King stepped out of the Driftveil City gym, the cold air that drifted from the mountains washing over him as if he'd walked into a freezer. The salt smelling breezes blowing in from the ocean didn't make it any warmer. He squinted at the pale sun. It was already almost winter.

Zoroark moved beside him, arms crossed over his chest. That wasn't very difficult.

King smirked, flicking the Quake Badge up into the air and catching in his hand, then pinning it to his shirt. "Wanted more of a challenge?"

Of course. There's no enjoyment if we simply win each battle so easily.

"That's what happens when we've had so much practice," King said. "Come on: let's head into the city."

Zoroark nodded, trailing behind him. They progressed through the walkway lined with potted trees that led away from the gym, which eventually gave way to the padded dirt roads of the port town. Zoroark admired the bustling markets and ships loaded with crates of cargo. King found himself engrossed in his thoughts, hands in pockets.

Another gym beaten. That totaled the number of his gym badges to four. His father was a gym leader, and one of these days, King would have to go and challenge him. He would show his father what it meant to be a trainer, and then go on to face the Champion and obtain that title for himself: what every trainer strived for, to solidify their place in history as one of the greatest. He wondered what his father would think about his newfound aptitude toward Pokemon.

No. It didn't matter in the slightest. King would win the gym badge from him, and then never see him again. That was perfectly fine: not like his father had ever done anything for him anyway.

King.

He blinked, turning to zoroark. The Pokemon was searching the area with squinted eyes, looking this way and that. "What is it?"

People are giving us odd looks. Do they always glance at you like that?

It was King's turn to look around. Most of those that passed them, heading toward or away from the harbor, shot them contemptuous glances. One guy outright glared. Typically, King wouldn't care much, but as he watched, he realized something. By the docked ships, people were doing all the work of loading and unloading. All the manual labor. No Pokemon were helping. No one had any Pokemon walking with them.

"What the hell?" King said. "Where are all the Pokemon?"

Hm. I don't know. Does it have something to do with why we're receiving these looks?

Frowning, and suspecting that he knew why, King ran to someone nearby, getting the man's attention with a tap on the shoulder. He looked about King's age, but King had seen sticks that were better looking.

Zoroark tagged along. The man stopped and turned, a frown forming as he looked zoroark up and down. By the time his attention turned to King, he was scowling.

"What do you want?"

"You look like a knowledgeable fellow. Can you tell me why there aren't any Pokemon over there performing manual labor?" He pointed to the boats bobbing on the lapping surface of the water. "Or why there aren't any around in general, besides zoroark here."

Not answering, the man turned to leave. Zoroark stopped him. He wasn't the tallest, but almost any Pokemon could stand toe to toe with a human when they wanted to.

"Just want to talk," King said.

"Let me pass." The man, again, tried to leave. Zoroark barred his way with an arm.

"Answer the question. I don't know what you're thinking, but we're not going to hurt you."

The man whirled on him; lips pulled back from his teeth like a feral Pokemon. "Alright, what, have you been living under a rock? People are abandoning their Pokemon all over Unova, not only in this damn city. Oh, the government is doing everything they can to try and stop it, but Team Plasma grows larger every day. I'm a member myself, and I would make sure that zoroark of yours never gets seen again, but I'm in a hurry. So move."

King's expression dropped. N. People were listening to what N was saying, as King thought. Right when he'd discovered what it meant to be a trainer. Saying that humans oppressed Pokemon was nonsense. King had always thought that, and his opinion hadn't changed. Before, it was because he thought of Pokemon as nothing more than tools, but… now it was because he saw that they enjoyed being with their trainers. Of course, N would be able to gain a following. Most people were stupid enough to pledge to a cause that didn't make any sense.

The man's glare transitioned between him and zoroark. King sighed, nodding to his Pokemon. As soon as he lowered his arm, the man dashed away, not once looking back over his shoulder.

Zoroark watched him go. It can't be true.

"I'm not so sure, zoroark." King shook his head. "I haven't paid any attention at all recently to the news, but come to think of it; Clay was acting pretty strange. Like there was something big on his mind."

A deep growl rumbled in zoroark's throat. This is not good for Pokemon. If only they could all talk, like me, then they could tell those releasing them how they truly feel. It's so… sad. They probably assume humans are abandoning them.

King put a hand on his Pokemon's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry so much. We'll come around, eventually."

We do not have to fear, do we? Your Pokemon, I mean.

"Of course not, zoroark." He laughed. "You're starting to sound like the old you."

Zoroark smiled, but it was a weak one. Ushering for him to follow, King started toward the Driftveil Drawbridge.

Zoroark was worried; King understood that. He was a little bit himself if only because people abandoning Pokemon could mean a recession in the economy. Or a boom in it. Less Pokemon working meant more jobs available to humans, but that also suggested companies would have to pay workers what they previously got for free by hiring Pokemon. Usually, they only had to pay them food.

He blinked, turning to zoroark. They stopped as they reached the foot of the drawbridge: a long, red arch over the water, crisscrossed with steel beams and supports. "You hungry, zoroark?"

I wouldn't mind a little something.

King nodded. He pulled rufflet and palpitoad's Pokeballs from his waist and released them. Rufflet cawed, happy to have some fresh air, and landed on his favorite place - King's shoulder. Palpitoad sat on zoroark's foot, for whatever reason.

"Let's cross the bridge. We can grab something on the other side."

Zoroark looked across. What city?

"Nimbasa," King answered. "You can see the lights from here if you look hard enough. Anyway, that's where we'll be getting our fifth badge. I wouldn't mind getting another Pokemon before we fought her, too. Tympole was the most recent, and that was back in the… swamps."

Zoroark smiled, genuinely this time. I've forgiven you for a long time, King. You have changed since then.

"Suppose I have, zoroark. Suppose I have." He scratched rufflet's fur. The four of them had only a small wait before they headed onto the bridge, laughing and chatting. The fact that people were abandoning Pokemon was far from King's mind, though he couldn't say the same for zoroark.