Who I Am - Lightning99

Chapter 48:

The Faller

"Hmm," Lana muttered. She re-read the message she had received a few minutes before and tapped the reply button.

I get what you mean, she typed. I've been lonely before too. Mallow was my only real friend for a long time. In school, nobody considered talking to the weird short kid that's obsessed with fishing. But then Mallow introduced me to Kiawe, Sophocles, and Hau, and I met you. I'm not as close to them, but they are good friends. And then this kid called Ash – who's from Kanto too by the way – turned up, some of his friends followed, and I'm suddenly surrounded by nice people. I never imagined I would have so many friends.

Sorry if that is a bit insensitive to your situation, but what I'm trying to say is I do understand and it's all a matter of patience. I can't really relate to losing a close friend, but it will get better. I'm sure it will. Maybe you can message some of your old friends to see how they are doing? Maybe that will help?

"Aaand… send," Lana muttered to herself, pressing the send button on her Pokégear. A nervous thrill made her shiver. Why was sending a text message so hard sometimes?

The next moment, a few knocks struck her door.

"Come in."

"Hi Lana," Dawn said, stepping inside. "You ready?"

"Yep. I was just sending a message to a pen pal of mine."

"A pen pal, huh?"

Lana picked up her bag and they exited the room. "Yep, a girl from Kanto. We met on a forum about Water Type Pokémon and hit it off from there."

"I see! That's nice. Being from such different cultures, I imagine you had loads to talk about," Dawn said. They started walking towards Konikoni City.

"Yeah. Learning about Kanto and comparing it to Alola has been eye-opening," Lana answered. "Thank you for asking me to join you, by the way."

"That's alright," Dawn said. "I thought it might be nice to spend some time together, too."

"I'd like that," Lana said. "As much as I enjoyed the Trial Captain post, I've missed just doing my own thing."

"I get that. Sometimes, I spend so much time preparing for a contest that I don't take time for myself. I can't remember the last time I used Pokémon moves for battling rather than performing."

"Did you used to battle a lot?" Lana asked.

"Well, not really. But I spent the best part of a year travelling with Ash, and when you do that, you end up battling quite a bit."

"His other journeys were a lot different to the one in Alola, huh?"

"Yeah, I'd say so. Each island in Alola is smaller so there isn't as much room to explore. But that just means the time we once spent walking along routes to different cities is spent training instead. And we don't have to camp out in the forests either."

"Did you camp out a lot? I've always wanted to try it."

"Oh, yeah. It was a big part of the journey. You haven't been camping?"

Lana shook her head.

"Wow… Well, I think I've figured out something we can do soon," Dawn said.

"Mallow said the same thing the other day. We might have to," Lana said. Dawn began listing off things they would need. Lana was left to wonder just when she had become so comfortable talking to Dawn. She was about the third most introverted of the group after Lillie and Sophocles, so it was difficult for her to open up and chat freely without masking her nerves with her wit. But talking to someone new was somehow freeing. Having more friends around was an often-underestimated joy.

They chatted all the way to Konikoni City. When they arrived, their conversation was benched in favour of scouting out the talented pair. When they had no luck, they visited Olivia per Lana's suggestion. She pointed them toward the dock, but not before enquiring about Brock's current whereabouts.

Had she seen their current place of residence beforehand, Lana wouldn't have even needed the directions: it was a houseboat moored to the dock on the right side of the pier. Its body was made of wooden panels and its windows were portholes; several tires were secured around the rim, and there was even a second story with an attached balcony. To Lana, given her fascination with the water, dazzled by it. Her father's sailing boat had nothing on this masterpiece.

"How do we, you know, knock?" Dawn asked as she glanced around either side of the boat.

"Umm…" Lana inhaled. "Excuse me? Miss Ida? Mr Kanoa?" she bellowed, causing Dawn to flinch backwards.

"Jeez…" Dawn muttered.

A few seconds after her call, both Ida and Kanoa poked their heads around separate areas of the boat. Kanoa was in one of the windows, and Ida met them at the door.

"Hello," Ida said politely. "Is there something you need?"

"Hi!" Dawn began with an abundance of gusto. "My name is Dawn, and this is Lana. We were at your performance the other day, which was amazing by the way."

"Aww, thank you," Ida said with a polite bow.

"I am actually a Pokémon Coordinator from Sinnoh. I know we have just met, but I was mesmerised with your performing style. It was completely different to anything I have seen before. So, I was wondering if you might – well, please could you teach me your style?" Dawn asked, bowing to them.

Ida drew in a sharp breath. "You… want us to teach you?"

"That's right. I hope it isn't too forward of me," Dawn said.

"I am just a little surprised is all. I have never had somebody suggest such a thing." Ida looked at Lana. "Might you be here for the same reason?"

"Not entirely. You handled Bruxish and Brionne perfectly during your performance. I am a Water-Type trainer too, so I was hoping you could give me some tips."

"I see," Ida said.

Kanoa appeared in the doorway beside Ida. "So, like some sort of apprenticeship, eh?" he said.

"Yep, that's the general idea. Even so, I know it's very sudden. You don't have to if you can't," Dawn said.

Kanoa hummed to himself. "I dunno about you, Ida, but it sounds like a good opportunity to me."

"Naturally," Ida said with a fond chuckle. "I… I'm not sure."

"Alright. Why not?" Kanoa asked with just as much fondness.

"Well… I'm not sure I would be up to it.

Kanoa laughed heartily, in a way that sounded rather offensive to Ida's doubts. Kanoa patted her on the back and Ida pouted, not at all deterred by his laughter.

"You'll be fine!" Kanoa said. "Girls, I'll have a chat with Ida later on. We'll discuss it, so come back here in a few days and we'll get started. We've got a performance on Ula'Ula Island, but then we're pretty much free."

"Wait, Kanoa–" Ida tried, but Kanoa started laughed, took Ida by the hand, and waved the pair off while leading her into their house.

"See ya soon!" he called out, and they were gone.

"He's got quite a laid back personality, hasn't he," Dawn said.

"Yeah," Lana agreed.

"I guess all we do no is wait for their answer!" Dawn said.

Ash was unsure whether to accept or question the mysterious reassurance he felt when Brock and Kiawe told him they were busy that day. Investigating the second Ultra reading alone was a reckless decision, but it was as he had told Lillie: he didn't want to endanger anyone. But was that his call to make? Was it right to face the danger alone, to deny them a chance to do it themselves?

Was it healthy?

But that was irrelevant for now. What mattered was his preparation. Ash had checked with Professor Burnet to confirm that the Ultra reading was still at the motel. It was, and they narrowed it down to the room he was currently deliberating outside of. Whatever was projecting that reading was just beyond the door.

Ash sent out Infernape, Staraptor, and Sceptile to join Pikachu's precautionary frontline. He wasn't taking any chances.

Ash stepped up to the door and grasped the handle. What sort of creature would be lurking on the other side? Would it be a dangerous beast was a fanged maw or claws more honed than a Liepard's? A bipedal creature, something like a Lucario? It may even be akin to some ghostly spectre, an intangible existence that seemed almost fantastical even in the world of Pokémon. The only Ultra Beast he had seen was nothing like any Pokémon after all, so the possibilities were as endless as Metronome's arsenal.

A surge of courage prompted Ash to throw the door open, and the five of them leapt into the room. On the other side, however, a man and a young woman were sat at a table drinking what looked like tea. Upon Ash's entrance, the man flinched, yelled a rather sharp profanity, and practically threw his cup across the room while the young woman ducked behind the table and reached for some Pokéballs. Her reactions were like that of an agent – her formal suit and tie did nothing to dissuade Ash from generating that view of her.

Ash sighed at how over-prepared for a fight he was and returned his Pokémon so as not to seem too threatening. It took Ash a moment to register the sideways-quaffed hair and brown trench coat on the man.

"Looker?!" Ash asked incredulously.

The seemingly omnipresent international police member looked up from his smashed cup and stared at Ash, wide-eyed.

"Ash Ketchum?!" Looker asked, his cup forgotten in favour of a second, closer inspection of the intruder. "The news has you reported as dead!"

"Sir, I assume you know this man?" the woman in the room asked, who had not yet relinquished the threatening hold she had of her Pokéballs.

"Ah, yes. We know each other. It is alright, Anabel," Looker said, and the woman desisted immediately.

"Anabel?" Ash asked. He stared at the woman. He recognised her face from somewhere. "Anabel! From the battle frontier!" Ash deduced because of her purple hair, which was longer now.

"I'm sorry?" Anabel asked almost defensively. "You speak as if you know me."

"Huh?" Ash asked. Anabel was older now, about his age, but it was definitely her. Did she not remember him? It had been a long time, so that wasn't impossible. "It's, uhh, Ash Ketchum–"

"Anabel, do you think you could give Ash and me some time to talk?" Looker suddenly interrupted. "There are several things that we need to discuss in private."

Anabel nodded. "Of course, sir. I shall survey the island once more to see if there are any anomalies." She grabbed her Pokéballs, gave Ash one final glance, and left.

"Looker, what's going on?" Ash asked when the man confirmed that Anabel had disappeared from view.

"I should be asking that question," Looker replied, sitting on his chair again. "You're supposed to be dead. Could you explain to me why you aren't?"

"Oh. Right. I guess I'd better start there," Ash said. He took a preparatory deep breath then recounted his story once more. It was quite a different experience this time, though. Looker's sharp intellect and lack of a close connection to him rid his reaction of emotion so that all remained was a calculating gaze that seemed to be collating all of the information into one of his cases. When Ash finished, Looker leant back in his chair, holding his hand to his chin.

"I see. That is quite a difficult situation. Oak was trying to protect you from a mysterious organisation that is hunting you, you say?"

"That's the general gist of it, yeah. I have no idea what's going on for the most part. I'm just trying to have an adventure here in Alola for now. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas, would you?"

"Hmm. Maybe, but it is much too early to speculate. It is a case worth looking into for sure – no, I am currently on a different assignment here in Alola. But as soon as that is finished, yes, I will look into it."

"That'd be a great help."

"It is my job to discover any wrongdoings, after all."

"Is that the reason you're in Alola, then?" Ash asked. The only reason he could think that Looker would be here was because of Aether Paradise. If he could share his suspicions with a member of the International Police, it would help significantly.

"Not quite," Looker said. "I am partly here because of Miss Anabel – ah, I'm sorry, but I'm not able to discuss my mission any further. No, I mustn't."

"I… I see."

"But judging by your reaction, you know her, do you not?"

"Yeah," Ash said. "She was one of the Frontier Brains when I challenged the Battle Frontier in Kanto. Am I thinking of the right person?"

"That is correct, yes. But – no, I mustn't elaborate. I'm sorry. Is she the reason you came here? Did you see her and desire a reunion?" Looker asked.

"No, it's nothing like that. I had no idea either of you were here."

"Then what prompted you barging in?"

"I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"Think nothing of it."

"Thank you," Ash said, bowing his head a moment. "I'm here on behalf of a scientist in Heahea City. They are researching some sort of energy signature they call Ultra Energy, or something like that. Their scanners picked up a second reading in this room. I expected there to be something called an Ultra Beast in here, so I let my Pokémon out just in case."

"You… are aware of the existence of Ultra Beasts?" Looker asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah. I met one the other day, which is part of the reason I'm here now. Is… Is that the reason you're here?"

Looker stood and began pacing. "In that case, it might be beneficial to enlist his aid… He knows Anabel and about Ultra Beasts… Interesting… Yes, he might be helpful in this situation."

"Umm… Looker?"

"Ash Ketchum!" Looker suddenly said, taking his seat again. "You must listen to what I have to say!"

"Didn't you say–"

"Yes, but no. No, I think it is perfectly fine to explain the situation. In fact, I must explain it to you now. But what I am about to tell you is confidential information as it regards my mission here in Alola. You must not disclose this to anybody without my authorisation. Is that understood?"

"Yes, of course," Ash said, sitting a little straighter.

"Excellent," Looker said. "It is as you said. Miss Anabel was once known as Salon Maiden Anabel of the Battle Frontier."

"She was?"

"Correct. Was. About a year and a half ago, she was reported missing by the local police in her home area. She turned up two weeks later, unconscious in the middle of a forest. When she came to after being found, it was discovered that she has amnesia. All she can remember are some flashing, multi-coloured lights."

Ash frowned. "That… kinda sounds like an Ultra Wormhole."

"You are aware of Ultra Wormholes? Very astute of you. That makes this a lot easier. But, we could not be certain based on her word alone. That is why we conducted a thorough examination of her at our specialist hospital. This examination indicated that there is an invisible, otherworldly energy signature emanating from her very being. Because of this reading, we were able to determine that she has indeed been to Ultra Space as we call it. It is likely she somehow visited a realm beyond the Ultra Wormholes."

"That must be the energy reading I was sent here to investigate. So, she's been through the Ultra Wormhole… How is that possible?"

"It is a rarity more uncommon than a Shiny Pokémon, but Ultra Wormholes can appear. The only reason we were able to deduce that this happened to Anabel was because it happened once before. A former partner of mine had also come here from Ultra Space. He was the first Faller."

"Faller? Is that the name you give to someone that has been to Ultra Space?"

"Correct. A Faller is someone with that altered energy reading. It signifies that they have been to Ultra Space, but it also acts as a lure to Ultra Beasts. Should any Ultra Beasts appear in this world, they sense the energy signature and are drawn to it. That is merely speculation, but we think it is because it is the closest link to their homeworlds that they have here. I only wish I knew this earlier…"

Ash thought it best not to pry further into that issue. "Are you sure Ultra Wormholes are that rare? I've seen two – one in Kanto, one over here – and you've just mentioned a third one. It seems like a lot are appearing lately."

"Ah, you know that the attack in Kanto resulted from an Ultra Wormhole. Very good. Yes, my mission comes in two parts. Firstly, I am tasked with protecting Anabel. We implored that she joins the International Police because of her otherworldly experience, and she accepted. This way should her memory return, we will be the first to know, and we can protect her in the meantime.

"Secondly, I am tasked with discovering why more Ultra Wormholes are appearing as of late. Alola's history and mythology speak of Ultra Wormholes in abundance. This region was home to the first sighting of one, so that is why I am here. You say you saw one?"

"Yeah, a few days ago in Aether Paradise."

"Aether Paradise, hm? Interesting," Looker said. He pulled out a notebook and jotted a few quick notes before snapping it closed. "Now, you said you were here on behalf of a scientist studying Ultra Space?"

"That's right. This is all a secret for the International Police, right? What should I tell her?"

"You must not tell her about this." Looker glanced to the side, then back at Ash. He withdrew a smaller slip of paper from his jacket this time and jotted something on it. "No, actually, you must tell her everything. Here is my contact information. Could you explain the situation and give this to the Professor for me? It would be very beneficial, for both parties, if we collate our efforts to uncover this mystery."

"Is that ok?" Ash asked, taking the slip of paper.

"This is confidential business, but yes. We at the International Police like to enlist the help of professionals and anybody that can aid us. Speaking of which, thank you for disclosing this information to me."

"That's ok. I'm… actually glad to know something more about this whole Ultra Space. It makes me feel a little less confused about everything going on around me. There has been a lot of that lately."

"I imagine so," Looker said. He stood again and reached a hand to Ash. Ash stood and shook his hand. "Thank you again, Ash. I must head off to meet a fellow officer soon, but I hope you will contact me again should you learn anything more. And I will be sure to look into your case should I have any spare time."

"I will. And thank you, Looker. I'll explain everything to Professor Burnet right away. I'll see you soon," Ash said.

With a final wave, Ash left the motel room with a lot to ponder on his way to the Dimensional Research Lab. Or he would have had Gladion not been locking the door to the room next to him when he exited. Everything that had been on his mind gave a Baton Pass to Lillie's story.

They stared at each other. It was so unlike him, but Ash felt a rush of frustration and disappointment, and he found himself somewhat scowling at Gladion. It did not matter if he was being rude because the boy's own expression was a sharp frown.

"What're you doing here?" Gladion asked.

It took a lot more willpower than Ash was willing to admit to not openly shout at Gladion on Lillie's behalf. But Lillie wanted to keep it a secret, and it wasn't the right thing to do. And that was not who Ash was. Maybe he would have when he was younger. Now though, he clenched his fists by his sides and took a deep breath.

"Sorry, that's confidential," Ash said, and he turned to walk away.

"That Lycanroc of yours…" Gladion said, causing Ash to stop. "I've never seen one like it before."

"I thought I saw someone in the forest. That was your Midnight Lycanroc then?"

"It was. I was curious about your Grand Trial. Thought I'd watch."

Ash glared at the ground. If Gladion was there, why didn't he attempt to talk to Lillie? He wanted to ask. He desperately wanted to shout that question at him, but he refrained. He refrained even though his hands were shaking.

"And what did you think?" he asked instead.

"…How much battling experience do you have?" Gladion answered.

He just couldn't give a compliment, could he?

"Six years' worth," Ash said. He started to walk away when a thought hit him. "But I'd give it all up to be there for someone I care about."

"What's the supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. See ya," Ash walked away. Gladion called something in the background, but Ash wasn't listening. He was focusing too much on calming his rising anger, to stop his trembling hands.

Thankfully, he was able to calm down by the time he reached the Dimensional Research Lab. He calmly recounted his interaction with Looker and handed over his contact details to Professor Burnet even though a seed of frustration was now buried in the corner of his heart.

"An actual Faller…" Professor Burnet muttered. "This could be revolutionary for our research. Thank you, Ash. Your assistance has been extremely helpful. If you don't mind, I'll contact you again sometime."

"I'm glad I could help," Ash said. Soon after, he said his farewells and headed back to the Pokémon Centre. He walked a lot slower than he usually would have. His mind wandered back to his interaction with Gladion, but that only served to re-invigorate the frustration planted in his heart.

Thankfully, whatever he had been feeling was expelled when he saw Lillie laughing with Mallow as they carried what looked like cooking ingredients back to the Poké-Centre. Ash shook himself and followed them inside, intent on discovering what they were planning to make.

Whence inside, though, Kiawe blocked him from entering the kitchen. "Ash! Could we have a battle? I feel as though I have created a new technique, so I would like to test it out."

Ash grinned. "Bring it on!" he replied.

They sparred through the afternoon and into the evening, by which point Dawn and Lana returned from their day-out and joined in. They simulated a four-way Battle Royal match. The others returned gradually, so they swapped in and out at the end of each bout. Everyone battled everyone and those that weren't battling watched and chatted on the side.

As the evening fell, Lillie and Mallow brought out a miniature buffet that they had been preparing. They enjoyed the delicious meal together, basking in the gentle moonlight that slowly replaced the sun. Whatever bad mindset Ash's run-in with Gladion had generated was lost to the joy of the evening.

"Red, when the hell're you gettin' back?!" Blue demanded over the phone.

"Soon."

"Uh-huh. And, uhh, when is soon exactly?!"

"What's got you so agitated?"

"Jee, I wonder."

"Oh no…" Red muttered over the phone.

"Let's see. We got three teenagers crammed up in my house battling every day, destroying my garden and the house, they're incredibly impatient, as in I keep gettin' asked when we're going to see Ash like some kids asking if we're 'there yet' on a holiday trip, Barry won't shut the hell up about fining people, and Yellow and Daisy are milking their injuries for as long as they damn well please. I'm like some unpaid servant over here."

"Ah. I see."

Blue grimaced. "No sympathy, huh? Damn it… Just give me some good news?"

Red chuckled. "Yeah, we're done in Hoenn. We'll be on our way back to Johto and Kanto in the next few days."

"Oh, thank Arceus! It's been close to hell here, man," Blue said. "Right then. I'll see you soon."

"See ya, Blue. Hang in there, buddy."

"Yeah, yeah." Blue ended the call and walked back into the living room.

"Blue, honey, can you get me–" Yellow began.

"I'm goin' for a walk!" Blue announced before she could finish. He marched to the door to the sound of Yellow's laughter and slammed the door behind him. The sound of something shattering and Barry yelling, for the umpteenth time, 'My bad!' nearly made him turn around, but he wandered down into the newly furbished Pallet Town. He desperately needed that break.

"Why me?" Blue muttered as he turned towards the only building that was still undergoing repair: Oak's Lab. "I'm an ex-champion, damn it…"

"Indeed, the scanner is indicating that there was indeed a reading her a while ago. Its imprint is clear to see."

"Hmm?" Blue looked up. Stood in front of the building were a pair of oddly dressed characters. They wore these strange blue and white jumpsuits with hoods, and they had visors over their eyes. The taller man seemed to her purple hair, while the shorter girl had ginger hair. The former carried some sort of device in his hands.

"So, an Ultra Wormhole did appear, then? Just as Commander Phyco predicted?" the shorter, feminine figure asked.

"Correct, it is just as he hypothesised. We have all of the data we require. Let us return to our base," the other replied.

"Alright," the girl said, and they headed down the hill towards Blue.

"Greetings," the male said as they passed.

"Hiya!" the girl said, and they carried on down the hill.

Blue watched them over his shoulder, frowning. Who were they?

Hi!

I was supposed to put this chapter out yesterday, buuut I fell asleep. Ah well, here it is!

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what you think!