Disclaimer: I have no ownership over fictional murder monsters or any brand... Like any brand at all, I own nothing.
Chapter 7 – The Mind
Jeffery is not a fan of his job. Selling houses meant dealing with people… lots of people…
All. The. Time.
Doing so on such a regular basis was more taxing than most would imagine, regardless, he persisted and practiced until he could lead most conversations to the outcome he desired.
Reading people became second nature to him and what he didn't pick up on, his partner, Kirlia, certainly would. A rather useful ally when trying to gather information, especially when sussing out new clients. A head tilt here, a curtsy there, all signals about the thoughts and feelings of his customers.
In fact, it was Kirlia who managed to snag his latest business partner, some weirdo who signed off all their correspondence using the names of various planets. But it didn't matter, he'd already managed to sell two houses in the area to the customers sent by Mister/Miss Won't Say Their Real Name.
The cash had been flowing in for the last week, adding to his stellar record of sales in the last two years. He'd only ever failed once, for the very same abode he stands before now.
His smile twitches as he imagines the reason for his mistake, the echoes of failure ringing through his head, almost as if it were happening right now...
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH! GET OUT AND DON'T COME BACK WITHOUT PENNY, WE'RE LEAVING THIS COUNTRY WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!"
It was with a frustrated sigh that he realises the screaming was fact and not fiction.
"Ah yes… that would be the Farthings," he explains as three questioning gazes turned his way.
"A rather dynamic lot, and quite the friendly bunch when not all in the same room, Mrs Farthing does the most wonderful apple pie," he continues.
"NO! YOU'RE NOT TAKING HER FROM THE ACADEMY, SHE FINALLY SEEMS HAPPY!" The feminine screech was not the most pleasant experience, nor was the door slam that followed.
"Oh! Hello there!" Mrs Farthing says with obvious surprise. She smiles for a moment before remembering she was supposed to be furious at her good for nothing husband.
With a clear of her throat she continues, "You'll have to forgive the ruckus, we've had a bit of disagreement about the future of our child."
Her eyes linger over the group for a moment, taking in the appearance of her potential new neighbours. Clearly a family, all with blue hair quite similar to her own.
How cute! They even share the same hair style! If only my family were so close…
Her drifting thoughts are interrupted by a cough, drawing her attention to the rather peeved real-estate agent. Dread floods her system as Mrs Farthing realises, she may have ruined another of Jeffery's sales.
"B-but you needn't worry! My husband will be leaving to live on his own soon, so no more of that!" She says in an attempt to salvage the situation.
"Much appreciated Mrs Farthing," Jeffery replies with a curt nod, before turning to his customers with a clap of the hands and a smile on his face.
Kirlia has made no indication that the family's mood had swung, thus, he still has a chance!
So, with his best customer service voice, he took a gamble, "Now then! Shall we have a look inside?"
Jeffery may not be a fan of his job, but he certainly is good at it.
"I really, REALLY wish I'd brought my backpack with me," I say into the darkness.
I know from the quick glance I got after Hatterene teleported that she left me in an underground dome with no features, no resources and most importantly, no way out.
The air is warm, but a chill pervades my body, and a feeling of discomfort settles into my gut.
It's quiet, so quiet that when I hold my breath, I can hear the blood pumping to my brain and the beating of my heart.
Every footstep I make reverberates through the cavern, bouncing off the walls until the sound comes back from behind me, giving the illusion that I'm being followed.
Florges did say this is some kind of test, so I can't imagine I'll be here too long.
I sit down, back against the flattest part of the cave I can find. The rock is cold, but the unnaturally warm air offsets the discomfort.
A test of the mind… should I be meditating or something?
"Worth a shot at least…" I mumble into the darkness, too quietly for an echo to form.
Crossing my legs, I take a deep breath and close my eyes.
Now that I think about it, it's a bit strange that I have any idea of how to meditate. I can't remember ever doing it, but somehow, I know for a fact that I have.
In retrospect, all my "memories" seems strange… I can remember meditation techniques, the exact feeding requirements for a Squirtle and how to read the body language of a Hydreigon, yet my home region and address eludes me.
Heck I wouldn't even know my own name if it wasn't written in the collar of my shirt, Arceus please don't let it be a brand name…
Then, stranger than the fact I remember so many details of Pokémon specifically. There are the ones I have absolutely no recollection of at all. Galiant, Slither Wing, Iron Jugulis and Tinkatuff to name a few.
All the other memories that have escaped me feel right on the verge of popping up, like when you walk into the kitchen and forget what you went there for.
So, the idea that there are Pokémon with names I don't even know feels so strange to me, like I never knew them at all, regardless of the amnesia.
I need to get hold of a decent psychic type to give me a checkup, either that or get to a hospital.
At least once I'm cured of whatever radiation is eating away at me, Arceus I feel awful, maybe I should've listened to Galiant about staying in bed.
After another deep inhale and exhale, I decide to focus up, here am internally debating the condition of my mind when I should be clearing it instead.
Empty your thoughts, focus on your breathing.
No more distractions.
Breathe in.
Breathe out.
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
…
…
…
…
…
...
...
...
Minutes pass, maybe hours even. Regardless, my mediation comes to an end as I feel breath on my neck.
I pause for a moment, wondering if I imagined it.
That though it stomped out rather quickly when a childishly sweet voice suddenly whispers in my ear.
"What are you?"
My eyes shoot open, immediately scanning my surroundings, a futile effort in the pitch black of the cave.
"A Pokémon? A human? Something to eat?"
Another voice, louder but just as young comes from directly behind me.
I spin around and stand up, immediately smacking my face against the curvature of the wall with a wet crunch. The only thing behind me is cold hard stone.
"A human! A human! Oh! Look how it bleeds!"
The first voice cheers with glee as my hand goes up to my nose. Fortunately, it's not broken, just cut from the impact.
"Alive! It's alive! But the mind was empty!" A third voice chimes in.
"A soul! Just for us! Given for free!" The second voice is followed quickly by the feeling of something cold and wet dragging across my cheek.
"Ugh, what the hell! Did you just lick me?!" I yell out in disgust.
The creatures in the dark don't pay me any mind, continuing their rhythmic discussion despite my outburst.
"It so pink!" Says one.
"And so dark!" Says two.
"But the steel?" Says three.
"You can keep," they say together.
I can't see what they are, and I doubt I'd be able to fight them off with fists alone.
I'm so screwed.
"Now hush little one," A fourth voice says from my front.
"And."
"Go."
"To."
"Sleep."
Large glowing yellow eyes with red sclerae suddenly materialise centimetres from my face, my mind gets hazy, and I can feel my limbs go slack.
I know exactly what's happening, but the hypnosis is too powerful to do anything about.
I don't even feel myself hit the floor.
"Now now my dear, please do calm down," Madam Florges says in a panic.
*CRASH*
"Tinkatuff! Tink-tinka, tuff tink!" The small pink Pokémon exclaims loudly.
Oh my, such language.
"There's no need for this, I assure you," she pleads once more.
*SMASH*
"Tink! Tinkatuff, tinka, tuff!" Another array of colourful language, how eloquent.
But while certainly upset, Tinkatuff is not the one to have the Madam so… dishevelled.
"Tinkatuff darling, you're not helping the situation," she says in a chiding voice while ducking the swipe of a blade.
"BRING HER TO ME," the voice of the aggressor is cold, "OR I WILL REMOVE YOUR HEAD AND FIND THE WITCH MYSELF."
To make such a threat in the realm of fairies would normally be a death sentence, unfortunately for the Madam, she has already broken the rules by kidnapping Galiant's charge.
It's all fair game now.
"Please Galiant, this will be good for him! For all our sakes!" The Madam pleads once more, erecting a protect bubble in the process, "We need him at his peak, and you will only interfere in his progress!"
The protect bubble does little to stop Galiant's blade, fortunately it seems the robot is feeling merciful at the moment, stopping slightly to the left of The Madams neck.
"THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING. TAKE ME TO MY TRAINER." There is no emotion in her voice, the threat is very real.
The Madam's eyes are frantic, in all honestly thought she was putting on a façade to placate Galiant, "Jeeves! A hand please!"
How rude, I don't even have hands.
"Jeeves!"
I suppose I should step in; I just cleaned the floor after all, and blood is ever so difficult to remove.
"JEEEEVES!"
Very well then.
With a flex of psychic power, the Madam is by my side. Another has us move exactly one meter to the right. Avoiding a blade cloaked in dark energy now piercing the space I once occupied.
"DO NOT INTERFERE." I hear after being unceremoniously punted across the room.
Goodness, I didn't even see her move.
"TWENTY-FOUR HOURS!" The Madam all but screeches as Galiant closes in once more.
Her hand now around the Madam's neck, she brings their faces closer together, lifting Madam off the ground in the process, "EXPLAIN."
"Hatterene won't return for twenty-four real world hours and only she knows the co-ordinates, but without me, she will not return," she quickly clarifies.
"Once she returns, I-I will have her teleport immediately to retrieve Nevah! And give Jeeves the location too!" She adds as Galiant's grip tightens.
"JEEVES!"
I teleport to her side once more.
"You are to stick with Nevah as soon as he returns and be his personal teleporter!" The Madam says in an attempt to divert attention away from herself.
"Is that understood?!" She yells more than asks.
"As you say Madam." I respond telepathically.
"Excellent, now would you be so kind as to take our guest back to her room?" The Madam's composure starts to return as Galiant's grip loosens.
The machine seems uncertain, but there truly is no choice but to wait, she will gain nothing through violence.
"And you," the Madam's gaze turns sharp as she regards the Tinkatuff, "we will be having some words."
"Tink-tuff," she scoffs at the Madam while giving some obscure hand gesture using the middle of her three fingers.
Then, with a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn, marches out the room, only stopping in the doorway for us to follow.
Well, if nothing else, I've certainly learnt some new words today.
With the moon high in the sky, white light reflects off the particles in the air, giving what would be the typical dark nights of Area Zero an almost ethereal glow.
On such nights, predators have a much easier time decerning their prey from foliage and the rocky outcroppings so commonly used for cover.
An exception to this rule, are the small forests containing dense foliage that conceals most of the smaller creatures that lurk in the night.
However, all the camouflage in the world is useless if you make too much noise when moving. Most nocturnal predators can hear better than they see after all.
Such is the situation of the lone Pawniard that scampers through the underbrush, ripping up roots and tearing bushes with its sharp appendages.
Such a blatant disregard for stealth would normally lead to a harsh punishment from the pack leader. Yet the current circumstances are hardly normal.
In fact, the Pawniard is following orders directly from said leader. Much like the two meant to meet up with him at this very location. To ignore direct orders, a death sentence.
The leader will not like this.
A rustle from his left reveals one of his missing brothers making a direct line for him. Something has him spooked, hard to do to such a defiant Pokémon.
"Ard, pawnia-," the relay of information is cut short as a bright beam of light blinds one and smothers the other.
There is no explosion or blast, just an intense heat that has the first Pawniard hissing in pain.
Blinking away stars, the Pawniard is met with a gruesome sight.
A long trench has been melted into the earth, red tinged soil leading straight to the open maw of a behemoth rarely seen in the upper levels of Area Zero.
All that remains of its victim is the severed arm it used to reach out in greeting, half turned to slag on the ground.
Knowing what it's up against, the survivor runs for its life.
"002, status report." It's curiosity suddenly overcoming survival instinct, the Pawniard pauses its retreat. A human? Here?
It seems they don't know it survived. Time to put its dark typing to use.
With a hand to an earpiece, the now named 002 responds, "The target has disappeared. All signs lead to a small, forested area on the upper layer. Units 003 and 004 have been assigned to interrogate the locals."
Their eyes flicker to the trench left by the behemoth and it pauses a moment as if deciding on whether to continue, "We have had some resistance from a Bisharp clan, but the scouts were handled appropriately."
"Remove any obstacles as necessary but do not kill unprovoked, notify me immediately when the target is secure." With a click, the voice cuts off.
"Iron Thorns, eradicate any Pawniard or Bishard that enter a seventy-five-meter radius of our position," says 002.
A low grumble responds but the Pawniard can't make anything of it.
"No, leave that one for now, it will report to its clan not to interfere."
The Pawniard's breath hitches as it feels a pat on its shoulder from behind. Slowly turning its head, red eyes meet pink as the Iron Valiant leans closer.
"Isn't that right?" 002 says with a smile.
"Hey! You're Arven, right?" A cheerful voice called from down the hall.
Looking up from the purple book in his hands, Arven quirked an eyebrow. He wasn't expecting anyone else to be here yet.
Jogging down the hall was a young woman heading towards him. Two bangs of green hair stood out in stark contrast to her black ponytail and tanned, freckled skin.
Orange eyes sparkled up at him as Nemona came to a halt. She certainly took liberties with her uniform customisation, sporting an altered version of their summer attire.
Arven couldn't help but notice the throwing aid on her right arm, suggesting she wasn't very good at aiming her Pokémon balls, despite her famous addiction to battling.
"The professor's kid, Arven. That's you, isn't it? We should have a battle some time!" She says in a hurry, still bouncing on her feet, "But not right now. I gotta meet with the Director first, chat later?"
Arven doesn't even have a chance to reply as she bounds away, instead he trails after her at his own pace.
He is due at the Directors office as well after all.
It doesn't take long, having already made most of the journey before being interrupted by the student council president.
In fact, it seems the door to Director Clavel's office is already open. He can already hear the last words of a prior conversation.
"…ting on two more students. Have a seat in the meanwhile, make yourself at home," came the Director's voice.
"Ah! Arven, thank you for coming," says Director Clavel as Arven enters the office, "as I was just explaining, we are waiting on… oh? One moment please." He pauses to look at a message as it pops up on his computer.
"Apologies for that, one more student was supposed to arrive but has declined my invitation. I am quite unsure how she managed to guess the topic of this meeting, regardless, she seems quite uninterested." He finishes while pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
"Nevertheless, the reason I called you both here today! Tell me," he says while pacing in front of the seated students.
"What do you know of Area Zero?"
"No."
"What do you mean no?! He's asking for help!" Shouted an annoyed Nemona.
"I won't go, I don't have the time," Arven replied.
"What could possibly be more important than helping the Director of The Academy," she spat.
But before he could reply, Nemona's rant continued.
"You can't do this to me! I can't go without your help! Think of all those powerful Pokémon, ready for an epic battle through the coolest place in Paldea!" she seemed almost desperate, a plea in her voice.
"That place is a death trap! I will NOT put my Pokémon through that, just because you have some weird addiction doesn't mean you have to drag me to hell with you."
"How could you be so selfish! Skimping out just to read some dusty old book," she finished with a huff.
"Selfish?! Are you being serious or are you really that stu-"
"Enough!" Arven's insult is cut off before he can finish.
"I did not call you here to bicker," the Director says sternly, then focuses on the teenage girl.
"Nemona, I'm sure he has his reasons," he continues before turning to Arven once more, "are you certain there is no way for me to change your mind?" he asks.
"I am," Arven replies.
"Very well then," he says with an arm extending to the door.
Understanding the gesture, Arven stands up to leave but decides one more thing needs to be said.
"Director," he grabs Clavell's attention.
"Please, make sure she's more prepared than I was," with that, Arven closes the door behind him.
"What a wuss," Nemona says with a huff, before asking, "so it that it? Is the expedition cancelled because Arven won't come along?"
"Nemona, I will not tolerate the slander of another student in this school. I expect better of the student council president," he replies with an uncharacteristic frown on his face.
"But to answer your question, no, the expedition will continue with you leading as head of security. A new technical advisor and survival expert will be sourced from elsewhere," he says.
"The expedition will be held exactly one year from today, I have arranged some personal training for you by the La Primera herself," he continues.
A frown forms on Nemona's face at his statement, "Geeta?" she asks.
"Thanks Director but Geeta's a hurdle I've already overcome," she says with a sad smile.
"Is that so? I will have to inform Geeta that her personal team will no longer be required," replies Clavell.
"Personal team?" asks Nemona.
"Of course. There cannot be champions without THE Champion, to become one you must defeat her team after all. Keep in mind, it's not her personal team, just a government sanctioned team, set at an appropriate power level," he explains, pausing to gauge Nemona's reaction.
A new fire has already started to kindle in those orange eyes, good.
"Geeta may not be in the Masters Eight, but she is a force to be reckoned with none the less. Top fifteen would be my guess should she ever decide to participate," he finishes.
"Masters Eight? Top fifteen? What are you talking about Director?" Nemona asks in confusion.
"Goodness, I know that you've been busy with classes and training, but I would have thought you'd at least heard of the World Coronation Series. Then again, we never really advertise the competition in Paldea… I wonder why that is?" the Director replies, rubbing his chin in thought with one hand while sliding a USB across the table with the other.
"That contains all the battles of the previous top one hundred contestants from five years ago, it is held every seven years, in case you were curious."
"Thank you Director," came her hasty reply as she accepted the gift.
"Think nothing of it," he waves her off, "now, we sidetracked slightly, but I believe its time we discussed the details of your mission next year," he says, gesturing to a hologram on the desk.
"There are a few tasks I would like you to complete on the side, but the main purpose of your expedition to Area Zero is as follows…"
And that's that for chapter 7. Gosh this one put me through the ropes, I didn't understand the struggle of writers block until this chapter since all the others were so effortless, 2 whole monthsof trying to get this out. Honestly I'm still not too happy with how it turned out but it is what it is
Anyway, I hope you find some joy out of this in these trying times.
Oh and do all the good stuff, like, follow, review (especially review).
Let me know if you like it, any glaring mistakes (which have been pointed out in the past so thank you for those!) or even what you wanna see in the future! The story isn't set in stone so things can definitely change (team members for example).
Until next time!