looking toward the stairs. "Let's just go get some late lunch."

The two went down the staircase and headed for the mess hall. Once they got there, Terron showed Impetus how they ordered meals and could instantly get food as opposed to hunting for it. He tried to get her some steak, but Impetus refused to eat it since she didn't understand that the steak was food. He'd try to shove pieces into her mouth so she could taste the flesh, but she wouldn't do it.

He ended up having to take a bite out of the steak to prove it was edible. He thought he would feel sick as he ate the flesh of a dead Pokémon, but surprisingly, it wasn't so bad for him. He didn't get the craving to eat meat for the rest of his life after doing this, but he found the meal to be decent. Once he had done that, Impetus finally tried the steak and started to eat it. As she ate her meal, he had a bowl full of berries.

Once the two had finished, Terron and Impetus left the base and headed for the gym. Even though Terron had no plans of working with Tunra for the day, he figured he could show Impetus around and perhaps get her a trainer to further improve her own abilities.

When the two went inside, Impetus once again noticed the walls enclosing them. This time, though, she looked back and forth at them as if to see if they were closing in on the two.

"Don't worry," Terron said. "There's plenty of room. There's no doors either to the chambers, and there's much more space in the chambers."

Terron went up to the fighting-type chamber. It had the simple symbol of a fist overhead. He pointed to that symbol, catching Impetus' attention.

"That's a place where you can train," Terron said. "I think you'd like it. You can get stronger and learn more abilities. I know you're pretty powerful, but you can be even better if you train with the master here. What do you think of that?"

Impetus looked down the dark tunnel for a second before wandering into it. Terron followed after her. When the two entered into the chamber, Terron saw it was quite different than the ground-type chamber. Rather than being a simple and open space, this chamber had a stone platform in the very middle. It was only about a foot tall though, and Terron could see various cracks running throughout the grey rock. Scattered around the room were a few small trees that managed to grow thanks to the sunlight pouring in from above.

There was no statue within the room.

A Lucario stood in the middle of the stone platform and was glancing at Terron and Zekra. There was no emotion in his eyes.

"I heard you coming inside," the Lucario spoke to Terron. "I assume the Mienfoo wishes to train with me while you simply observe?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Terron said simply. "Can you do that? I mean, Impetus is pretty talented, but she could use some more skills. All she really knows how to do are the Force Palm and Swift abilities, though she seems pretty good at martial arts."

"Very well, let me see what I can do," the Lucario said as he looked over at Impetus. "Come, young Mienfoo. Come here so I may understand your current abilities."

Impetus glanced over at Terron, unsure about what to do. She still wasn't on board with the idea of confronting random strangers. Terron then climbed onto the stage, trying to get her to follow him. Cautiously, Impetus did so. The Lucario, upon seeing that she was ready, started to build a blue sphere of energy in his between his paws.

The Mienfoo's eyes became wide.

"Now then," the Lucario said. "Let's see how well you can dodge-"

"MEI!"

Impetus suddenly shot forward, slamming her foot into the Lucario. She knocked the trainer to the ground before pressing her paw into the Lucario's face. But before she could release the white power, the Lucario threw the Mienfoo off him and swiftly got to his feet. He glared sharply at the Mienfoo as she skidded to a stop, digging her paw into the ground so it would slow down her momentum.

The Lucario noticed the small claws that were in her paws.

His glare only seemed to intensify.

"No civilized Mienfoo would have those claws," the Lucario growled. "They always clip them since they think using claws as a weapon is a dirty tactic. Which means… that you're a wild."

The Mienfoo came to a halt and immediately made her way toward the Lucario once more. Her eyes were filled with hostility. The friendly Impetus Terron had been with was no longer there. She was now the wild Impetus who Terron had seen when she was fighting the Lairon.

Impetus sprang at the trainer, her claws ready to slice into the Lucario.

"You have no strategy," the Lucario said with a huff. "You can't hurt me. You listen to instincts only. You always have, and you will always will. That ensures that you can't win against me."

The Lucario formed a familiar violet sphere in in his paws. Once it had reached a moderate size, he released the energy from within the sphere. It came out as black rings sparking with ominous energy. Impetus's eyes grew in horror once she released what was being sent at her. She tried to jump over the attack.

She wasn't able to avoid the pulse, and it struck her.

"MEEIII!"

Impetus fell to the ground seconds later, gasping as she attempted to get back up. Before she could, the Lucario stamped his foot on her back and kept her pinned down. He looked over at Terron with disgust.

"I refuse to train your 'friend'," the Lucario said. "Never come back to my chamber with her."

"But, why?!" Terron cried. "I mean, I know she attacked you unexpectedly, but she was just surprised is all. I'm trying to get her to stop doing that."

"This Mienfoo is a wild," the Lucario said venomously. "It's in her nature to do that. She won't ever stop being that way. Wilds are creatures who will never be like us. It's useless to train her when she will never change. She can't learn anything. All she knows is how to kill without strategy. She's an unintelligent, filthy excuse for a Pokémon. I don't know why you even want her in your company."

The Lucario took his foot off the Mienfoo and kicked her over to Terron. The Cubone managed to grab Impetus and helped her to her feet. She seemed incredibly disoriented, as she had with the Weavile when he used a Dark Pulse on her.

"But Impetus isn't like that!" Terron stated defensively. "She's smart! She can understand everyone! She can learn if you teach her!"

The Lucario gritted his teeth.

"Get that wild out of here," the Lucario said with a growl. "I don't want to see her here again."

Terron was about to retort, but the Lucario gave him an icy glare. A blue sphere started to form in one of his paws. The Cubone understood the message that was being given to him. He let out a huff as he helped Impetus out of the chamber, where she didn't bother attacking him since she was temporarily in a confused state.

Terron was fuming with repulsion at the Lucario's attitude. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. None of that was true. Impetus was a smart Pokémon, even if she was a wild.

When he exited the hallway and came back to the main room, he found Novus standing outside his own chamber. The Quilava glanced over at Terron before approaching him. He stopped in front of the Cubone and looked at Impetus for a moment. There was a pensive look in his eyes.

"You attempted to have Rey to teach this feral, didn't you?" Novus asked.

Terron nodded, too caught up in his emotions to say something. Novus looked back at his training chamber. He started to walk away.

"Come with me," the Quilava said.

The Cubone quietly followed Novus into his chamber with Impetus. The fire chamber had a bit more to it than the ground and fighting chambers. For one, there were blazing fires all throughout the room. They burned in small pits, providing the light of the room since there was no sunlight. Plastered along the walls were various paintings, all of them having a theme of legendries being together. One painting held Zapdos, Articuno, and Moltres circling one another in the sky. Another was of Raikou, Entei, and Suicune glancing skyward toward their creator, Ho-oh, with great respect. Every single legendary that had a connection with others was on at least one of the paintings.

At the very end of the room, there stood a tall statue of some Pokémon, just as Tunra had. This one, however, was not Groudon. It seemed to be an angelic, dragon-like Pokémon. Its entire body was a beautiful white shade, except for the eyes. Its eyes were a deep blue, which seemed so life-like and serene.

The sight of the room made Terron's anger slowly disappear.

"I thought to bring you here so that we may speak in private," Novus said. "What are your thoughts on my chamber?"

"It's really nice," Terron said. "I like the decorations. But, who's this Pokémon that you have a statue of? I don't recognize it."

Novus let out a bitter laugh.

"I shouldn't be surprised that you don't know Reshiram," Novus answered. "Many Pokémon no longer believe in his existence. They think he is a false deity, and tell their children that he doesn't exist. Then, those children pass onto their children that false truth, and they forget of Reshiram. They forget that he is one of the great dragons who guarded the land. They forget of his immense flames that could burn the world if he willed it. They forget that his flames are stronger than those of other fire gods, such as Ho-oh. They forget that he is the true figure to look to if you wish to find guidance in your fire. And with forgetting Reshiram, they forget Zekrom, great electric dragon of equal importance…"

Novus shut his eyes and let out a breath of fire as he sighed. Once he calmed down, he looked back at Terron.

"Sorry, I apologize for my outburst," the Quilava said. "It just ails me that the great dragons are being forgotten. Great beings should not be left to decay in the forgotten sands of time. But, that's not what needs to be focused on. No, we're here because I wanted to talk to you about your feral friend. I'm going to give you advice as to how you can help her since she will, no doubt, be staying in civilization with you and Zekra. It will help make her life easier."

The fire trainer looked upon the Mienfoo, finding that she was slowly coming back from her confused state.

"As I'm sure you've discovered, Rey is not fond of feral Pokémon," Novus said. "Unfortunately, so are many other Pokémon in this world. They see feral ones as demons who lack emotions and only live by how their instincts instruct them. In a way, I agree with that perspective, but it's only to a certain degree. Feral Pokémon are only like that when they are in the wild. Once they have been brought into society, they can become just like us. Their minds become open to our ways and sometimes, they will become like any ordinary civilian. Yet, no one else seems to understand this concept and believe feral ones will remain in their feral state for the rest of their lives. I know there are other Pokémon that probably understand how feral ones truly are, but the rest of the world doesn't quite believe this to be so."

Yeah… the Fellowship seems to understand. Terron thought. But, that's probably because they've got two wild Pokémon on their team technically. Even if King was self-aware in the first place, but just became wild…

"So are you saying I need to change Impetus?" Terron asked. "I have to change her so that she's not a feral anymore pretty much?"

"Yes and no," Novus replied. "Yes, she needs to change from her feral state to properly live in this new world. She cannot stay in civilization as a feral. But, it is also no since you cannot change her. That will ultimately be her choice. What you have to do is give her a reason to change and support her. You and Zekra need to help her understand why she must change from her old ways if she wants to stay in civilization."

"But that's not going to affect her too much, is it?" Terron asked. "I mean sure, she has a few quirks, but she's still a nice Pokémon. And… she has her own kind of intelligence that I haven't seen in anyone else. It's special. I don't want that to go away."

"You're not altering her personality," Novus assured. "No, altering Pokémon to become accepted by others isn't right. You're just helping her adapt to civilization. You're helping her understand that some laws she might have followed in the wild no longer apply here. You're also teaching her new concepts from here that she never had in the wild. She'll still be the same Impetus you know, except better suited for this kind of world. So, if you wish to help her stay in civilization, try to help her understand what she needs to do."

Terron looked at Impetus and found that she was no longer disoriented. She was glancing around at all the fires near her. She then wandered toward the fires, but didn't touch them since she seemed to know that it wasn't a good idea. Novus and Terron watched her.

As he did, Terron started to see the truth in Novus's words. Impetus had to learn how to be civilized if she wanted to stay with the team. If she didn't, other instances like what happened with Rey could happen again. It was the only way to have other Pokémon understand that she was a good Pokémon. She was kind now… but that meant nothing if others were blinded by the prejudice of her being a feral. Plus, Terron didn't want Impetus to be so confused about their world. She always looked at everything so curiously, but that was only because she didn't understand what it meant. He wanted to fix that.

"I'll help Impetus," Terron said with a nod. "Zekra and I… we'll do it together. We'll help her become civilized. Somehow. Thanks for your advice."

Yeah… we'll help Impetus. Terron thought. If Team Valor could, then surely we can too. It shouldn't be so hard. Impetus is pretty smart. I'm sure she'll learn quickly.

"But, why are you helping me?" Terron then asked.

Novus smiled.

"Because I am a teacher," the Quilava answered. "I do what I can do best, and that is to share my knowledge with others."

Terron stared oddly at the Quilava.

I don't think that's your real reason. Terron thought. Novus… what are you hiding? Why are you really helping me and Zekra? What's going through your head right now?

Blackoak Town Outskirts

Zekra was gently placed onto the ground by her Drifblim. She smiled at the ghost as she turned to address it.

"Thanks for taking me here," she said. "Can you stay here though? I kinda wanted to go into the city by myself."

"That's fine," the Drifblim replied. "I can wait. But, why do you want to go inside of this town? It seems so vacant."

Zekra looked at the ground as her smile faded.

"There's… there's just something I need to take care of here," Zekra answered. "I won't be gone long, though. I'll probably be back in an hour or two."

"If you say so," the Drifblim shrugged. "I'll be waiting."

Zekra gave a nod of understanding before turning to face the town that she once called home. Many trees surrounded the outskirts of the town, making it somewhat hard to see the actual town. But, that was going to change soon.

With a deep breath, Zekra went forward, heading into her lost home.

"Zev…" she said. "I have so much I need to tell you… I hope you're here."