Professor Laventon led Celeste and Froslass to the entrance of the fort. In front of it, stood two men in identical robes, holding spears. As soon as they saw Froslass, they drew their weapons.
"Woah, hold on there, gentlemen," Professor Laventon raised his hand, "I promised to help this young lady here get back home and that Pokemon is tamed. Please allow us to pass."
The men withdrew their weapons, but kept their stern expressions, making Celeste feel uneasy. After passing them, she thought back to the situation and tried to contain her laughter. It was ridiculous that they believed that such puny spears would do anything against Froslass. She could easily freeze them! As the three walked down a street, locals turned to each other and whispered amongst themselves.
Feels a little like Canalave University, huh? Froslass asked her master.
Celeste thought back to when she started school. Already on the first day, she was caught talking in class by a harsh professor, causing everyone to turn around and stare at her. She hated the attention. But at least now, Justin wasn't present.
Justin… Celeste felt her cheeks flush in anger. Maybe Dad acted right. Good riddance!
Finally the three arrived in front of a tall building with the same logo as the professor's coat. The professor turned back to the girl.
"Here is our town hall," he said, "Now, I must report that the runaway Pokemon were caught… Can you do me a favor and wait at the canteen? It's the building over there; it's called The Wallflower. You won't be able to miss the sign."
Celeste looked over her shoulder and saw various stores of different colors and sizes. People walked past her and whispered.
"Do they not have anything better to do?" she asked.
You've lived in a small village your whole life… you know how it is when a mysterious stranger visits, Froslass shrugged.
Three young boys ran up to the girl.
"Woah! Is that a Pokemon, ma'am?" one asked.
Celeste and Froslass looked at each other. It'll take a while to get used to this, Celeste thought.
"Why yes, this is Froslass," she smiled.
"Cool!" the kids responded.
"Can I pet it?" another asked.
"Uhh, sure? She might be a little cold though," Celeste said.
How about we high five instead? Froslass suggested, I'd prefer not to be patronized like that.
"Cool!" the child responded and extended his hand to touch hers.
"DON'T TOUCH THAT, SHO!" an angry woman ran up to the child and slapped his hand, "You don't know where it's been or what it carries!"
"Hey, Froslass is pretty clean. Usually," Celeste said defensively.
"You," the woman, "You are the one who fell out of the sky. And brought this filth in here with you."
"She's just my Pokemon."
"Don't go anywhere near that thing, Sho," the woman grabbed the boy by the arm, "And the rest of you… What would your mothers say if they knew that you went up to a wild Pokemon? Shame on you."
The woman stormed away angrily while the kids complained but ultimately followed her. Celeste took a moment to study the situation.
"Okay, that was super weird," she said.
Just super weird? They're calling me dirty, Froslass snapped.
"She probably meant scary and intimidating. You are a ghost, after all."
I used to be beautiful when I was alive… And now I am reduced to this ridiculous shell of ice.
"Don't take it personally. Let's go find that canteen."
The two walked along what they assumed to be the main street until they got to a shop with a green banner that read Þæt Wallflow'r. A hunchbacked man stood in the front, guarding the shop. He scowled at the girl and her Pokemon.
Must be old Sinnohvian, Froslass muttered, I remember these letters from when I was little.
"Wow, you are really old," Celeste laughed.
The man looked at the girl with disgust. Celeste realized that she was still wearing her dress and probably stood out a lot from the other villagers wearing kimonos. It made sense for him to look at her so strangely; she was a stranger after all.
"Wait," she quickly said, realizing that the man might have misunderstood her, "I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to my Froslass. You see, she's actually the spirit of a woma-"
"'Old?' Well, don't you look suspicious?" the man growled at her, "The Wallflower is for Galaxy Team only. Move along."
"I'm sorry, I swear I wasn't trying to insult you! I was just talking to my Frosla-"
But the damage was already done. The man turned around and angrily slammed the door. Celeste shuffled her feet. Townspeople were still walking past her, turning to each other and whispering. She felt her cheeks flush again- Hopefully the professor keeps his part of the promise and helps me out, she thought.
As if on command, a boy in a black kimono, red beret, and red scarf called out to her. On his sleeve was the same logo that Celeste saw on the Town Hall building. She turned around to face him.
"Hey… Who are you? And why are you dressed so weirdly?" he asked, wrinkling his nose.
"Thanks," Celeste responded, "I'm just a visitor. And I'm actually dressed for a trial, thank you very much."
"A trial? Here?"
"No; it's a long story. I'm actually not from here."
"But you traveled here in that outfit? What if a wild Pokemon attacked you? They'd easily destroy you in it."
"That's why I have Froslass."
"Crazy that you even got in. You must know someone if you got through the guards," the boy said.
"Yeah, Professor Laventon let us in."
"Ah, that makes sense. He's from really far away and doesn't know all the etiquettes of Hisui yet. Plus he keeps letting his Pokemon escape," the boy sighed, "Although, I suppose I can't be too harsh on him. I also have trouble with Pokemon. Just a couple of weeks back, I was hit by one's shock wave. Had to spend days in the hospital bed. You have no idea how happy, and fortunate, I am to be able to move."
"Ouch," Celeste and Froslass said simultaneously.
"Yeah… I sometimes wonder about Professor Laventon. Don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy. But sometimes I doubt that he'll last long here."
"I am quite accident prone at times," Professor Laventon walked up to the two, grinning while the boy's face turned red, "But do not worry about me, Rei. In fact, we should be joyous! Celeste here agreed to help us with the Pokedex. At least for a little while, until we help her find her way back home."
"Professor!" the boy grinned awkwardly, "There you are. I've been looking all over for you. Wait, you want to appoint this stranger to the Survey Corps? What will Captain Cyllene say?"
"That he has my permission," another voice said from behind the two.
A tall but skinny woman walked forth with grace. Her light blue hair shone in the sun. Celeste fixed her dry contacts again and gasped in shock. The woman looked a little too familiar- the pale skin, the blue eyes, the expression-less face…
"Of course, only if she can prove herself to contribute to the Corps," she said sternly and looked directly into Celeste's eyes, making her shudder, "I am the captain of the Galaxy Team's Survey Corps. My name is Cyllene. Professor Laventon told me all about how you caught his escaped Pokemon. He was very impressed and highly recommended you to us, even if for just a short while. Of course, in exchange, we would provide food and shelter. Now, you look old enough to work. But we cannot just accept any stranger that wanders in. We don't know your intentions or abilities," Cyllene rubbed her temples, "Professor Laventon did tell me about your little problem. We looked at every map and couldn't find a 'Sinnoh' region anywhere. There are temples to the Almighty Sinnoh, but you don't live in a temple, do you?"
"No ma'am," Celeste said meekly.
"That's what I thought. Only the highest priests and priestesses are permitted to reside there. We couldn't even find a 'Celestic Town.' I will allow you to look over the maps that we have here though. You tell me if you find any familiar geography. In the meantime, if you wish to stay with us longer, you will need to contribute something. Everyone here works, that's how our little village can function. If you can't find your home in one of our maps by tonight, I expect to see you tomorrow at sunrise for a little test to see if you are ready for the Survey Corps work."
"Okay," Celeste gulped, not sure what kind of a test this scary woman would come up with.
"What a great idea captain!" Professor Laventon smiled, "I am sure that Celeste will be up for any challenge that you have! Now, would you like to join us for dinner? Surely you have many questions for our guest."
"I prefer to eat alone and without distractions," the woman said coldly and walked back to the Town Hall.
"Ah, do not worry about Captain Cyllene. She's just like that," Rei smiled at Celeste.
"You'll see, soon you'll find her personality quite charming," the professor added, "But we can still enjoy a meal together," he turned to the door of The Wallflower where the shop owner peaked his head out, "Beni! Potato mochi, please! This time make three portions."
Celeste, Froslass, Rei, and Professor Laventon sat at an outside picnic table. A warm, gentle wind blew southward. Beni, The Wallflower's owner, served the three plates of round, fried balls. When he got to Celeste, he scowled, but said nothing.
"I'm sorry for insulting you earlier," Celeste said but the man just turned away.
"Thank you, Beni!" Professor Laventon raised a glass, as if to make a toast, "Best mochi out there."
Beni walked back to his building and shut the door. Celeste picked at her mochi, feeling a bit guilty.
"So, where'd you meet our guests?" Rei asked the professor.
"Ah, it was the strangest coincidence. You know those holes that have been forming in the sky- the space-time rifts? Our friend fell out of it!"
Rei wasn't satisfied with the answer, "That's a little far-fetched."
"It's true! I saw it with my very own eyes. Now, let me explain to our guest what we- the Survey Corps- do. There are many Pokemon out there. Some live in grass, others in the desert, there are even ones that live in the waters! Our job is to research them and learn as much as possible. Unfortunately, Pokemon are incredibly dangerous. We don't know what their powers are or what they're capable of. Now, Celeste, you easily caught those three Pokemon. That is quite impressive; no one in the Corps has ever done that."
Celeste raised an eyebrow, finding it very hard to believe. But Rei appeared impressed.
"Three?!" he said incredulously, "We can barely catch one! And when a wild Pokemon comes charging at us… It's terrifying. I had never witnessed so much power, so much anger."
"Yes, I noticed that the trick is to get close enough to catch the Pokemon, but not so close as to be attacked. Celeste here fearlessly walked up to the Pokemon and was completely unbothered by their presence."
"Well… the three did seem like babies," Celeste piped up shyly.
"Should the Survey Corps really be wasting time having a meal with an outsider?" Beni snapped, leaning his head out an open window of his shop, "Your Captain just ordered ten portions of mochi. Word is that the Corps is doing a terrible job filling in this Pokedex."
"Ah soon Captain Cyllene will stop her stress eating. I fully believe that Celeste will be able to solve our problem," Professor Laventon's eyes shone but Celeste felt uneasy.
"Yes… Thank you for your hospitality. Really. But I was wondering if I could take a look at those maps," she said quietly.
"Of course! Rei, please take our guests to the Town Hall and find all the maps and globes that the Galaxy Team owns!"
Rei led the girl into the Town Hall. They walked into the first room in the left wing. Inside were various maps and globes, along with boards and posters. At the center of the disorganized room, at a desk, sat a girl who looked a lot like Rei. She wore a white headscarf and rested her feet on the desk.
"Hey Akari. This is Celeste. And that's her partner, Froslass. She was wondering if she could see Professor Laventon's maps," Rei introduced her.
"Hi!" the girl smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Akari, one of Professor Laventon's assistants and this is his office. Now, tell me, what is it that you're looking for exactly?"
"The Sinnoh region," Celeste responded.
"Sinnoh? Hmm… I know that the Pearl and Diamond Clans argue about who Almighty Sinnoh is, but they never called Him a 'where'. But here, you can check out all these maps. They're from all around the world. The professor made them himself!"
Celeste and Froslass took different maps and looked through them carefully while Rei and Akari talked in the back.
"So how did the Professor find her?" Akari asked.
"He claims that she fell out of the sky," Rei sneered.
"I swear the professor sometimes has such a wild imagination."
"And you'd never guess what he came up with this time. He wants her to join the Corps and help us in our research because he thinks he saw her catch three Pokemon consecutively… As if anyone can just waltz in and catch Pokemon."
Celeste picked up another map that looked more familiar to her. She recognized Mt. Coronet and the Great Three Lakes, along with the snowy plains of Route 217.
"There! I live right there!" she pointed to the area to the east of the peak of Mt. Coronet.
Rei frowned at the map, "...But… that's just Hisui. See, we're here right now," he pointed to where Celeste remembered Jubilife City was.
Celeste put the map down slowly, "And what is here?" she pointed again to the area east of the peak.
"The Ancient Retreat," Akari said grimly, "I wouldn't recommend going there uninvited. That used to be the home of the Celestica people."
Celeste slumped in her seat. Froslass floated up to her to comfort her.
"So… tell me a little bit about where you came from," Akari said hopefully, "Maybe I can find the right map?"
Celeste's stomach churned. I must have died, she thought, There's no way that this is real.
"Never mind. I don't think any of these maps have my home," she said glumly.
"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that."
"So how did you end up here anyway?" Rei asked skeptically, "Is the professor pulling our leg?"
Celeste thought for a moment, unsure as to where she should even start. Telling strangers that your grandmother tried murdering you isn't exactly the best conversation starter.
"He's right… I think. I was unconscious when I saw him but the last thing that I remember was falling," she said.
"Where'd you fall?"
"It was in a cave," she replied quickly, "It's complicated."
"Oh, well, do you remember anything that can help us at all? Who's your family? Who do you associate with?"
"Rei!" Akari said embarrassed, "I'm so sorry, He's usually not like this."
"It's quite alright. I understand, I'm just some rando that showed up at your village one day," Celeste said mournfully, "But, like I said, it's quite complicated." She paused for a moment, thinking about where she should start. She could go over her entire biography- Once upon a time, I lived happily with my mom, my aunt, and my great-grandmother. Only thing is that my mother was the Champion of one of the most powerful regions in the world. So I never actually saw her. Anyway, one day, I went to college where I was drugged at a frat party. Afterwards, my mom took me out of college to protect me but I, like an idiot, decided to run away from home instead because I was mad at her. One thing led to another and I somehow ran into my long-lost father. But it turned out that he was actually an international criminal and because of me, he finally ended up getting arrested. I was supposed to testify at his trial but I got into another fight with my mom and left the court with my dad's mom. She took me on a short walk to Mt. Coronet where she tried pushing me off a cliff. Oh, and I might have seen God. She wondered if Rei or Akari would even know what a Champion is.
"My family's pretty small. I just lived with my mom, my aunt, and my great-grandmother," she said, trying to leave out as many details as possible, "You wouldn't know them."
"It's just strange. You're wearing such weird clothes and you're traveling with a Pokemon. Only certain people have one… Not like most would like one anyway, after all they're so dangerous," Rei murmured.
"Yeah, where I come from, everyone has one."
Rei and Akari looked at each other.
"That's crazy!" the girl said, "How? Why? There's so little that we know about them."
"We just do. They help us and we help them."
"Did you find your home?" Captain Cyllene walked into the room, bearing her iconic frown.
"No," Celeste responded sadly, "I honestly don't think that I ever will."
Cyllene raised an eyebrow, "Huh… that is quite strange… Well, I've decided on your challenge. Meet me in front of this building at dawn. Professor Laventon feels very confident in your skills… so I decided that you must capture five Pokemon. I will let you know what these Pokemon are in the morning. If you fail the trial, you must leave our village to meet your fate in the wilderness. For now, you are welcome to sleep in our quarters. Akari, show our guest an empty room."
And with that Cyllene walked away.
"Five Pokemon? Even I never had to catch that many!" Rei gasped.
"Well, if Professor Laventon is so confident, maybe we should trust him," Akari said and turned to Celeste, "Now come along! You'll need a good night's sleep!"
