Jovi gripped her brother tightly as twilight faded to dusk, the last streaks of light disappearing from the sky. As they entered the forest, and the light from the stars and moon was blotted out by the trees, Michael switched on the light on the front of his scooter. The arching tree branches above created eerie shadows.
Michael and Jovi made it back to the Lab in record time. He felt Jovi relax against him when she saw the familiar lights of the HQ Lab ahead. Michael relaxed as well, until he saw his mother and Aidan standing on the steps, one furious, the other worried.
"What were you doing?" Lily demanded the instant her son had parked his scooter in the front parking lot for guests.
"I got the machine part," Michael appeased, opening the scooter's compartment after Jovi had hopped off of the seat and holding up the package that contained the machine part for his mother to see.
"That doesn't matter," Lily snapped. "I've been worried sick about the two of you! Michael, you should know better than to loiter in Gateon Port! What were you thinking?! You could have been attacked, the machine part could have been stolen, or, worse, you two could have been kidnapped by the same men that took Professor Krane!"
"Jovi and big brother have a good reason for staying in Gateon Port," Jovi hesitantly piped up.
"And what, pray tell, could be so important that you'd decide to risk yourselves and the completion of the Purify Chamber?"
"Shadow Pokémon," Michael answered, showing off the two new Pokéballs on his belt.
"There were Shadow Pokémon in Gateon Port?" Aidan gasped.
"Yeah, a Poochyena and a Ledyba. There was a Zangoose, too, but the thug who owned it fled after being confronted by an extremely strong trainer," Michael reminisced, his expression souring as he thought of Zook's attack.
A scientist emerged from the glass dome of the main lab and shouted something about the machine part to Lily, who scowled.
"I'll have to get the details of your trip later," she sighed heavily, glancing back and forth between the lab and her children. "Don't think you're off the hook for this," she warned. "However, the machine part takes priority. Can I have it?" Michael deposited the part in her arms. "I'll take this to the Purify Chamber now…"
"Oh! Jovi will take it!" Jovi volunteered, quickly bouncing back from the mild dressing-down she had received.
"It's heavy, Jovi." Lily warned.
"But Jovi carried it while big brother was looking for Shadow Pokémon!" the blue-haired girl pouted.
Lily sighed again. "I don't have time for this," she said as she handed the machine part to Jovi. "Don't drop it." Jovi gave an excited squeal and dashed into the main lab, Lily right on her heels.
Michael turned to follow them, but Aidan stopped him with a hand on the shoulder. "Oh, Michael. Could you wait just one second? I found some more memos I wrote up with the Director. I think you should have them," the lab aide said as he handed Michael more packets of paper. "They'll give you basic information about Shadow Pokémon. I'd like you to read over them at least once."
"Thanks, Aidan. These will help a lot," Michael said, flipping through the memos. He was pleased to see a memo dedicated to returning Shadow Pokémon to normal.
"Good; I've got to go now. Now that the machine part's here, I will have to help calibrate the Sets and run diagnostics, among other things," Aidan puffed while jogging backwards toward the main lab.
Michael headed back to his room, excited about the memos he clutched in his hand. He was amazed to see that the bustling scientists hadn't lost any of their energy, but he supposed the overused coffee machine in the lounge had something to do with the lack of fatigue.
After dodging all the busy scientists and arriving safely at his room, Michael lay down on his bed and began to thoroughly read the memos. The first was dated even more recently than the one about the Aura Reader he'd read earlier.
"Krane Memo 3: Re: The Snag Machine – The Aura Reader's development made it possible to create a workable new Snag Machine using partial schematics obtained by the Snagger Wes, the man who brought down those who created Shadow Pokémon. We also realized that we could integrate the Aura Reader with the original Snag Machine. The Aura Reader can be made to prevent the Snag Machine from working if a regular, non-Shadow Pokémon is targeted. The likelihood of the Snag Machine being abused should therefore be diminished. However, one must always be vigilant. If the Snag Machine is out of the Aura Reader's range, it can snag any Pokémon. It must be treated with caution!"
Well, that's new, Michael thought as he flipped through the rest of the memo, which was filled with complex equations and schematics of the Snag Machine. I wonder if the Snag Machine Wes used had the same restrictions? Then Michael grinned, as the next memo was all about purification.
"Krane Memo 4: Re: Purification – Once captured, Shadow Pokémon must have their hearts reopened in a process called purification so that they may return to their normal state. We created a simple method to identify the stages of purification using the Shadow Meter, also called the Heart Gauge, which is split into five segments. Once the first and third segments are cleared, the Pokémon relearns moves it had forgotten. The Pokémon's real personality starts to reveal itself after the second bar is cleared.
"The previous best-known method of purification was to have the Shadow Pokémon spend time with a trainer and allow its heart to gradually reopen. However, because it required Shadow Pokémon to be with the trainer, this method placed a limit on the number of Pokémon that could be treated. We needed a process for efficiently purifying many Shadow Pokémon. Our studies in Agate led us to the idea of the Purify Chamber."
What would something so important to purification be doing in Agate Village? It's a retirement village! Michael wondered as he scanned the rest of the memo. There were a few useful tips about purifying, such as the fact that a Pokémon's personality would impact the rate of its purification and that each Pokémon reacted to different purification methods uniquely. However, most of the rest of the memo was written in such a messy scrawl that Michael could make neither heads nor tails of the words, which annoyed him greatly. After a while of trying to decipher the unreadable handwriting, he gave up and started reading the final memo he'd been offered.
"Krane Memo 5: Re: The Purify Chamber – The Purify Chamber is a radical new concept that differs from the usual purification method of having Shadow Pokémon be with a trainer constantly. It represents a new approach that places Shadow Pokémon among regular Pokémon so that they become purified naturally. Much time is still needed to make this concept real. We need to acquire systems, collect data, and make adjustments. We eagerly look forward to seeing the Purify Chamber concept in operation."
This memo was accompanied by detailed sketches of a very complex machine. Michael caught a few glimpses of the machine part he had picked up in Gateon Port. From what he could tell, it was at the center of the device, but he couldn't comprehend anything beyond that from the sketches.
After folding and storing the memos with the ones he had received previously, Michael realized that he hadn't seen Jovi. He peeked in her room, but found only her sleeping Plusle and Minun.
"She must have stayed to watch the Purify Chamber being built," he muttered to himself. "Man, I hope she isn't getting underfoot…" Michael jogged through the lab and followed the flow of scientists as they rushed to their destination, carrying machine parts or data readouts. He barely made it into a large, crowded lab near the foyer, one he'd never been allowed into before. He caught a glimpse of blue and threaded his way to it. Jovi stood to the side, watching in amazement as a horde of scientists clustered around something in the center of the lab.
"Jovi, you probably shouldn't be here. It's crowded enough as it is," Michael said gently, tugging on Jovi's arm.
"The machine part was put in the center. It must be the most important part!" Jovi replied absentmindedly, not reacting to her brother.
"It's alright, Michael. I let her stay," Lily cut in wearily, approaching from one of the computer consoles set against the walls. "Let's get out of this lab; I need to talk with you." She dragged her confused son out of the lab.
"Alright, Michael, how is Teddiursa doing? Purification progresses if a Shadow Pokémon spends time together with its Trainer, and you must have spent a lot of time with it in Gateon. Do you know what the Heart Gauge is?" Upon receiving an affirmative, she continued, "Has the Heart Gauge fallen to zero?"
"Well, I haven't checked, but I don't think so," Michael replied, fingering Teddiursa's Pokéball. "I'll check, just in case." He called out Teddiursa, which glared at Lily and stood in front of Michael protectively.
"It's alright, Teddiursa," Michael hurriedly asserted before his mother was attacked, bending down to scratch its ears. "She's no threat." Teddiursa calmed.
Lily raised an eyebrow. "That Teddiursa seems quite attached to you. I'm amazed at how quickly you were able to gain its trust."
Michael's lips twitched into a half smile as he activated the Shadow Meter function on the Aura Reader. "I guess you're right… The first two bars have been cleared. In other words, no, Teddiursa's Heart Gauge has not reached zero."
Lily's face fell. "Oh. But by the time the Purify Chamber is completed, the Heart Gauge should be down to zero. If the Heart Gauge has fallen to zero, Teddiursa is ready to open its heart. But that alone isn't enough. To complete the process, the Pokémon needs to go through a purification ritual."
"Huh?" Michael was confused. "Purification ritual?" I wonder if this was in the unreadable part of the fourth memo…
"It's basically a ritual for a Shadow Pokémon to undo the final lock on its heart and return it to its natural state. If the Purify Chamber were ready, it could go through with the ceremony there, but… It looks like we'll need a little more time to get it finished. Because of that, I think your Shadow Pokémon should go through the purification ceremony using a different process." Lily chewed her lip, contemplating something.
"You know of Agate Village, right? In the village is the Relic Stone which has the power to restore Shadow Pokémon to their natural state," she said.
So that's what Krane was referencing in his fourth memo! Michael thought. "Can I go there to finish purifying Teddiursa? Being somewhere more peaceful and less stressful might help lower the Heart Gauge."
Lily sighed, as if she'd known this was coming. "It worries me to send you to such a far-off place by yourself, dear… But I also think it's something that only you can do." She glanced at Teddiursa, who was watching her closely while sitting comfortably in her son's arms. "You can go."
"Great!" Michael grinned. "Can you show me where it is on the map? I've never been there."
Lily pulled out a handheld computer from her lab coat and pulled up a map of Orre. "Agate is southeast from here, but it's not very close. Go see a man named Eagun there. The Relic Stone, which is used for the purification ceremony, is under his care. I will get in touch with him so that he knows you're coming."
"Okay. Eagun and the Relic Stone, right?" Michael confirmed.
"Yes. I will do my best to get the Purify Chamber finished while you're gone. Please be careful, Michael," Lily pleaded.
"Mom, you worry too much. I'll be fine. I have Apollo with me." Michael fingered the Eevee's Pokéball fondly.
Lily looked unconvinced. "Alright."
Michael blinked slowly as the fatigue from the day's events suddenly caught up with him. "I'll head out in the morning. I'm exhausted."
"I'm not surprised," Lily said. "Oh, and one more thing. The people of Agate will know much about Shadow Pokémon because of the Relic Stone. I will ask you: please do not pry into what they know. I'd rather you weren't exposed to Orre's dark side more than you already have been. Please promise me."
Michael hesitated. So there were answers to his questions in Agate? But he couldn't say no to his mother to her face… "Okay. I promise," he lied, feeling guilty and resolving to keep his investigation low-key. But he was already involved with the situation way too deeply, and despite his mother's wishes, he had a feeling he would need to know exactly what happened during the Shadow Incident five years ago.
A scientist called out to Lily from the lab, and she scowled, unsatisfied by the conversation. "I've got to get back to work. There's still so much that has to be done…"
"Okay. I'll see you later." Michael walked sedately back to his room, Teddiursa still in his arms and growling at anyone who came within a five foot radius. Once he had gotten back, he set Teddiursa on his bed, let out Apollo, and changed into pajamas after carefully removing the Snag Machine from his left arm and the Aura Reader from his ear as Aidan had showed him and gently setting them on his desk. After getting ready for bed, including a quick shower, Michael gingerly fingered Poochyena's and Ledyba's Pokéballs.
"Before sleeping, I'm going to see if I can't befriend these guys. It just doesn't feel right to leave them in the dark for so long… Plus I need to tend to their wounds, since they were injured during the battles. Apollo, act like you did with Teddiursa. Teddiursa… just be nice, okay?" Michael said as he mentally scanned all the taming techniques he knew that would be effective.
"Vee!"
"Urs!"
"Alright, here goes nothing! Come on out, Poochyena and Ledyba!"
The two Pokémon burst from their Pokéballs in a flash of light, confused and disoriented. The instant they were able to focus on their surroundings, they backed up, growling a warning to stay away, spooked by their new handler. Michael felt a sense of déjà-vu as Apollo confidently trotted up to them and began happily barking. Teddiursa hung back near Michael, unsure of itself and feeling insecure.
The Poochyena finally barked something in agreement with Apollo and approached Michael warily, growling every once in a while. Teddiursa responded with snarls of its own, but Michael just waved off its concerns. He waited patiently as the Poochyena sniffed him cautiously, gripped his pant legs, and tugged. Michael sat on the ground, holding Teddiursa firmly in his arms when the Pokémon started snarling viciously.
"It's fine. There's nothing to fear. See?" Michael held out his hand to Poochyena to prove a point to Teddiursa, which backfired when the Bite Pokémon began snarling as well. Michael flinched when Poochyena sunk its teeth into his hand and shook its head, tugging. It hurt horribly, but Michael forced himself not to move and not to make a sound, otherwise the taming technique wouldn't work. Teddiursa struggled violently against Michael's firm grip and took a swipe at Poochyena. Finally, after a few seconds, Poochyena let go of Michael's hand in confusion at the lack of negative response.
"See? Nothing to fear," Michael smiled, ignoring the throbbing of his hand from the new bite marks and the old scratches. Poochyena stood still for a moment before licking the blood from the exposed skin and bandages on Michael's hand. After finishing cleaning the blood, the Poochyena curled up at Michael's side, ignoring Teddiursa's threats. Michael stroked the newly docile Poochyena's flank before looking up to locate the Ledyba. He saw Apollo, who was staring at him in amazement, but where had the Ledyba gone?
Something landed on Michael's head, eliciting a yelp. Poochyena was alert in an instant, and the target of Teddiursa's ire switched. Michael reached up with his right hand, and his fingers came into contact with Ledyba's hard shell. It took a few minutes for Michael to calm his other Pokémon down once he realized that the Ledyba was just showing its acceptance of Michael because of the display with Poochyena. It seemed that this particular taming technique that he'd learned from his tutors was more effective than he'd thought. He had to be careful of which Pokémon to use it on, however. Thankfully, it had worked on Poochyena.
After tending to his Pokémon's wounds, Michael clambered into his bed, exhausted, and smiled just before falling asleep when he felt three warm, fuzzy shapes and one hard shell curl up beside him.
Something poked him. It wasn't particularly sharp, but it was annoying enough to rouse him from sleep. Annoyed, he grabbed ahold of it, gave it a good jerk, and threw it in the opposite direction of his bed. Someone gave a startled squeak, and he heard the sound of a door closing.
Perfect, he decided, and snuggled back down into the sheets.
His prolonged sleep was not to be, since the door banged open and his mother snapped, "Michael, get up!"
"Urgh," he groaned as the sheets were thrown off of him, exposing him to the cool morning air. He opened his eyes, the light spilling from his open doorway causing him to squint until his eyesight adjusted. He blearily saw his mother and Jovi watching him, the latter holding a pointer that had been used to poke him. He wondered why they were looking at him so expectantly.
The prior day's events crashed into him like a tsunami, and he bolted upright, swearing, "Crap! What time is it?" Apollo, who had been clinging to his pajama top, tumbled into his lap with a squeak. His three Shadow Pokémon shifted into defensive positions around him, his sudden movement not affecting them, since they'd been curled at his side.
"Language," Lily reprimanded sharply. "And it's almost nine in the morning."
"I wanted to be up an hour ago," Michael complained while rooting around in his dresser for clean clothes to wear, since the previous day's clothes were in such a state that Lily wouldn't let him out of his room wearing again, let alone visiting Agate. He finally settled on an outfit similar to the previous day's, which he donned after taking a quick shower: blue sweatpants with a red stripe running down the sides, a black long-sleeved shirt with red stripes running down the sleeves, and a yellow vest. After carefully attaching the Aura Reader to his ear, reequipping the Snag Machine (which was a lot trickier to do when he had to put it on alone), and clipping his bag and Pokéballs around his waist, he dashed out of his room, followed by his four Pokémon and his mother, who was shouting something about breakfast.
He was halfway around the building when he spotted his scooter in his peripheral vision still parked in the visitor's parking lot, where it had been left the previous night. Michael bounded over the fence and down the terraces. He recalled all his Pokémon in his haste and revved the engine in the scooter just before his mother caught up to him.
"And where do you think you're going, young man? There's no way you'll function properly if you don't have a proper breakfast!"
"I'll get something at Agate! I'll be fine, mom!" Michael replied, both touched and annoyed by her fussing.
Lily's eyes softened. "Be careful, Michael."
Michael just shot her a reassuring grin and sped off, only raising his hand to wave when he heard Jovi call, "Bye, big brother! Good luck!"
It took a couple hours of riding on his scooter steadily uphill, during which he almost got lost several times, before Michael drove across a wooden bridge and up a steep incline into Agate Village. After parking his scooter near the entrance in the space marked for guests, he slowly looked around, drinking in the sight of the village.
The village of Agate was high up in the mountainous region of Orre, surrounded by a blanket of clouds that obscured the lowlands. The occasional spire of rock and mountain top poked above the clouds, creating a picturesque landscape. The high altitude ensured that the air was thin, but it was very clean and fresh, unlike the air down at the HQ Lab, which was tainted with the smell of chemicals and exhaust. The village itself was built upon a series of terraces connected by ramps and bridges. It was very lush; water flowed everywhere in streams and waterfalls, and almost every surface was covered in green, from the grass on the ground to the slippery mosses on the rocks. Someone was playing a harmonica, which added to the homely feel of the stone buildings. Craning his neck upward, Michael could see the trunk of a large, old tree, whose roots jutted out from some of the terraces.
Michael snapped out of his sightseeing daze when an elderly couple approached him and greeted him enthusiastically.
They must not get many visitors, Michael thought sadly. Before they could wander off, he asked, "Do either of you know where a man named Eagun lives?"
"Oh, you've come calling on Eagun?" the old man said. "You know the hollow tree at the top of the village?" Upon receiving an affirmative, he continued, "That's Eagun's house. But… he went out earlier and hasn't returned. He went running off, shouting something about someone coming or not coming. I can't quite remember, though," he finished thoughtfully.
After thanking the man, Michael navigated through the village, which took longer than it should have because he had to find bridges to cross gullies and ramps to move from one tier of the village to the next. Eventually, though, he found himself at the front door of Eagun's house.
Upon knocking, an old lady with her hair tied in a bun answered the door. "Hello! What a darling trainer you are!" she greeted. "I'm Beluh. Did you want something of me?"
"I've come to see Eagun."
"Ah, so you've come calling to see my husband. Do you want to battle with him?"
"Er, no," Michael said, confused by her response. "My name's Michael. I was sent by the HQ Lab to see Eagun."
Beluh's face lit with excitement. "Ah, so you are Michael! We've been expecting you! Come in, come in!" She beckoned him inside, and Michael looked around curiously. The inside of the house was insulated, and the few visible parts of the bark of the tree that made up the house's walls were mainly around the windows. Beluh, who had disappeared further into the house, emerged with a tray of tea and some pastries. Michael's stomach took that as its cue to rumble, and he was reminded of the breakfast he'd skipped back at the HQ Lab.
"Come, sit down," Beluh implored, gesturing to the couch. "Would you like something to eat?"
"Don't mind if I do," Michael grinned, grabbing a few pastries and stuffing them in his mouth. Mid-chew, he froze as he realized something crucial. He swallowed, then blurted, "Are these Pokémon-safe?" Beluh just smiled knowingly and disappeared again, this time returning with a bowl of Pokémon food.
After settling himself and his Pokémon, Michael asked, "How did you know I was coming?"
Beluh replied, "We got word about you from Lily, you see. We understand that you want to purify Shadow Pokémon. The instant my husband heard from Lily, why, you should have seen his excitement and enthusiasm. Shouting, 'This calls for my services!' or some such, he went off running to who knows where. He hasn't come back since."
Michael was about to ask what she knew of Shadow Pokémon when the door crashed open, admitting a panting, yet lively old man sporting a long while beard and purple robes into the house. After regaining his breath, he said, "Beluh, dear! I've got everything ready! We're ready for our visitor from the HQ Lab whenever he arrives… Oh?!"
Beluh's lips twitched into an amused grin while she gestured to Michael. "Oh, hello, dear. Our guest, Michael, has arrived."
The man replied excitedly, "Oh, so you're Michael! We've been waiting! I'm Eagun!" Michael firmly shook the hand that accompanied the introduction. "I've heard everything that your mother had to say. As you know, to purify a Shadow Pokémon, it must open its heart to the trainer. While there are several approaches, battles are the best, no doubt at all! The place to do that here is in the Relic Forest, which is home to the Relic Stone. I will go ahead and wait for you there!" Eagun rambled excitedly before dashing out of the house again.
Beluh chuckled in amusement. "My husband is so impatient, as you've just seen. In his day, he was hailed as the greatest Trainer. But that's a long time ago."
So that's why she thought I wanted to battle him, Michael thought. As he stood and recalled his Pokémon, he asked, "How do I get to the Relic Forest?"
"Come with me. I will lead you there."
After winding down through the village, Michael and Beluh reached the lowermost tier. He could see a dark tunnel with a man standing guard in front of it, but that was all. He and Beluh approached the man, who said as he moved aside, "Ah, you must be the Michael that Eagun was talking about. I've heard that you battle to open the hearts of Shadow Pokémon. The Relic is through this cave. Don't give up!"
"Good luck, Michael," Beluh encouraged, giving him a light push forward. Michael took a deep breath and entered.
After his eyes adjusted to the dim light, Michael studied his surroundings. The tunnel he was in had an underground river; light through cracks in the tunnel wall hit the water and created eerie rings of reflected blue light on the walls and ceiling. Large tree roots stuck through the tunnel walls and ceiling. Due to the lack of light and abundant moisture, the only greenery was mosses and liverworts.
An older teenager emerged from the shadows and challenged him to a battle, and Michael realized that he'd have to fight his way through the tunnel to get to the Relic Stone.
This is probably what Eagun was preparing, since battle is one of the best ways to purify Shadow Pokémon, according to Krane's memo, Michael realized as he called out Teddiursa and Poochyena. He would have preferred to use Apollo, but the battles were meant to purify his Shadow Pokémon, not provide experience for his one normal Pokémon. He activated the Aura Reader to keep a discerning eye on his Shadow Pokémon and resigned himself to the headache that was sure to follow. Due to the strength of his Pokémon's Shadow Moves, the teenager, Gorps, was defeated easily, and he graciously handed Michael a pair of Pokéballs as his wager.
Michael continued through the tunnel and was next challenged by an older girl named Jols. She sent out a Snubbull and a Corphish, while he chose Teddiursa and Poochyena again. Midway through the battle, Teddiursa began acting on its own, attacking with almost reckless abandon, so much so that it damaged itself some when it would crash against the walls or take a hard tumble onto the floor. A warning beep sounded in his ear from the Aura Reader, and Michael was alarmed to see that instead of a purple aura enveloping Teddiursa, the ethereal flames had turned red and orange and were embellished by the occasional burst of electricity. Panicked by the sudden change, he replaced Teddiursa with Ledyba and creamed Jols's final Pokémon, a Lotad.
After Jols recalled her exhausted Pokémon, she eyed him shrewdly and stated, "You didn't know what happened to your Teddiursa in the middle of our battle."
"No. Should I have?"
"Oh, yes. You know how your Teddiursa began behaving strangely? I remember seeing the original Snagger battle one time, and one of his Shadow Pokémon began acting oddly, too. He called its name, and it instantly went back to normal. I asked him what had happened, and he explained to me that Shadow Pokémon have very unstable minds. Sometimes, in the heat of battle, some emotions from previous experiences are unlocked for a brief instant. When the emotions vanish, the Pokémon is thrown into turmoil. This state is called Hyper Mode, and the original Snagger said that, in this state, the Pokémon will only use Shadow Moves, and it also has an increased chance of critical hits. If a Shadow Pokémon goes into Hyper Mode, calling out to that Shadow Pokémon is supposed to help, as the trainer's voice and presence provide a stabilizing anchor for the Pokémon."
Michael mulled over her words for a bit, internalizing them. He was dying to ask more of Jols, but he realized that what he'd observed during the battle was different from what Jols had described. "Wait," he frowned. "Teddiursa didn't hit any harder than normal, and it just ended up damaging itself…"
Jols shrugged. "Your Shadow Pokémon seemed a bit different than the ones Wes used, so maybe this emotional state is different than Hyper Mode?"
"…I suppose I'll call it Reverse Mode, then, if it's not Hyper Mode," Michael decided before letting Teddiursa out of its ball. Michael studied Teddiursa's aura using the Aura Reader and committed it to memory, before barking, "Teddiursa!" The Little Bear Pokémon, which had been twitching restlessly, froze, then blinked up at him owlishly. Michael was relieved to see that its aura returned to normal, the red fading to purple and the lightning disappearing.
After Jols handed over her wager, which was a pair of Potions, Michael headed on. He could always find Jols and ask her more about what she knew later (as she obviously knew quite a bit about Shadow Pokémon and likely the Shadow Incident as well), but he had a different task at hand right now. Michael was challenged by a third Trainer, an old lady named Ladi, and beat her soundly without any incidents like the previous battle's. She presented him with a Super Potion.
The fourth and final trainer he faced was an old man named Cron, and he was the most difficult opponent to defeat yet. After battling his Abra, Horsea, and Shroomish, Michael was ecstatic to discover that Teddiursa was ready for purification, according to the Aura Reader and a notification from the Shadow Monitor app on his P*DA, which was apparently synched to the data the Aura Reader gathered. As its heart opened wider, it had also learned the move Metal Claw, according to the P*DA.
"It dismays me that Shadow Pokémon have appeared again," Cron said absentmindedly as he scratched behind Teddiursa's ears. "It's a sad world we live in. Here's a little something that may hasten how quickly Shadow Pokémon open their hearts to you." The old man pulled a case from one of his pockets and opened it so Michael could see the interior, which contained multiple openings in a plush lining to hold bottles of something. "It's a case to hold scents for giving cologne massages to Pokémon. I'm told a scented cologne massage helps ease open the hearts of Shadow Pokémon. Rub down your Pokémon gently when you use that cologne case," Cron explained. "You can buy colognes at our local Pokémart."
"Thank you," Michael said sincerely, grateful that another route to purification had been opened up to him. He wanted to grill Cron about what he knew, but like with Jols, he let the opportunity go in favor of continuing on.
Glancing forward, he could see natural light filtering into the tunnel through an exit some ways ahead. Curious to see the mysterious Relic Stone that would supposedly purify his Pokémon, he exited the tunnel.
Michael blinked as his eyes adjusted to the increased light and slowly walked forward on an oddly constructed stone pathway. The path itself was smooth, but the stone that made the path jutted irregularly into the forest. At the end of the path, Michael could see a circular stone platform constructed in much the same way as the path. In the center of the platform, a cylindrical structure built of incongruent blocks of stone stood, which he guessed was the Relic Stone. In the background, a natural forest of deciduous trees blocked sunlight from streaming into the clearing, making a patchwork of shadows on the ground. Very little underbrush was present, consisting only of ferns, clover patches, and soft grass. The scenery was very soothing and helped abate the pounding headache he'd acquired from looking through the Aura Reader at his Shadow Pokémon for so long.
"Michael, welcome!" Eagun called, catching Michael's attention. The old man was watching him closely from beside the Relic Stone. "Your Shadow Pokémon should be ready to open its heart after the battles you've waged getting here," Eagun continued as he approached Michael, drawing a Pokéball from his sleeve.
"Teddiursa is, but my other Shadow Pokémon aren't," Michael confirmed.
"Very well, then. Now I shall be your opponent. And here's my partner. The one Pokémon that I caught as my first… and that has stayed with me ever since. Go, Pikachu! Off we go to our first battle in five years! Let's keep things tight!" The Mouse Pokémon eyed Michael carefully, then settled back on its haunches, calmly awaiting its opponent's appearance.
"Go, Apollo and Ledyba!" Michael said, giving Poochyena and Teddiursa a break from the previous battles. The two Pokémon appeared in a burst of light, both ready to fight and well-rested. He winced as his headache from the Aura Reader flared back up from Ledyba's aura.
Michael stalled for a moment, but Eagun and Pikachu seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move. "Ledyba, let's start things off with a Shadow Blitz! Apollo, follow up with a Tackle!"
"Pikachu, you know what to do!" said Eagun.
Ledyba charged forward, shadowy aura flaring. Just as it seemed the attack would hit, Pikachu neatly dodged to the side, then flipped over Apollo's follow-up move. Before Michael could call new instructions to his Pokémon, Pikachu landed a critical-hit Thunderbolt on Ledyba, which, being a super-effective move, fainted it instantly.
Wow, it's fast! Michael thought. Better up my game.
"Good try, Ledyba," Michael said as he recalled the Pokémon before sending out Poochyena. "Let's do something about that speed! Poochyena, Shadow Hold! Apollo, follow up with another Tackle!"
"Volt Tackle!" Eagun commanded. Despite not specifying which Pokémon to go for, Pikachu was so in synch with its trainer and experienced in his tactics that it knew to go for Apollo. The Shadow Hold was too slow to ensnare Pikachu, who had gained a burst of speed from the Volt Tackle, and the sparking Pokémon rammed head-on into Apollo's Tackle. Apollo cried out and bounced back before crashing on the ground, and Pikachu staggered, shaking off the effects of the Tackle.
"Shadow Blitz, now!" Michael said, taking advantage of the opening while allowing Apollo to recuperate. The Eevee had definitely taken more damage than the Pikachu.
"Dodge it!" Eagun said. Michael had underestimated Pikachu's recovery time, and it jumped to the side again, the invisible shadowy flames of Poochyena's attack just barely licking its flank. "Now Quick Attack!" Before Poochyena could even turn around to face its attacker head-on, the Quick Attack hit, sending it skidding across the pathway. Michael could see the Poochyena struggling to stand, worn out as it was from its previous battles.
"It's okay, Poochyena," Michael decided, "You deserve a rest. Go, Teddiursa!"
"Ursa!" said Teddiursa, slashing its claws toward Pikachu intimidatingly.
"Okay, you two, let's go all-out! Teddiursa, Shadow Mist! Apollo, Bite!" Shadowy mist covered the path, slowing Pikachu just enough that Apollo could jump in and land a solid Bite. Pikachu cried out in pain but was not downed. Apollo jumped back to a defensive position, ready for the next attack.
"We haven't had a battle like this in a long time! Let's show these youngsters just what we're capable of! Thunder Wave, then Iron Tail Teddiursa!" Eagun said. Pikachu floundered in the fog for a second before shooting a wave of electricity at Teddiursa, who was too slow to dodge. Teddiursa shivered as the paralysis took effect, slowing its movements.
"Fall!" Michael said desperately, watching the Pikachu's shimmering tail race toward Teddiursa. Teddiursa did as commanded, limply flopping onto the ground, about the most it could manage to do while paralyzed. Pikachu, slowed marginally by the fog, wasn't able to change course in time, and the Iron Tail missed, swinging inches over Teddiursa's head. Teddiursa tried to follow up with a Shadow Blitz, but the paralysis took hold, rendering it immobile. Teddiursa growled, then screamed as it entered Reverse Mode in frustration, shadowy aura flaring red.
"It's okay, Teddiursa!" Michael called, headache spiking as Teddiursa's aura changed again on the Aura Reader. He closed one eye to stave off the headache and hoped that the decreased depth perception wouldn't affect his battling as much as the headache had. He was reacting too slowly to developments in the battle right now. At least Teddiursa had left Reverse Mode, no longer quite as upset that it had just been sidelined by the paralysis.
"Now, Apollo, Sand Attack and Tackle!" Michael said, returning his attention to the Eevee, who wasn't looking quite so shaky on his feet thanks to the slight respite. The battle was now one-on-one with both contestants ailing. It wouldn't last much longer.
The Eevee charged at Pikachu, flinging grit in its eyes in the beginning of one of his favorite combos. Pikachu dodged the first Sand Attack but not the second.
"Pika pika!" it said, rubbing its eyes.
"It's okay, Pikachu! Just follow my lead!" Eagun said. "Dodge right!" Pikachu nimbly dodged Apollo's first Tackle, trusting its trainer to keep it safe. "Strafe back… now jump and Volt Tackle straight ahead!"
"Dodge back and left, Apollo!" Michael countered. Pikachu, still unable to see clearly, missed. Michael breathed a sigh of relief. If that had hit, it would be match over for him. Then he saw where both combatants had landed, and that Teddiursa's paralysis was wearing off, and smiled as a plan came to him.
"Apollo, jump back and use Teddiursa as a springboard for a Tackle!" Apollo did as commanded, jumping onto the Teddiursa and then springing from its arms as a boost for the Tackle.
"Dodge left!" Eagun commanded.
"Follow Pikachu!" Michael responded, every muscle in his body tense in anticipation. Then Pikachu tripped over a protruding flagstone and staggered, still solidly in front of the charging Apollo. The Tackle collided with force, sending Pikachu skidding in front of Eagun.
"Pika pika…" it moaned before slumping.
"We did it?" Michael wondered softly, adrenaline pumping from the battle. "We did it!" He scooped up the panting Apollo, exhausted from the battle, and swung him around happily. "You did a fantastic job, Apollo! You too, Teddiursa." He bent to scratch Teddiursa on the head as a reward, and the Pokémon leaned into the touch, tired but as content as a Shadow Pokémon could be. He deactivated the Aura Reader, seeing no need for it at the moment.
"Oh! Bravo! I say, bravo!" Eagun said, slowly bending on creaky joints to check on his Pikachu. The Pokémon staggered upright, blinking blearily and leaning against Eagun. "My goodness. It was a white-hot experience, our battle. And to defeat my Pikachu… That takes real skill!"
"Pika pika, pikachu!" Pikachu agreed. Apollo basked in the praise and jumped to the ground, eyes shining.
Michael suddenly felt a heat from his pack. Worried that something would catch on fire, he opened his pack and saw that the Sun Shard was glowing white. And then, Apollo was glowing a bright white as well, his form melting and reforming into something larger, more elegant, more powerful.
"He's evolving!" Michael gasped, excited. His attention was riveted on the white blob that was his closest partner. Michael was all but vibrating. He'd dreamt of someday evolving Apollo, but he never imagined that the day would come so soon, or so triumphantly.
And then the light faded, and Apollo the Eevee was no more. In Apollo's place was a lanky Espeon, newly forked tail swishing from side to side contently. Espeon was bigger but leaner than Eevee, the fluffy brown fur replaced with short pinkish-purple fur that was sensitive enough to predict an opponent's moves from air currents. The ears were bigger and had little fluffs at the bottom, and there was a small red jewel at the center of Apollo's forehead. The new Espeon stretched, testing its range of motion.
"Espi!" he said, looking up at Michael with purple instead of brown eyes.
Michael scooped up Apollo, easily adjusting to the change in weight, and hugged his Pokémon tightly, laughing. "I'm so proud of you, Apollo!" he crowed, spinning in delight. "Congratulations!" He stroked the short fur, marveling at its velvety texture.
"Teddi!" Teddiursa said, congratulating Apollo.
"It warms my heart to see such a bond with Pokémon. And an evolution! That is an honor, indeed," Eagun said, smiling.
Michael couldn't keep a grin off his face. "Thank you!"
"Espeon!"
Eagun allowed a few more minutes of celebration before he said, "Shall we turn our attention to the reason you came here, hmm?"
"Oh! Right. Okay, Apollo," Michael said, attempting to put the Espeon down, but Apollo was having none of it. Instead, he climbed up Michael's shirt and happily draped over his shoulders, purring. Michael smiled that the extra, comforting weight and scratched Apollo's chin.
"Okay. Ready to be purified, Teddiursa?" Michael asked.
"Ursa!" Teddiursa looked happy to be the center of attention again.
"Now you should use the power of the Relic Stone to finally open Teddiursa's heart completely. Your Pokémon should go to the Relic Stone and touch it. It will take care of the rest," Eagun said.
Michael and Teddiursa shared a look. "Okay." Michael set Teddiursa down. Mindful of the headache that would no doubt soon flare up, he reactivated the Aura Reader. He had a feeling that this was something he would want to see.
Teddiursa approached the Relic Stone. A sparkly green glow Michael could only see through the Aura Reader surrounded the artifact, growing brighter as Teddiursa neared. But once Teddiursa was close enough to touch the Relic Stone, it stopped and turned around, giving Michael a questioning, "Urs?"
Michael nodded. "Go ahead, Teddiursa," he said reassuringly.
"Ursa," Teddiursa responded. Then the Pokémon reached out and touched the Relic Stone.
The reaction was immediate. The glow from the Relic Stone brightened almost unbearably. A green spherical matrix of energy surrounded Teddiursa through the Aura Reader before closing around Teddiursa's core like a net. The aura's purplish-black flames sputtered once, twice, then dispersed in tiny droplets, completely extinguished. Michael wondered what it felt like to be at the center of a purification, as he could feel his skin tingling from a distance, when his P*DA beeped, and he brought it out. In a quick glance, he saw "Information retrieved!" flashing on the screen. Teddiursa's Shadow Moves blurred into Return and Refresh, and the small question mark where gender would be turned into a red sign for female. Then the glow faded entirely, and all was still by the Relic Stone.
Teddiursa turned around. There was a lively sparkle in her eyes that had been lacking previously. She flung herself at Michael, crying happily and hugging his legs. Michael lifted Teddiursa and hugged her, knowing for the first time since meeting Teddiursa that he wouldn't get clawed if he stepped out of line. He was treated to Teddiursa's first smile. Michael beamed excitedly and laughed, feeling lighter than he had been since Krane's kidnapping. Apollo's evolution had been equally momentous.
There was some more beeping from Michael's P*DA. Holding Teddiursa in one arm, he held the P*DA with the other. "Nickname Pokémon?" was blinking on the screen, along with a keypad for inputting a name. Michael wondered why he would get the honor, but then he noticed that the OT information for Teddiursa had changed to his name and ID number, for some reason. He was officially Teddiursa's trainer. He could speculate about why later.
"What do you say, Teddiursa? Would you like a nickname?" he asked.
"Urs ur a!" Teddiursa responded.
"Ursula?"
"Urs!" Teddiursa said happily.
"Okay, then. Your name is now Ursula!" Michael said after confirming the nickname in his P*DA.
"Well done! That Pokémon has finally returned to its former self," Eagun said. "Are any of your other Pokémon ready for purification?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Then for the time being, we should return to my house. Follow me."
The return through the cave was quiet. All the trainers along the path to the Relic Stone had left, leaving only footprints and battle scuffs behind. When Eagun and Michael emerged from the cave, there was a small crowd waiting expectantly. Eagun merely nodded, and the crowd burst into cheers. They'd been waiting for news that Michael had purified his Shadow Pokémon. Michael felt a little embarrassed by the attention, Apollo took it in stride, and Teddiursa cheered with the crowd. She was apparently a very happy and friendly Pokémon, normally. Why would anyone want to corrupt that?
They wrested free of the crowd and made it back to Eagun's house without further incident. Beluh welcomed them back and ushered them into the living room. "So, how did it go?" she asked. Michael held up the beaming Ursula in response. Beluh looked thrilled.
"This is a cause for celebration! You've successfully purified your first Shadow Pokémon without incident," Eagun said.
"Yes, congratulations!" Beluh said. Michael basked in the praise.
Then Eagun, ever the pessimist, had to bring him back down to earth. "Still, one can't be too happy, not with the knowledge of Professor Krane's abduction. You see, he was a frequent visitor to Agate up to several years ago. He was conducting extensive research into the Relic Stone. He said that it was for completing an entirely new purifying system that his friend thought up. I wonder where the kidnappers have made off to with Professor Krane. It must be worrisome for you, too."
"Very," Michael confirmed, mood dampened by the reminder.
"In the meantime, why don't you stay in Agate Village? I've heard you have more Shadow Pokémon to purify, and I'm sure the residents would love to help you train," Beluh suggested. "If need be, you can stay in the guest room upstairs."
"That is so generous of you; thank you so much! Let me call my mom to see if it's okay with her," Michael replied, floored by the offer and feeling very mature. Eagun and Beluh waited patiently while Michael dialed his mother's office number on his P*DA. Unsurprisingly, she was elsewhere in the lab, so he just left a message for her. He had a feeling she would say yes, anyway. Lily had been letting him and Jovi take a lot more freedom lately. Was it because she was so busy and couldn't worry about them as much, or was it because she thought they could handle more responsibilities? Whatever the reason, Michael was definitely enjoying making his own decisions away from the Lab.
"She'll probably be okay with it," Michael said. "I don't have much stuff, though, so if I'm staying, I don't think it will be more than a night or two."
"So responsible!" Beluh said. "Your mother must be very proud. I'll be happy to wash your clothes any time you need it, dear. Do you need anything else?"
"Ah, thank you! But for the time being, I think I'll go explore the village some now." He had an investigation into Shadow Pokémon and the Shadow Incident to conduct, after all.
"Okay. Let us know if you need anything."
Michael wanted to ask them what they knew, but they were in direct contact with his mother, and he didn't want his search getting back to her when she had explicitly asked him not to pry. "I will," he said instead. "Bye!"
He exited their house, feeling ready to take on the world. He almost immediately ran into an excited straggler from the crowd he'd encountered near the Relic Stone, an older man wearing comfy clothes.
"Hey, I heard, I heard! They say that you brought a Shadow Pokémon for purification? That's quite impressive!" the man said.
"Ah, thank you," Michael said. Here would be a good place to start his information search. "Say, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the Shadow Incident that occurred five years ago, would you?"
The man immediately clammed up. "S-sorry, I don't know anything!" he began. Then he glanced around furtively and, seeing no one paying them any particular attention, he continued in a low voice, "Come with me. I'll tell you what I know. If anyone asks, I never said anything!"
Michael followed the man in a winding path through the village and finally wound up in a small, secluded alcove near the edge of the village. It was hidden by the roots of the massive tree and was far from any of the other people Michael had seen during their trek.
"Okay," the man sighed. "I'll tell you what I know, because if you're purifying Shadow Pokémon, I think you'll need all the information you can get. It isn't terribly much, and I'm breaking a number of laws to speak to you about it, but here goes.
"The Shadow Incident occurred five years ago when a criminal organization named Cipher almost took over the entire region with a new kind of Pokémon no one had ever seen before: Shadow Pokémon, which were stronger than normal Pokémon and attacked trainers. No one knew anything about them until it was almost too late because Cipher's partner organization, Team Snagem, was drawing all the attention with their rampant Pokémon theft. That's what the other regions think the Shadow Incident is, by the way, just Pokémon theft. Cipher got pretty close to total domination, too, until a member of Team Snagem went rogue and began taking down Cipher with his partner, a girl who could see the auras of Shadow Pokémon. They were our heroes, Wes and Rui. I don't know the details of their journey, but they came around here pretty often to purify the Shadow Pokémon they snagged from Cipher.
"Now, after the incident was over, Orre was in chaos. News was spotty and inconsistent, and a number of high-ranking positions were suddenly vacant. For some reason, Wes and Rui left, leaving us to pick up the pieces. One thing was certain, though: no one wanted news of the incident to get to the Pokémon Association in the other regions. The other regions have had their share of problems with Pokémon criminals, but nothing so massive, or so dangerously close to total control, or employing such awful methods. Wes's snagging was seen as a good thing, for heaven's sake! That's Pokémon thievery viewed favorably, you know! The other regions would want nothing to do with us if they found out. No one wanted the commercial trade – crucial to this region, as I'm sure you know – to be jeopardized. So the Confederation of Orre – what was left of it, at any rate – passed a series of laws to cover up the Shadow Incident, with swift and harsh punishment for anyone who broke their silence to outsiders or children, who were kept in the dark largely because of paranoid parents and the bad news reporting.
"And that's how it's been. Orre recovered. But now there's trouble again, and Shadow Pokémon have returned, and I can only hope Cipher hasn't started back up again. Last time was bad enough."
There was silence as Michael absorbed all the information and the man caught his breath.
Okay, Michael thought. So my opponent, the people who kidnapped Professor Krane, may be Cipher, or it might be this Team Snagem, or it may be another group entirely. At least I know more about the Shadow Incident, now. I can see why the adults would want it to be covered up. Near total control by an evil syndicate would scare off the other regions. Maybe I could get some more information about Shadow Pokémon and Cipher from the locals?
Finally, Michael said, "That's all you know?"
"Yeah. Anything more specific, you'd have to ask Eagun and Beluh. Rui is their granddaughter; I'm sure they'd know more."
Darn, Michael couldn't ask them because of their connection to his mother. Oh well. There was bound to be someone else who knew more. "Thank you so much for your information."
"You're more than welcome, lad. It's sad that Shadow Pokémon have appeared in the world again. Since you're involved with Shadow Pokémon, I think you deserve some information. But you didn't hear any of it from me!"
"Of course. Thank you, again."
The man nodded, then left the alcove, cautiously glancing around for anyone who'd become curious about what they'd been talking about.
"So, what do you guys think?" Michael asked Apollo and Ursula once the man was gone.
"Espi!" Apollo said.
Suddenly, Michael had a blinding headache, causing him to drop Ursula and stumble, clutching his head. "Argh!"
Just as suddenly, the headache abated into tolerable throbbing. The first thing Michael noticed was that he was on the ground. The second thing he noticed was that Apollo was barking at him frantically, trying to get him to respond. Michael held out a hand to pet the Espeon and noticed that it was shaking.
Then his stomach rebelled. Michael leaned to the side and retched, bringing up the remains of the breakfast Beluh had fed him earlier. He lay next to the puddle, clutching his stomach and moaning.
It took a few minutes, but he finally got his stomach under control. He slowly sat up, breathing heavily. "What was that?" he wondered. A delayed side-effect from the Aura Reader?
"Espeon," Apollo said, nudging him. Apollo, for some reason, looked extraordinarily guilty.
The headache suddenly returned with a vengeance, but accompanying it was a whisper: I'm trying to communicate. Sorry. I'll stop. The headache abated again.
"Huh?" Michael looked at the guilty Apollo, and the pieces clicked. "You've been trying to talk to me psychically?"
Apollo nodded.
Michael was angry. That headache had hurt; he'd thought for a moment that he was dying. Throwing up wasn't pleasant, either. "Well, don't try it again, okay?" he snapped. Apollo cowered under the force of his anger, and Michael deflated. "I'm sorry," he said miserably. "It just hurt, and I was scared. I'm sorry. Maybe you could try again later, when you have better control of your psychic powers?"
"Espi!" Apollo perked up, cheerful again.
"Sorry for dropping you, Ursula," Michael said to the Teddiursa.
"Ursa!" Ursula replied, unbothered. Michael couldn't help but smile; had Ursula still been a Shadow Pokémon, Michael wouldn't have been forgiven nearly as easily or painlessly.
"I think I'll still return you, though; I don't know if I'm up for holding you," Michael apologized as he returned Ursula to her ball and shakily stood. Apollo stayed by his feet instead of climbing on his shoulders for fear of knocking him over and followed as Michael left the alcove behind.
Despite the lingering headache and the unsteadiness on his feet, Michael explored the village's terraces for people to talk to, many of whom asked him if he was alright, until he asked them about Shadow Pokémon. He only received information he already knew about from the Krane Memos or from Jols and Cron, who he did find but didn't have anything else to share with him. People clammed up whenever he broke the law and asked about the Shadow Incident and Cipher, though one person said, "Cipher? Those assholes? They're gone, sweetie. Don't worry about them." He also got an interesting tidbit on the Relic Stone and purification from its guardian: "According to legend, that Relic Stone is said to have Celebi's power of time travel. It's said that the power makes Pokémon recall their fondest memories."
"So that's how purification works!" Michael said once he'd waved goodbye to the guardian. "I wonder if the Purify Chamber back at the HQ Lab will be able to do the same thing once it's finished?"
Finally, while exploring, he met a kind old lady named Belish who gave him TM 09, Bullet Seed after beating her in a battle, but was similarly tight-lipped about the Shadow Incident.
"Well, I think that's all we'll find here," Michael sighed once he and Apollo had finished exploring the village. "At least it's better than nothing! We know the major players of the last Shadow Incident and why everyone is keeping quiet about it…"
"Espi!" Apollo agreed.
Michael looked at the sky; the sun told him it was late afternoon. Plenty of time to train Apollo in his new form and work to purify Poochyena and Ledyba before dark. The headache had faded into something tolerable, but it was still there. He went to the local store and bought several different colognes – the Joy, Excite, and Vivid Scents – to try Cron's advice about purifying and scented massages.
Having explored the village, Michael knew where to find a nice, secluded, wide-open spot to train. He released Poochyena first.
"Okay, Poochyena, hold still, please," Michael said as he grabbed an Excite Scent. Apollo watched the proceedings carefully. First, Michael drizzled a liberal amount of the scented oil, which smelled of the ocean, from the canisters onto Poochyena's fur and coated his hands. Then he worked the oil into Poochyena's fur, taking care not to knead too hard. Finally, he rubbed his hands soothingly over Poochyena's body, working out knots of tension and stress. Being a Shadow Pokémon was hard on the body thanks to the constant stress. Poochyena slowly relaxed under Michael's fingers, growling contentedly. Michael worked as well as he could between the pounding headache left over from Apollo's attempt to communicate, but it seemed he was doing much better. Poochyena was relaxing and he hadn't been bitten or scratched yet, so he counted it a win. He activated the Aura Reader and saw that Poochyena was only two bars away from being purified. Maybe another couple of massages and some Pokémon battles would clear the last two bars.
He performed the same routine with Ledyba, taking care to only rub and not knead; the flesh under the Five Star Pokémon's shell was very sensitive, even more so than its belly. Michael took note of this for future battles using Ledyba. He didn't want to see it seriously injured. Ledyba was a calm Shadow Pokémon, compared to Ursula and Poochyena, and he had a feeling that Ledyba normally wasn't much of a fighter. He hated how Ledyba had been forced to battle when it didn't seem like it wanted to. He resolved to massage Ledyba as many times as it took for it to be ready for purification because it responded better to massages than battling. On the other hand, he took Poochyena around town, trying to find people willing to battle.
It was much easier to find battle partners than it was to find information about Cipher and the Shadow Incident. Many of the citizens of the retirement village had been trainers when they'd been younger and were all too eager to jump back into the fray. Michael primarily used Poochyena and Ursula, as he knew their current attack styles best. He rested Apollo after one battle when the Pokémon was overwhelmed by the sensations he was receiving from his newly sensitive fur. Ledyba only participated in a single battle when a lucky critical hit took out Ursula.
By the time Michael had made the rounds of the village again, it was well after dark. He healed his Pokémon at the local Pokémon Center and returned to Eagun and Beluh's house for a hearty dinner, a warm shower, and a soft bed.
The next day, Michael started by giving both Poochyena and Ledyba scented massages. Both were down to less than one bar each on the Aura Reader; they would be ready for purification soon. Then he recalled them and released Apollo.
"Okay, Apollo. It's your turn for training. I've never trained a Psychic-type before, but there's a first time for everything, right? I want you to start by lifting that rock."
Apollo gave him a look, then trotted over and picked up the rock with his mouth.
"No, no, silly! With your psychic powers."
Now Apollo was more apprehensive. He sunk into a determined stance and concentrated on the stone. He'd not had much opportunity to test his new psychic prowess, beyond a single overwhelming battle the day before and attempting to speak to Michael. His instincts told him that accessing his psychic power was a matter of focus and will. So he focused on the stone and willed it to rise. It rose, uncertain and wobbly. Apollo concentrated harder, and the stone stilled.
"Good job, Apollo!" Michael's praise broke the Espeon's concentration, and the rock fell to the ground, motionless.
Apollo gave a dissatisfied sniff. If he couldn't manage to lift a single stone with distractions, how could he possibly be able to do something similar in the middle of battle? Never mind understanding the predictive sensations he was getting from his extremely sensitive fur.
"Okay. Let's try that again." Over the next several hours, Apollo lifted one stone, then one stone with distractions, then multiple stones, then multiple stones with distractions, then moving stones independently. It was hard work; Apollo was getting a headache from concentrating so hard. But he was successfully using his psychic powers. With practice, he would become even better and be able to move things on a simple whim. For now, though, he wanted to try to speak to Michael again. Even though it had hurt Michael, that he was able to make his voice heard at all was exhilarating. He wanted to be able to talk with his trainer. Earlier, he had jumped at the opportunity without even thinking about his lack of experience.
"Okay, Apollo, short break while I give Poochyena and Ledyba another massage," Michael said. Apollo flopped to the ground, mental exhaustion giving way to physical exhaustion. Michael chuckled as he released Poochyena.
One massage for each Shadow Pokémon later, and both were ready for purification. Apollo scrambled up Michael's shoulders as they made their way to the Relic Stone. Apollo knew his trainer was confused by his new favorite perch, but Apollo liked it there. It was warm and comfortable.
Poochyena and Ledyba were purified in the same manner as Ursula. Michael named them Rose and Marie, respectively; "Pretty names for pretty girls," he'd said as their gender was identified on the P*DA. Rose was feisty and loved a challenge, while Marie was mild and, as Michael had guessed, hated battling.
It was on the third day of their stay at Agate that Apollo finally figured out how to multitask while using his psychic powers, able to walk or run while lifting several stones. On the fourth day, he mastered the offensive move Confusion, which would allow him to attack other Pokémon in battle. As he found out when he'd tried to lift Michael once, the heavier and squirmier something was, the harder it was to keep aloft. (As it was, Apollo managed only about an inch before the weight and the flailing forced him to drop Michael. The look on his trainer's face had been hilarious, but the scolding afterwards had not been.) On the fifth day, he finally felt confident enough understanding the sensations from his fur that he felt ready to battle again, though he knew he needed more experience to properly master predicting opponents' movements. On the sixth day, he finally felt confident enough in his abilities to try contacting Michael again. His earlier efforts felt like wild thrashing in the dark; now, he felt much more precise.
Michael? Can you hear me? Apollo said.
Michael flinched and brought up a hand to rub at his forehead. "Apollo?"
Yes?
"Whatever you're doing, it's giving me an awful headache." Michael rummaged around in his bag for the painkillers he'd bought over his stay here. The Aura Reader was still giving him headaches, though they weren't quite as bad as they used to be. Apollo's attempts at psychic communication were reminding him of the worst headaches from the Aura Reader at the beginning, though.
The headache abated as Apollo withdrew sadly. Still not good enough, then.
"Apollo, ow, please… don't do that again."
Apollo's head snapped up. No! I want… I want to be able to talk to you, he cried.
Michael flinched again. "Okay! Okay. Not so loud. You can talk to me. Just… keep it low-key and infrequent." He paused to think about what he'd just said. "Wow… even though it hurts, my Pokémon is talking to me. That's so cool! You're awesome, Apollo. Could do without the headaches, though."
Apollo rubbed up against Michael's legs. He cared deeply for Michael, and he knew Michael felt the same about him. They'd been partners for years, after all.
On the seventh day, Michael was becoming restless. Apollo could see it in his far-off gaze and in his twitchy legs. They needed to return to the center of the action, the HQ Lab, soon. Apollo expressed this, and with a wince of pain, Michael agreed.
"Oh. You're leaving?" Beluh said calmly when Michael informed her of their decision. "Well, I suppose an active young lad like yourself wouldn't want to be cooped up here for too long, anyway."
"Michael, may I have your P*DA number?" Eagun requested. Michael readily complied. "If I hear of anything, I will make certain to get in touch with you."
"Thanks!" Michael said. "I'll be heading off now."
"Take care!"
Michael returned to the HQ Lab and was greeted by his mother and sister, both of whom had been worried by his extended absence but were happy to see him home. He was also thoroughly congratulated on evolving Apollo into an Espeon by the entire staff. Had everyone not been so busy on the Purify Chamber, there would have been a party to celebrate.
A month and a half passed with no news from the authorities on Professor Krane's kidnapping. Michael was getting really worried. Apollo worked more on his new psychic skills and was able to lift heavier objects than before, up to twenty pounds. He delighted in helping move things for the scientists at the lab as practice. He also kept giving Michael headaches whenever he wanted to talk, but those seemed to be ebbing ever so slightly each time he communicated, like the headaches from using the Aura Reader. Marie seemed to be perfectly happy at the Pokémon HQ Lab, so she retired from battling and wound up under the collective care of the Lab as both a resident and a research subject.
And then Eagun called, saying that he wanted to see Michael. He must have forgotten to use the P*DA. Michael, glad to finally be doing something, raced off to Agate the first chance he got, after his mother gave him permission to go. He was greeted enthusiastically by Eagun at the village entrance and led back to his house to talk.
"I need to tell you about Vander," Eagun said once they were settled. "We have a friend by the name of Vander who lies on Mt. Battle, which is a place of training for Trainers. Vander claims to have seen sinister characters out in the desert, where few people dare to tread. Sounds intriguing, yes?"
"Absolutely," Michael said, excited to finally be making headway on Krane's disappearance. "Where is Mt. Battle from here?" He'd heard of it, like any other trainer in Orre, but he'd never actually been there.
"Mt. Battle is to the northeast. Be sure to visit it." Eagun showed Michael where it was on an old fashioned map, and Michael downloaded the coordinates to the entrance into his P*DA.
"Okay! I'll head over there right now," Michael said, eager to be investigating.
"I'm sure your mother has already said this, but be careful!" Beluh said.
Following the directions unerringly, Michael found his way to the base of Mt. Battle, just outside of the lobby. His parked his scooter in the lot and locked it.
Mt. Battle was a huge active volcano, its power harnessed by technology to run the hundred-streak challenge of trainers. Michael could see lava streaming down from the crater. In front of the metallic reception was a courtyard with grass and people with Pokémon wandering about. One of them was familiar: one of Mr. Verich's bodyguards, whom he'd met at Gateon Port.
"Well, well. Didn't we meet at Gateon Port?" the mysterious man said after approaching, examining Michael and Apollo draped over his shoulders. "Have you come to train? This is an excellent place for people to train. I've trained here myself. Back then, I only sought to become more powerful. I didn't need any other reason. As a result, I attained this status. But now, I've taken to questioning my motive for gaining power. I wonder what I am fighting for. I ponder if I am putting my Pokémon under cruel stress. Why do you want to become stronger?"
"…Uh?" Michael said, caught off-guard by the lengthy but poignant monologue. "Well… I'm not sure."
"That's why I urge you to look into yourself. Ask yourself why you want to become stronger before you take that path," the man said. "Goodbye, now."
"Ooo-kay, that was weird," Michael muttered as he glanced at the retreating figure.
No kidding, Apollo agreed. Michael rubbed a temple, glad he'd already taken some painkillers. He shrugged off the encounter as a result of eccentricity and continued forward, unbothered.
Inside, the lobby was neat and clean with even more people wandering about, several of whom seemed disgruntled for some reason. Michael approached the back of the reception, where double doors were guarded by a receptionist and an Abra.
"Welcome to Mt. Battle!" she said. "Would you care to take our knockout challenge for training? You battle till you're knocked out! Well, that's what I'd say normally, but unfortunately, we're not open to the public right now. The facilities are closed for training novice trainers."
Well, that explained why some of the people were upset. "I'm not actually here to train," Michael said. "I'm here to talk to a man named Vander about something. Eagun from Agate Village sent me."
"Oh! You're not here to train? You came to see Vander, one of our Area Leaders, sent from Eagun? Okay. Well, Vander is in charge of the rookie training session. He's inside right now. If you're in a hurry, you may enter through here." The receptionist stepped aside, giving Michael access to Mt. Battle.
"Thank you so much!" Michael said as he passed her. He couldn't believe he'd gained access so quickly. As he entered Mt. Battle, he heard some argument start between the receptionist and one of the trainers. They must really want to train here, Michael mused.
The inside of Mt. Battle was composed of platforms and walkways suspended by huge rotating fans and antigrav generators. As Michael started forward, he was stopped and challenged by two trainers in quick succession, each thinking he was a knockout challenger. He beat them with no problems with Apollo and Rose; both trainers were complete amateurs, easily defeated. Then, in Zone 3, Michael found who he thought he was looking for.
"That's right. In a double battle, it's important that you understand and coordinate the attributes and abilities of two Pokémon together," a man coached another rookie trainer.
"Okay, Vander. It makes sense!" the trainer replied.
Then the man, Vander, noticed Michael. "Oh? Are you a knockout battle challenger? I hate to disappoint you, but we're not running the challenge right now. We're in training, you see."
"I know," Michael said, "I'm not here to interrupt that. I'm just here to talk to you. Eagun sent me."
"Oh? Eagun sent you to see me? Oh, to hear about the desert! Understood! I'll be happy to give you my account. But before I do that, I've got a little request," Vander said. "Just on appearance, you look to be an outstanding trainer. I'm certain my eyes aren't deceiving me. So, here's my request. To finish up my novice trainer's session, I'd like you to treat him to a battle!"
"My name is Bardo! Thank you for training with me!" the novice trainer said. "Go! Spoink! Doduo!"
"Alright, Apollo, Rose, let's wrap this up quickly!" Michael called. "Apollo, Bite Spoink! Rose, Poison Fang Doduo!"
"What? How does your Espeon know a Dark-type attack?" the novice shouted, leaving his Pokémon completely open to both attacks, giving Michael the advantage. Spoink and Doduo cried out in pain when the attacks connected.
"Oops! Uh, Spoink, use Psywave! Doduo, Pursuit! On that Espeon!" Bardo ordered.
"Strafe back, Apollo! Rose, use Dig on the Spoink!" Apollo jumped back, forcing the Doduo to pursue him. Meanwhile, the Spoink launched its Psywave, but the Doduo got into the path of the attack and took the Psywave instead of Apollo, fainting it when combined with the damage from the earlier Poison Fang. Then Rose emerged from the ground and impacted with the Spoink, sending it flying to the edge of the platform. It, too, was knocked out.
Bardo gaped. He'd been taken out so quickly! "I feel like I failed my school graduation exam!" he moaned, falling to his knees.
The sound of clapping from Vander suddenly filled the space. "Yes! Just as I thought! That was a well-played battle! Why, it made me want to jump in and join the fray, too," he laughed. "Anyways, I promised we would talk. But this isn't the place for that. Let's go back to the reception. Bardo, practice coordinating your Pokémon while I'm gone, okay?"
"Sure," Bardo said miserably, still reeling from his quick defeat.
The two returned to the reception, then entered Vander's private office off the main venue, away from the still-disgruntled crowd. "Well, they're going to have to wait a bit longer," Vander grumbled as he sat.
"Now, you wanted to know what I told Eagun, is that right?" Michael nodded. "Well, in the desert south of here, there's an old Cipher research facility. It's been there since the Shadow Incident. Er, you know of it, right?" Vander said, realizing that Michael may have been too young to know of the Shadow Incident.
"I know a little about what happened," Michael said. "What do you know?"
Vander shifted uneasily. "Well, I'm really not supposed to break silence. You know of the law, right?"
Michael's expression soured. "Yes."
"That's why I'm really say anything more. But, I suppose you already know more than you should if Eagun sent you… Okay. I'll tell you about the attack that happened on Mt. Battle during the Shadow Incident.
"I was the caretaker of a relic called the Time Flute, which has the power to call Celebi to the Relic Stone. Mt. Battle was invaded by Cipher to get the Time Flute, and I was personally attacked by an Admin named Dakim. But Wes and Rui came and saved me from Cipher, and I gave them the Time Flute. I don't know if they've used it or not, but it's still in their hands today, wherever they are.
"Wow," Michael said, eyes wide. If there was one place you didn't want to attack, Mt. Battle was it, home of one hundred resident trainers plus however many challenging trainers. He almost couldn't believe that Cipher had been powerful or audacious enough to take on Orre's one powerhouse. It was like challenging each of the Elite Fours and Champions in the other regions. No wonder the Confederation of Orre downplayed the incident.
"Anyway, about that lab in the desert," Vander said, switching topics. "It seemed to be abandoned for a long time. But recently, I've seen groups of shady characters going inside. They may somehow be connected to Professor Krane's abduction. I've reported it to the authorities, but every time there's an official investigation, the lab is just as abandoned as before. I accompanied them once, and even the dust hasn't been disturbed. It's a mystery. But maybe, if you're going alone, you may find something we couldn't. Just be careful. That lab is no place to go carousing in. There's some seriously nasty stuff in there. I wouldn't tell you about it at all, but if Eagun sent you, he must think you're capable enough to explore it safely."
"Okay, I understand," Michael said.
"Alright, then. This is where the research lab was located," Vander said, pulling out a P*DA and giving the coordinates to Michael. "Also, be careful when crossing the desert," he warned. "Make sure you have plenty of fuel and water. I'm sure you know desert safety, but the last thing you want to do is to get stuck out there."
"Right," Michael nodded. He knew plenty about safety in the desert. Lily wouldn't be pleased that he was venturing out into the desolate no-man's land, though. Maybe she didn't have to know… "Thank you for the information."
"You're welcome," Vander said. "Again, though, be careful, okay?"
"I will!" Michael called behind him as he exited the office.
As he left the reception to Mt. Battle, he got an email from Aidan:
Hi, Michael, doing good? Eagun called today to inform us that Pokéballs are now available at the Agate Pokémart. You won't have to worry about running out anymore. Good luck, Michael!
Excellent, Michael thought. I'll have to stock up on those. I may be running into more Shadow Pokémon.
Instead of heading straight to the old lab, which would have been the harebrained thing to do, Michael returned to Agate to buy the supplies he needed to brave the desert. He bought out all the Pokéballs from the Pokémart – twenty-two in all – and also stocked up on water, food, and fuel for his scooter, all packed into the small compartment in the back of the scooter. He also splurged on a pair of goggles; the sand and the sun could be harsh on his eyes. Buying everything depleted his savings, but he had a feeling he'd need all the supplies he could get his hands on.
He spent the night at Beluh and Eagun's house, then headed out for the old lab in the morning. If the authorities couldn't find Professor Krane, he'd just have to do it himself.
A/N:
Yes, I did get the inspiration for that particular taming technique for Poochyena from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. I felt like something similar would work perfectly in this situation.
Whew! The Pokémon battle with Eagun was tough to write. Hope I did it justice. I wanted to make it as epic as a battle between baby Pokémon could be.
Thanks to my one reviewer and all my new favs and follows! You guys and your feedback is what keeps me going. So please review!
Cipher's lab is up next! What will Michael find in the old laboratory?
-HM