Author's Note: Beginning with this chapter, this story will contain references to legal proceedings. The legal system being referenced is not intended to resemble any real-life legal system, so please do not pester me with messages telling me I got something wrong. Thank you.

Chapter 2

Something to focus on

Laresa stepped into the Floaroma Pokemon Center and-

-And everything was upside down. What the- She stumbled and fell, and-

-And everything was normal again. What the hell was that?

The nurse ran out from behind the counter. "Are you okay?"

"I-I think so," Laresa said as the nurse helped her to her feet. "I'm sorry, I don't know what happened. It was like... well, like the world was upside down for a moment. I know that sounds crazy, but... oh, hell, maybe I'm just tired."

"It doesn't sound that crazy, really," the nurse said as she walked back behind the counter and laresa walked up to it. "Certainly not as crazy-sounding as the relocations."

"Relocations?"

"Yeah," the nurse said. "People suddenly finding themselves somewhere else. Like, say, you're walking through the forest, and then all of a sudden you're on the beach. I didn't think there was any truth to it at first, but it's been happening more and more."

"People just... suddenly end up somewhere different? Like, instantaneously?"

"Yeah. Standard?"

Laresa nodded as she removed her six Pokeballs from her belt and handed them to the nurse. "Nobody has any sort of decent explanation for it," she continued as she took the balls. "One instant you're in one place, and the next you're somewhere completely different. Apparently, people've even been relocated across regions."

Is she serious? People are really just ending up somewhere else? Well, let's try this, then. "Like, say, Johto to Sinnoh?"

The nurse nodded. "Yeah, Johto to Sinnoh, Kanto to Hoenn, Orre to Johto, etcetera."

"So if I told you I'd been in Ilex Forest in Johto, and then suddenly I found myself in Eterna Forest, you

wouldn't think I was crazy?"

"You were-"

"Yes." Okay, just leave out the part about the cave and Ho-oh. Doesn't sound like that's a normal part of relocation. Assuming it even happened at all; even if relocation is real, I may have imagined that part. "I was starting to wonder if I'd completely lost it."

"It's real," the nurse said. "Or at least there are enough reports to make me believe it. Anyways, let me get your Pokemon taken care-oh, hello, sir."

Laresa turned around to see the door close behind a young man who'd just entered the Center. He handed his six Pokeballs to the nurse. "Here. My crew needs the standard treatment."

"Please show me your trainer card, then. You, too, ma'am." Laresa and the newcommer presented their cards. The nurse took them, swiped them through a car scanner, and handed them back. "All right," the nurse said, "that part's taken care of. Your Pokemon, please." the two trainers handed their balls to the nurse, who took them into the back.

The newcomer turned to Laresa. "Hi, there. I'm Mathis."

"Laresa."

"Well, nice to meet you, Laresa."

Laresa gave no reply. All right, this seems like a good time to take inventory. She walked over to the wall, set her pack down on the ground, and sat down in front of it. She first opened up the medicine pouch. Okay, exactly the amounts I remember. Good. Don't need to restock; I haven't used shit since the-since I left Goldenrod. All right, now for the main load.

She closed the medicine pouch and opened the main pouch, making note of each item as she took them out of the pack one-by-one. The photo album, of course. The map book. The flashlight. All on the top because I just used them. Okay, then. Moving on. Backup flashlight. Extra batteries. Backup extra batteries. Roll of duct tape. Roll of regular tape. Roll of packing tape. Twine. Padlock. Second padlock. Copper wire. Wire cutter. Third padlock. Air horn. Pad of paper. Pack of pens. Reference books on the plant life of all major regions. Second pad of paper. Flares. Reference book on major religions. Translation guides for all major forms of ancient text. Battery-powered handheld vacuum.

"Do you actually have a use for that?"

Laresa looked up to see Mathis. "You never know what you might need," she said.

"Yeah, but I'd expect you haven't had a use for that."

"So?" Laresa went back to work. Okay, general reference on the various myths and legends of the world-I don't think it has anything on the object or any of this shit, but it's probably worth looking through at some point. Fire extinguisher. Megaphone. Bowling ball.

"Okay, what?" Mathis said. "You keep a bowling ball with you?"

"Why not? You never know what you might need." Rope. More rope. More flares. History texts covering all major regions. Magnifying glass. Binoculars. Backup compass. Deck of cards. Bag of marbles. Ping-pong balls. Umbrella. She continued going through item-by-item until the pouch was completely empty. Okay, that's everything in this pouch. It's all there, too. Good. Okay, time to load it all back up.

"You know," Mathis said as Laresa re-packed her pack, "even now, I still find it weird seeing so much stuff come out of a single bag."

"I've never understood why people think it's weird at all," Laresa said, "especially trainers. Most trainers never think twice about being able to store even large Pokemon in Pokeballs, but think it's strange to see the same technology in use elsewhere. Doesn't make sense."

"Put that way, I'd have to agree with you. Hell, the compression's less efficient in the bags than in the balls. Not sure why that is, though."

"Well," Laresa said, "I've heard that compressing inanimate objects is actually more difficult, contrary to what one might expect. Don't know why, though."

'Well, yeah, of course not. Hell, I'd bet that even the guys who make the tech don't know why."

Laresa finished repacking and zipped up the pouch. She then opened a third pouch. Okay, quick-access stuff. Not as much in this one. Okay, empty it out. First aid kit. Second first aid kit. Third first aid kit. Several uses' worth of Repel spray. More Repel spray. Potions for quick access if needed. That just leaves the-okay, leave that in there, there's a reason it's in there. You don't want to see it, don't want to remember-okay, don't go there. Think about something else. Think about something else. Focus on the inventory. You've still got another pouch to check. She repacked the pouch and zipped it up, then opened the last pouch. Okay, basic supplies. Food, water, etc. She went through the pouch and, satisfied that everything was there, closed it up again.

"After seeing how much stuff you've got in there," Mathis said, "it seems hard to believe the compression's any less efficient than it is in Pokeballs."

"There's a larger difference in area pre- to post-compression, yes, but remember, the bag's a lot bigger than a Pokeball to start with. The compression ratio is definitely less than a Pokeball's, and by quite a bit, too. So the bag has less efficient compression, but more area to compress into. I've always found it pretty obvious."

"When you put it that way, yeah, it does seem obvious."

At that moment, the nurse walked up to the two of them. "Finished," she said, handing the two trainers their balls. "Here you go."

"Thanks," Mathis said as he and Laresa returned the balls to their belts.

It was at that moment that it hit Laresa. Of course it needs a Pokeball to work. It's using the ball's power supply! Pokeballs had special batteries installed to power them. The batteries could last for over a month on a single charge, and recharging them, as well as replacing any with detected problems, was part of the standard service at any Pokemon center. Unused balls didn't need their batteries recharged, obviously, as they didn't consume power prior to use. I doubt the object uses too much power; it would only need power when activated. It probably only consumes power when I press the jewel. I probably don't need to worry about recharging it, although I should probably have it checked at some point. Not here, though. Probably not a good idea to ask for an unusual service for a ball with a strange object on it after being relocated here from Ilex. That'd look odd, even if I do say the object is just a custom plate I had made. I'll have it checked in the next center.

Laresa was snapped out of thought by a tap on the shoulder. "Miss?" the nurse said.

"Sorry," Laresa said. "Lost in thought. Did you want something?"

"I was asking if you planned to stay here tonight. It'll be dark in an hour or so."

" Is it really that late?"

The nurse nodded. "Yes Would you like to spend the night here?"

Did I lose track of time that much, or was there-wait, I'm being stupid. I was in johto, and now I'm in Sinnoh. Of course it's later than I thought. I'll stop here for today, though. I haven't gotten much sleep since- okay, stop thinking about it, dammit. Okay, staying here tonight. Yes. I'll do that. "Sure," Laresa said.

"In that case, let me go get you a room. What about you, sir?"

"No thanks," Mathis said. "My sister lives here; I plan to spend the night at her place."

"All right, then."

Mathis turned to Laresa as the nurse walked off. "Another thing that still seems odd to me," he said, "is getting all these services for free."

"I don't see why that's odd," Laresa said. "It's all run by the League, the only multi-regional government group there is."

"Yeah, but why would they bother in the first place?"

"Well, for one, have you ever thought about how much money they bring in? Even with all the provided services, the Leauge doesn't need outside funding; it actually makes a sizable profit. The regional tournaments are especially big moneymakers, and the big worldwide tournament, well, I'd imagine that one makes a hell of a lot. And since the League is a multi-government group, profits go to the various member governments, divided on a per-capita basis. And no government is going to go against a source of money. And there's the regulation issue, too, of course."

"Yeah, I can see why governments would cooperate on something like that. Although I do find it surprising how few people attempt to go without registering. I guess the penalty for being an unregistered Trainer is harsh."

"There's an understatement for you. If you're caught as an unregistered Trainer, you spent the rest of your life in prison. There's no nonsense with that kind of thing."

"Automatic life in prison? Seriously?"

"Um, yeah," Laresa said. "This shouldn't be coming as a surprise. You're a trainer; you should know exactly how dangerous Pokemon can be. You just can't blame the League for being so strict about regulations. Which is the other purpose of services such as Pokemon Centers. If they have direct control over such services, they can control exactly what's being provided to trainers. And it lets them keep track of trainers, too."

"Really?"

"This stuff is common knowledge. Since you don't know it, I'm going to go ahead and assume that you've led somewhat of a sheltered life. And that you haven't been a trainer for very long."

"Well, I've only been traveling for a couple months, but I've been battling longer than that. My father gave me my first couple Pokemon about a year ago, caught them just for that purpose. I couldn't be an actual trainer until I turned sixteen, of course; I do know that you have to be legally an adult before you can actually become a trainer. But there's nothing preventing a kid from having a couple as long as all the 'minors with Pokemon' rules are followed."

"So, what, you fought against wild Pokemon in the woods? Maybe had some battles against trainers passing through the area?"

Mathis nodded. "Basically, yes."

"You know, that hardly prepares you for the real thing."

"I've been doing just fine so far. Even got myself a Gym badge in Oreburgh."

"Um... you do realize that's the easiest Gym in the region, right? And if that was your first badge, they didn't scale up the challenge for you, either. You are aware that the strength of your opponents in Gym battles is chosen based on the number of badges you currently have, right?"

"Um, no," Mathis said, "I've never heard that."

"Yeah, um, just give it some time. I think you'll soon realize that being a real trainer is nothing like what you're used to."

"So what, are you saying I'm not any good at being a trainer?"

Laresa shook her head. "Not at all. I simply know that you're inexperienced. I've been traveling as a trainer for a little over three years now-like you, I started at sixteen. Trust me, you have no idea what it's really like to be a trainer."

"I'm better than you seem to think."

The implied challenge was clear. "Oh, are you?"

'Yeah, and I can prove it, too."

"I'll take that challenge," Laresa said. Okay, yes, very good. Something to focus on. Good. Keep the... keep those thought sealed away. Do not think about-damn it, girl, stop thinking about that! Okay. Okay, battle. Yes. All right, then.

The nurse walked back out. "You're room's all set," she said. "I assume you know the drill; swipe your card through the reader. You're in room 2."

"Thanks," Laresa said, then turned back to Mathis. "Okay, then. If you want a match, you've got one. Let's step outside and get started."

"All right, then," Laresa said, "we're agreed on single battle, standard rules, free match." 'Free match' meant that the match was not officially logged, meaning it wasn't registered on either trainer's card. The only real effect this had was that the battle affected neither trainer's credit, which was for use purchasing items and gear at marts and other League retail outlets; a trainer's starting credit was based on the chosen registration package-more expensive packages came with more base credit, and there was also a cash-credit exchange system in place.

"Do you have a full team of six?" Laresa asked.

"Yes," Mathis replied. "I've got a full team."

"All right, then. Let's do this." Laresa grabbed a Pokeball from her belt and released the Pokemon inside. "Okay, Sceptile, you're first."

Mathis sent out his first choice, a Zubat. "Let's do it, Zubat! Leech it!"

"Give it to them, Sceptile!"

Sceptile dodged Zubat's diving attack and spun around to face her opponent. Zubat circled around and dove at Sceptile again. She moved to dodge, but stumbled, giving Zubat a chance. Zubat swooped over Sceptile's head and latched onto her back.

"Not a bad location," Laresa said. 'Sceptile, do it!" Sceptile dropped backwards, forcing Zubat to detach. It tried to fly away, but Sceptile made a well-timed move and grabbed it. Slamming it into the ground. The dazed Zubat tried to fly away again, but Sceptile repeated the grab and slam, and Zubat went down.

"Your inexperience shows," Laresa said as Mathis recalled Zubat. "First tip: type advantages only mean so much. And second tip: in most cases, leeching doesn't work very well, as it leaves the Pokemon open for counterattack." Okay, yes, leave out the fact that Sceptile's 'stumble' was deliberate. Save that for later.

Mathis' only reply was to send out his next Pokemon, a Pikachu. "Ah, yes," Laresa said. "Pikachu. A common pick for new trainers. The usual, Sceptile!"

Sceptile acted quickly, spraying leaves at Pikachu-the so-called 'Razor Leaf' technique. Laresa rarely used the common names such as that; everyone knew what they were, so an opponent would know what was coming. Of course, that can have its advantages.

Picachu moved quickly, dodging Sceptile's attack. 'Good job!" Mathis said. "Now give it a Quick Attack!"

"Sceptile, the Leaf Blade!"

"Avoid it! Dash and attack from behind!"

Pikachu did just that. Or attempted to. It got blasted with another Razor Leaf as it tried to dash around Sceptile, knocking it to the ground. Sceptile followed up with the 'Energy Ball' move, finishing it off.

"Third tip," Laresa said. "Third tip: don't use move names. Everybody knows them, so using them tells your opponent exactly what you're going to do. Unless, of course, you use them for misdirection like I just did. In fact, once you reach a more advanced level, you'll find that nobody used move names unless they're playing mind games. All right, I think it's time to change things up a bit." She recalled Sceptile and sent out her next choice. "Okay, Absol, your turn."

"Do it, Hitmontop!" Mathis called out as he released his next Pokemon.

"Ah, going for the type matchup, I see. Okay, Absol, straight charge! Take it down!"

Take it head-on, Hitmontop! Hit it hard!"

The two Pokemon charged each other, getting closer and closer. Laresa timed it carefully. At what she judged to be the optimal moment, she called out, "Now!"

"Follow sideways and spin!" Mathis ordered, clearly having anticipated the move. Except that he got it wrong. Absol moved to his left, and Hitmontop, following orders, moved to intercept. Except that Absol had faked it; he ran aside Hitmontop, spun, and delivered a strong kick with his rear legs. But...

"Up and spin!" Mathis shouted. Hitmontop lept over Absol, avoiding the kick, and connected with a multi-spin-kick as it hit the ground. But it wasn't enough to make a difference; Absol took the hits as he spun around and gave another rear kick, this time connecting. He spun back around and charged, slamming into the dazed Hitmontop, following it up with a series of slashes that took it down.

"Some quick thinking there," Laresa said as Mathis recalled Hitmontop. "I like that. Not bad at all, even if you did fall for my little trick. Which brings me to tip number four: don't go by the oldest tricks in the book, because everyone knows those, too. Like move names, those are only used to play mind games. Like what I just did; Absol and I knew what conclusion you'd draw, and acted with that in mind. Which leads to tip number five: if your opponent has certain expectations, use them to your advantage. Although you improvised quite nicely. In fact, if our Pokemon were more evenly matched, you'd most likely have won that round. But Absol's a lot tougher than your Hitmontop; that's what let him take those hits so easily."

"Damn it," Mathis said, "you're making me look like I suck at this."

"No, you just lack experience, as I've been saying. You've got potential; you've just got to put in the time. There's no shortcut to being a skilled trainer; it takes time and effort. You seem to be putting out the effort, so that's not an issue. Just keep it up, and I think you'll do just fine. Anyways, who've you got next?"

"Nobody," Mathis said. "There's no reason to continue this. You win."

"Oh? You're giving up?"

"Not really. You can expect a rematch the next time we meet. And you can expect me to do better next time, too."

"I see. Well, in that case, I look forward to it."

"I think I do, too," Mathis said. He walked past Laresa and reentered the Pokemon Center. Laresa turned to follow him, but stopped as a man walked up to her.

"You're pretty good," the man said. "I saw the match. You seem to know what you're doing."

"Yeah, but keep in mind that my opponent had only been a Trainer for a couple months."

The man nodded. "true, true. Still, I could tell you're quite good."

"I like to think so. Should I assume you want a match?"

"Unfortunately, I don't really have much time. I'm here to get my Pokemon treated, then I really do need to be on my way." He stepped past Laresa, then paused and turned around. "That's an interesting ball you have there," he said.

Laresa turned to face the man. She grabbed the object from her belt. "This? Yeah, it's a custom plate."

"As I'd assumed. Does the design mean anything?"

"It has... personal significance," Laresa replied, timing the pause just right to make it sound like the thought about how to put it, when in fact she'd planned out what she'd say ahead of time. "I think the symbol does have some meaning of its own, though. I think it's probably something out of some old legend. Actually, the reason I have this ball on my belt despite not having used it yet is in the hope that someone would see it and recognize the symbol."

"I see. Well, I don't know what it means, but if you think it's from an old legend, you should try the library in Canalave. They've got an extensive collection of that sort of thing."

"I may do that," Laresa said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," the man said. He sturned around and entered the Pokemon Center.

Laresa watched him go. Canalave, huh? Well, I guess it's worth a shot. I'm still staying here tonight, though. She entered the Center herself, and... What the hell? The man she'd just spoken to was nowhere in sight. Mathis was, though, and he walked over to her. "You all right?"

"I... I thought I saw someone else come in here," Laresa said. "Must have been my imagination, I guess." Okay, not normal. Shit, I've got to be losing it.

"What's that?" Mathis asked, pointing to the object, which Laresa still had in her hand.

"It's a Pokeball. I just have a custom plate on it."

"Yeah, I think I assumed that? Does that symbol mean anything?"

Okay, I'm getting some serious deja vu here. "It's got personal significance," she said. 'I think it's something out of some old legend, but I don't know what it means. That's actually why I keep it on my belt even though I haven't used it yet," she continued as she returned it to her belt. "I'm hoping someone'll recognize it."

"I see. Well, I don't know what it means, but if you think it's from an old legend, you should try the library in Canalave. They've got an extensive collection of that sort of thing."

All right, this is getting weird. "I may do that," Laresa said. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Mathis said. The nurse emerged from the back and handed Mathis his three Pokeballs back. "There you go."

"Thanks," Mathis said. "Bye, Laresa." He left the center.

Laresa handed Sceptile and Absol's balls to the nurse on automatic, as her mind was elsewhere. Okay, um, what the hell just happened?