As if their week couldn't get any worse, the first good morning that Alexis and Espir seemed to be having- ignoring the missing Pokémon for the moment- was now being ambushed by the very team of grunts that they appeared to be incapable of shaking. Team Cosmic.
Espir had little patience for seeing this universe's version of the same team that happened to find and harass him, no matter what form he appeared in.
"What good fortune," one of the grunts said as the group of about eight people closed in around Alexis and Espir. "Just the duo we were hoping to meet."
"Look, we really don't have time for this," Alexis sighed, "so, if you'd like to just call it quits and buzz off for once, that would be greatly appreciated."
"You've got some nerve. Talking to us as if we're just another gang of backwater scum like those you hang around with."
"And who would they be?" Alexis asked, her face showing her confusion. Espir could feel that the grunts believed her confusion to be a bluff.
"Cops. The law enforcement. The entire system. You may scoff, but mark my words. The day of tyranny over the people will end, and the day of freedom will flourish anew."
"Talk to me like I'm an idiot," Alexis said, slowly. "What do you mean 'the entire system'?"
"Why waste words on politics with you?" The grunt replied. "We are only carrying out a justice long-awaited."
"Can you at least allow me some final words before you carry out whatever this 'justice' is?" Alexis asked.
"You're acting pretty strange," the grunt said, "what kind of angle are you playing?"
"No angle. Just extreme confusion and a little bit more confusion on top."
"Why the confusion? You know what you did."
"Clearly I don't, so why don't you tell me, so I can tell you my side of the story?" Alexis argued back. Espir could feel that the positive start to the morning was already being grated off quickly, and Alexis' patience was being worn thin already.
"Very well," the grunt said and Alexis sighed in relief, happy to start getting somewhere in this conversation, "if you won't just co-operate, we'll have to take you in by force. I should warn you. I, for one, will enjoy this."
Espir began to brace for combat as the various grunts started pulling out Pokéballs. He was so confused by the way they were speaking so righteously about freedom. It didn't sound like any of the Team Cosmic rhetoric that he had heard in the other universes. Perhaps they each had their own goals and only shared the team name?
"Can you please just listen?" Alexis began to plead. "I really can't be doing this right now. They have my Pokémon and none of you will understand and I'm lost, confused and unsure if I'm meant to be scared, sad or angry at what is going on. So… please, can you just hear us out?"
Alexis' impassioned plea made all of the grunts pause in their actions, with the verbal leader cocking his head slightly to the side.
"That's… new," he said, his tone making it clear he was intensely suspicious of Alexis. "Did you hit your head recently?"
"What? No. Or, at least, I hope not," Alexis said, frowning slightly.
"Then what's the reason for all of this… emotion?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Alexis said and Espir could see the grunt winding up to say the ever clichéd 'try me' when Alexis continued speaking anyway. "My Marshadow and I travelled through a rip in space, in Veilstone City, and met our copies from this world. Those copies attacked us and stole my Pokémon and threatened to kill us. We got away and we want to go and get our Pokémon back, but we're so out of our depth in this world and not knowing what is going on. Now we get attacked by Team Cosmic of all people, claiming to be all good in this world. It's just so damn confusing!"
There was a long drawn out pause as the grunts processed Alexis' second emotional ramble.
One by one, the grunts began to chuckle and then outright laugh; all except for the one that had been speaking. He looked like he might genuinely believe what she was saying. Espir wondered who this person was and why he seemed more invested in the dialogue between him and Alexis than a normal grunt would be.
Espir tried to study his face, certain that he had seen that grunt somewhere before- in one of the previous worlds, perhaps. He couldn't place it, however, and had to be content with just watching and waiting to see how Alexis' story was received by the clear leader of this band of Team Cosmic grunts.
"Against my better judgement," the grunt said slowly, his words quickly quietening the others, "I feel like I should take you at your word. This just doesn't feel like the sort of ruse you'd be comfortable performing. Too… pathetic."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Alexis said, cracking a nervous smile.
"Don't," the grunt replied. "Now, where did you last see these other versions of you? Where did you lose your Pokémon?"
"In a hotel in Veilstone City," Alexis said. "If you have a problem with the law, are you sure you want to be going in there?"
"It's really not that difficult to," the grunt said, "we just wear normal clothes and walk about in fewer numbers. Less suspicion, especially for such a quiet city as Veilstone. We'll converge on the hotel, that you will point out, and apprehend those other versions of yourself. Does that sound good, to you?"
"Any help in this weird place sounds good, even if it is from Team Cosmic," Alexis nodded. She held out a hand and the grunt shook it, an unlikely alliance forming in the odd world that they had stumbled upon.
...
...
...
Further South, further East. Shane was beginning to feel less like he was running away from something, and more like he was running towards something else.
The fear, or wariness, as Shane would describe it, of the pink being had long since faded. He really didn't think he had much of a chance of being found after however many days of continuous travel he had done.
The feeling he had, as he moved through Sinnoh, was that he was walking towards a fire. A campfire, welcoming and warm, out of the biting blizzard from which he had come. He hadn't yet reached the flames, but he could feel them, only just. It was the sort of feeling of heat as when you're just out of range of the flames, so you can't quite feel the cold anymore- apart from at your back- but the cold is still beating back the heat. He was so close. He just had to keep pushing forwards until he felt complete. Then, hopefully, he would figure out what to do next.
He saw the sign for Veilstone City and tried to walk past it, but the cold began to increase- so he turned around and began walking in the direction of the city, one small paw in front of the other...
...
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...
Seeing the Team Cosmic grunts without their uniforms on, in just normal clothes, was a bit of an obstacle for Espir to wrap his head around. Objectively, he knew that they were people, just like everyone else, but he really only saw the Team Cosmic logo when it was being worn. Grunts were grunts and he managed his dislike of the organization that way.
Now that Espir was viewing the grunts as normal people, he was having to recon-textualize his opinions of them. He still innately disliked them, but there was something about the grunts in this universe that was different in comparison to the two others that he'd been in so far. They cared, or were at least extremely good at pretending to care.
The main grunt that had been conversing with Alexis, decided to stick with Alexis and Espir as they walked back into Veilstone City. The others had split off into groups of two, and a group of three. The plan was to gradually enter the hotel, one small group at a time, and follow the directions that Alexis was giving them. There was no point in worrying if Alexis was trying to pull them into a trap, as the bottleneck of the trainers would only end with her stuck in the middle of it. She was desperate and the grunts could tell.
Alexis was also nervous, having to return to the city that she had just escaped. She knew that she needed to get back, in order to have any chance at all of getting her Pokémon back. Unfortunately, it also meant facing herself. For some reason, she was near terrified of this version of her. She could sense the unfeeling, uncaring nature on her. Alexis wondered what had happened to make such an evil version of herself, but- if she really thought about it- she didn't care. Currently, it was important, but once she was back home, this would be all but a dodgy nightmare that she had experienced. One in a long line of nightmares, but this one was one that she had to live through. She couldn't wake up from this one. She just had to figure out how to get home, then she could do as good as waking up, by leaving this entire topsy-turvy world behind.
She knew where she stood when she had Team Cosmic to dislike and could trust herself. In this world, it sounded like everyone that was meant to be good, was in fact the opposite- and vice versa for the bad guys. It was a strange thing to contemplate and Alexis wasn't sure if she was correct in that assumption, but she needed to begin making some working theories and trying to figure out answers, otherwise she would never be able to get home again.
Alexis gave a polite wave to the hotel receptionist as she, Espir and the grunt walked by, through the hotel lobby, and towards the staircase.
"What should I be calling you, anyway?" Alexis asked the grunt as they all began to climb the stairs, deliberately walking slowly to allow the following grunt teams to catch up as they climbed. The aim was to hit the desired floor, all at the same time.
"You don't," the grunt replied gruffly.
"But surely, you have a name?" Alexis asked.
"How could you-" The grunt cut himself off to allow for a moment to gather himself. "I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you aren't the Alexis I know… apparently. If you were the Alexis I know, you'd well remember that you forfeited the right to say my name ever again. If it turns out that this is a trick, I'll not have that promise taken back from me. I won't be saying it and neither will you."
"I'm sorry," Alexis said, with a slight roll of her eyes, "I didn't realize a name was such a touchy subject. Forget I asked."
"About what?"
"Well played. You're a bit of a jerk, you know that, right?"
"And the Alexis I know is a criminal of untold evils," the grunt replied, "so forgive me for being a little… cold with you. I'm sure you understand."
"I'm barely a day ahead of you on all of this confusion," Alexis said, shrugging.
"Good," the grunt replied, "it'll help keep you in check if you decide to act your nature and double-cross us."
"That isn't in my nature," Alexis snapped, "I'd appreciate it if you stopped treating me like this. I've done nothing but be kind to you. You know, you're just like the Team Cosmic jackasses from my world."
"Oh? What are they like?" The grunt asked. Espir could sense the sarcasm in the man's words, but Alexis ignored it and continued to speak anyway.
"They suck," she said, "always trying to ruin everyone's day with their stupid scheming. They went and attacked a museum. A museum. It didn't even have anything cool in it for them to steal, just some old fossils. It didn't stop them from terrorizing the people there and taking what they wanted anyway. They also tried stealing a whole host of Pokémon from my hometown. They even got their hands on my Marshadow for a little while. Team Cosmic are horrid little jerks and you're acting dangerously close to the same theme."
"I won't apologize for the acts of strangers in another world," the grunt said, though he could obviously hear how hypocritical he sounded.
"Then don't expect me to tolerate your beratement of me, in replacement of the Alexis that you actually hate."
"I don't hate you- I mean, Alexis," the grunt said, stumbling over his words slightly.
"Then why all the spite-filled words?"
"Surely, you would know me, on your world?" The grunt said, slowing down his ascent to search Alexis' eyes. "How could you not?"
"I'm sorry but I really don't get out much," Alexis shrugged, "why would I know a Team Cosmic member?"
The Team Cosmic grunt continued to stare at Alexis for a while until Espir was sure that it would get awkward, but he just continued walking up the stairs without another word. Having been in touch with the man's emotions, Espir could feel what he felt as he searched Alexis' eyes for whatever he was looking for. Anger. Hurt. Hope. Confusion. Sorrow.
Espir wasn't sure what that was all about, but he could tell genuine emotions and that man was navigating a storm within his mind every time he looked at Alexis.
Everyone reached the floor that the doppelgangers lived on. The corridor felt restrictive, now that they were all in the enclosed space.
"You go and knock on their door," the grunt said to Alexis, "try and get them to open it without suspecting anything, then we can all rush in and get them."
"Okay, here goes nothing," Alexis said, nodding to the grunt's instructions and heading off down the corridor with Espir by her side.
The corridor couldn't feel more lonely, walking down it, with all the expectant eyes on her back. Alexis was uncertain if she had done enough to get back into Marshadow's good books, though she wouldn't blame him if she hadn't. She just really needed an ally right now.
They both reached the door and Alexis gave herself the quietest pep talk ever. It was so quiet that Espir could barely hear what she was saying and he was standing right next to her.
Slowly, she inched her hand up and clenched it into a fist.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Espir could hear movement within the room, behind the door. The slight scraping of metal as someone looked out of the peephole in the center of the door.
"Who is it?" Came Alexis' unmistakable voice. Espir was actually surprised she hadn't already moved on. He was almost disappointed in her lack of initiative. The Team Cosmic grunts had made her sound more formidable.
"It's me," Alexis replied, "you. I've come to talk. I just… perhaps we can come to some sort of understanding?"
There was a pause and then the sound of a chain moving behind the door. Not a large chain, just the small one that half locks apartment or hotel rooms.
The door to the room swung open to reveal Alexis' grinning face.
"I knew you'd be back," she said, "I wouldn't give my lost Pokémon another thought, but you seem just so… nice."
Alexis' doppelganger had barely gotten her words out when the grunts rushed in and rammed through into the room to tackle her to the ground. Both Espir and Alexis were caught up in the tide of bodies and Alexis found herself being taken to the ground too.
Espir, to his shock, recognized the zap of the portable prison rise up around him, just as he was trying to extricate himself from the mass of bodies. There was a second zap and he saw that the other Marshadow had been captured, too.
"Why?" Alexis called out, "I helped you. You're meant to help me now. Surely you can't all be evil?"
"Evil is subjective," the main Team Cosmic grunt said, "even as I view you both now, it is hard to believe my eyes. You were telling the truth. Honestly, I didn't want to believe it. It doesn't change the fact that you're still Alexis, another version or whatever, but still Alexis. We have to take you in, for experimentation and to make sure you won't do any undue harm to the innocents of Sinnoh. If you're anything like our Alexis, then it's worth the moral shame of betraying you."
"Aw, that was almost a compliment!" The doppelganger cried out with a grin.
"You can shut it," the grunt snapped, staring at the other Alexis and this time, all Espir could sense from the grunt was pure, unbridled rage.
Espir wasn't sure what had caused such animosity, but it was hardly his biggest problem at that moment. He was, once again, trapped by Team Cosmic. He felt like it was becoming some sort of sick tradition of each universe he visited, as if he were doomed to repeat it, no matter what the situation.
"You know you love me," the doppelganger said, continuing to goad the grunt, even while she was being tied up on the floor.
"No," the grunt said, "not anymore."
To Espir's surprise, those words appeared to have a distinct sting upon the doppelganger. Her grin twisted into a near snarl and she began to scream obscenities at the grunt, until one of the other grunts stuffed her mouth with a large wad of cloth and tied duct tape around her head to keep the cloth in.
"Now that I can hear myself think," the grunt said, "take these four down the backway. We need to somehow get all of them out of the city without alerting the local police."
The doppelganger was still shouting as loud as she could through the cloth, but it was coming out dulled, quiet, and incomprehensible. In Espir's opinion, it was the best she had ever sounded.
"I'm sorry that I have to do this," the grunt said to Alexis as the doppelganger and her Marshadow were taken out of the room first by a handful of the grunts.
"Not sorry enough to keep from doing it though," Alexis retorted.
"You wouldn't understand," the grunt said, "I do care for you, but my heart has already been torn apart by your counterpart, my sister."