"Grumman, return." The Diggersby is recalled into its PokéBall.
"Your technique was superior to mine. I hereby present you with the Volt Badge."
Clemont hands me my 5th Gym Badge. I fit it snugly into my Badge Case. Three more to go.
"At the end of our battle, you seemed kind of shocked. Bonnie told me about what happened on the third floor. Are you OK?"
"I'm fine. It was something unrelated to the first thing, I hope."
"If you say so, I'll believe you, for now. If something happens, I may be able to help."
"Thank you for your concern, but really, it's nothing more than a tendency to zone out at inappropriate times. If you'll excuse me, I must leave immediately."
I rush out of the building and head to the Pokémon Center. Luckily, none of them are too worn out and Nurse Joy hands them back to me after a few minutes having rejuvenated them. I leave the Center and find myself a clearing in Magenta Plaza. Time to find out what exactly is going on here.
"Alphonse, May, Hohenheim, Grumman, Winry, Maes, come on out!"
A diverse group of Pokémon appears before me. I hold up the Voltage Badge for all to see. A cheer erupts from the small crowd in front of me. I smile, but inside, I am saddened that I cannot remember what has happened to cause such joy. I begin explaining the situation.
"All right, everyone, stay calm. What I'm about to tell and ask of you are extremely important. In Prism Tower, somewhere on the third floor, my mind went blank. It was only for a few minutes, but my memories are nearly completely gone. I'm afraid this means I don't know any of you very well, though I do remember your names and a few other foggy memories."
"That's a lucky break, yeah?" asks Hohenheim, the Pikachu. The air is tense.
"Oh, that reminds me. I can understand you guys again. Probably should've led off with that."
The tension in the air dissipates as sighs of relief come from my Pokémon.
"Go on then, yeah?" says Hohenheim.
"'I'll always be there for you'. You said that to me after the Gym Battle with Viola. It's time I returned the favor," says Alphonse, the Quilladin. "And get down from there, May."
"He's such a cheeseball," says May the Panpour, who has managed to climb onto my shoulder without me noticing. "But, I suppose the same holds for me. After all, with your help, I took down all the Grass-Type Pokémon in Coumarine City's Gym."
"I wonder if you'll ever recall a certain question you once asked me," muses Winry, the Floette.
"Don't go worryin' me like that. First you blank out in the middle of the Gym and then you freak out just when you get your talent back and return me," huffs Grumman, the Diggersby.
"I am the newest member of your team, Miss Riza. And though I have not known you long, I feel a great ache in my heart, as if I have lost a dear friend. Memories are a most insubstantial thing, yet are they not what makes us who we are? Should we lose our memories, are ourselves forsaken as well? Miss Riza, should you ever regain your old memories, will your original personality assert itself, or will you remain as you are now, with the old memories as a forgotten soul?" Maes the Venusaur keeps talking but I stop listening.
"Is he always like this?" I ask May.
"Only once he evolved into a Venusaur. Before he was more of a scientist, liked to change things up in battle just to see what happened."
"Yeah, we were a pair," says Alphonse. "He got kinda philosophical when he first evolved, but I think Mega Evolution was the main trigger. Something in him changed the first time he Mega Evolved. It was like he aged twenty years in the span of a few minutes."
"All right, everyone. We got the fifth Badge and now we're heading to Laverre City. However, since you all have done so well, we're going to treat ourselves a bit at Lysandre Café. It's a bit far from here, so return, everyone."
I return the Pokémon to their PokéBalls all at once. Alphonse manages to dodge the beam meant for him.
"Do you want something, Alphonse?" I ask.
"Yes. And May couldn't be around to hear it."
"And why not?"
"Because she wouldn't want me telling you this. She's wanted to evolve for a while. I've been waiting for her, for a time when you had access to a Water Stone, so that we could evolve together. But when Maes evolved, well, you saw the results of that. She's become afraid of it. She'll just brush you off if you ask her directly. I've known her far too long for that to work on me," says Alphonse.
"But if she doesn't want to evolve, I shouldn't force her to do it," I reply.
"It's true. You respected her feelings before. But she's just running from her problems, like she always does. You gave her special training, yes, but the second she comes across something she can't defeat in a single hit, she runs. And she can't hit her own fear. So, will you buy a Water Stone and let me hold onto it?" asks Alphonse.
He's right. I know he's right. May needs to evolve if she wants to get stronger. Training can only take her so far.
"I'll do it, Alphonse," I say.
"Good. Now, let's head to that Café."
I return Alphonse and hail myself a taxi. He drops me off in front of Lysandre Café. The fare is, as usual, overpriced. I hand over the money and hop out of the cab. The front of the café is completely red. Inside isn't much better. There are only white dishes to break up the monotonous red of the place. It is very stuffy inside. I see Professor Sycamore and Lysandre standing in the far back. The professor waves me over to him.
"Riza, I wasn't expecting to see you here. Did you know that Lysandre here is a descendant of Kalos royalty from over 3000 years ago? It feels he truly is a "chosen one". I was having a chat with Lysandre concerning Mega Evolution."
"History, of course, may not entirely be accurate. More importantly, Mega Evolution…it is quite the mystery to us, even after years of research. May I see your Key Stone?"
I hand my bracelet to the large man. He holds it delicately, scrutinizing it with his intensely blue eyes.
"Fascinating," he mutters. "I hear that you have already achieved this spectacle yourself. An impressive feat for one so young. Mega Evolution is a power I hope to someday achieve myself. It is beautiful…it gives without taking. There are givers and takers in this world. I wish to be the giver in a world where fools show their strength by taking. Those who take ARE FILTH! There was a king, 3000 years ago, who in his greed and envy tried to take everything for his own. To this end, he created a great weapon which rained down fiery destruction upon Kalos. This region is beautiful now. The weapon did succeed in destroying the FILTH of that era, even if the king's actions were impurely motivated. I wish to keep Kalos beautiful."
This large man is still holding my Mega Bracelet. I am a bit scared to ask for it back. Sycamore taps him on the shoulder.
"Hm? Oh. I do apologize, Riza. I did not mean to frighten you. Here is your Mega Bracelet. And, for droning on so long, take this."
He hands me an odd rock shaped like a crown.
"That is a known as a King's Rock, Riza," says Professor Sycamore. "If you let a Pokémon wear it into battle, it can occasionally cause your opponent to flinch from its intimidating aura."
"Thank you, Mr. Lysandre. It was nice to meet you."
"The same to you, Riza, I must be going now, but I hope that we will meet again. Sycamore, I'm off to the PokéBall Factory. Something has come up."
Lysandre strides out of the café. He hails a taxi and is off in a matter of seconds.
"An intensely burning flame, such is Lysandre's passion. Even if you do not agree with him, he commands a certain level of respect. The important thing is that Trainer and Pokémon must respect one another. Riza, how's your Pokédex coming along?"
I hand him my Pokédex and he flips through it quickly. He scans the contents of the portable database.
"Hmmm, quite nicely. You've seen your fair share of Pokémon. There are many more just waiting for you to discover them. So, go and find them!"
The Professor pushes me out of the café. I head to the Stone Emporium and purchase a Water Stone. The small blue rock is heavy for its size. It's getting late so I decide to stay the night at the Pokémon Center.
Morning comes quickly and I make my way to the Route 14 exit. It is a quiet morning in Lumiose City. Taxis speed around like they're using ExtremeSpeed. The people manning the Route 14 exit tell me to have a nice day and wish me luck on my journey. I step outside the city for the first time since my mind came back.
"Hey, look! It's Riza!"
A brown haired girl is shouting my name.